Solution pattern · not a customer claim
Knowledge assistant with controlled data and permissions.
The pattern shows how internal documents can be made securely searchable, permissions can remain intact, and cited answers can support an existing workflow.
Starting point
Knowledge is distributed and governed by different permissions.
Policies, manuals, and case documents often live in several repositories. A useful solution must respect currency, metadata, and existing permissions.
System boundary
The assistant answers. It does not decide.
The pattern supports research and summarisation. Business decisions, approvals, and exceptions remain with accountable staff.
Architecture
Four layers with clear accountability.
Each layer has its own quality and operational requirements. This makes it possible to distinguish a data, retrieval, model, or process issue.
- 01
Sources & access
Approved documents, versions, and user permissions are carried forward.
- 02
Data pipeline
Content is extracted, structured, checked, and indexed traceably.
- 03
Search & answer
Combined search returns sources; the answer remains grounded in the retrieved context.
- 04
Use & operation
Feedback, quality measurement, logging, and escalation support daily operation.
Guardrails
Reliability comes from the system as a whole.
A capable model cannot replace missing data ownership or unclear process boundaries.
- 01
Permissions remain intact
Users only see content they are already permitted to access in source systems.
- 02
Sources remain visible
Answers reference the documents used and support business review.
- 03
Quality is measured
Real questions, expected sources, and business criteria form a versioned test set.
- 04
Failure paths are designed
Uncertain answers, missing sources, and technical failures lead to clear alternatives.
Possible technology components
- Azure AI Search
- Azure OpenAI
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Azure Blob Storage
- Application Insights
Your system context
Which sources and workflow need to be connected?
We assess whether this pattern fits or a simpler architecture would be more appropriate.