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docs/decisions/0026-file-service.md

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File Services

Context and Problem Statement

OpenAI provides a file service for uploading files to be used for assistant retrieval or model fine-tuning: https://api.openai.com/v1/files

Other providers may also offer some type of file-service, such as Gemini.

Note: Azure Open AI does not currently support the OpenAI file service API.

Considered Options

  1. Add OpenAI file service support to Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Experimental.Agents
  2. Add a file service abstraction and implement support for OpenAI
  3. Add OpenAI file service support without abstraction

Decision Outcome

Option 3. Add OpenAI file service support without abstraction Mark code as experimental using label: SKEXP0010

Defining a generalized file service interface provides an extensibility point for other vendors, in addition to OpenAI.

Pros and Cons of the Options

Option 1. Add OpenAI file service support to Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Experimental.Agents

Pro:

  1. No impact to existing AI connectors.

Con:

  1. No reuse via AI connectors.
  2. No common abstraction.
  3. Unnatural dependency binding for uses other than with OpenAI assistants.

Option 2. Add a file service abstraction and implement support for OpenAI

Pro:

  1. Defines a common interface for file service interactions.
  2. Allows for specialization for vendor specific services.

Con:

  1. Other systems may diverge from existing assumptions.

Option 3. Add OpenAI file service support without abstraction

Pro:

  1. Provides support for OpenAI file-service.

Con:

  1. File service offerings from other vendors supported case-by-case without commonality.

More Information

Signature of BinaryContent

Note: BinaryContent object able to provide either BinaryData or Stream regardless of which constructor is invoked.

Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Abstractions

csharp
namespace Microsoft.SemanticKernel;

/// <summary>
/// Represents binary content.
/// </summary>
public sealed class BinaryContent : KernelContent
{
    public BinaryContent(
        BinaryData content,
        string? modelId = null,
        object? innerContent = null,
        IReadOnlyDictionary<string, object?>? metadata = null);

    public BinaryContent(
        Func<Stream> streamProvider,
        string? modelId = null,
        object? innerContent = null,
        IReadOnlyDictionary<string, object?>? metadata = null);

    public Task<BinaryData> GetContentAsync();

    public Task<Stream> GetStreamAsync();
}

Signatures for Option 3:

Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Connectors.OpenAI

csharp
namespace Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Connectors.OpenAI;

public sealed class OpenAIFileService
{
    public async Task<OpenAIFileReference> GetFileAsync(
        string id,
        CancellationToken cancellationToken = default);

    public async Task<IEnumerable<OpenAIFileReference>> GetFilesAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default);

    public async Task<BinaryContent> GetFileContentAsync(
        string id,
        CancellationToken cancellationToken = default);

    public async Task DeleteFileAsync(
        string id,
        CancellationToken cancellationToken = default);

    public async Task<OpenAIFileReference> UploadContentAsync(
        BinaryContent content,
        OpenAIFileUploadExecutionSettings settings,
        CancellationToken cancellationToken = default);
}

public sealed class OpenAIFileUploadExecutionSettings
{
    public string FileName { get; }
 
    public OpenAIFilePurpose Purpose { get; }
}

public sealed class OpenAIFileReference
{
    public string Id { get; set; }

    public DateTime CreatedTimestamp { get; set; }

    public string FileName { get; set; }
    
    public OpenAIFilePurpose Purpose { get; set; }

    public int SizeInBytes { get; set; }
}

public enum OpenAIFilePurpose
{
    Assistants,
    Finetuning,
}