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This cookbook shows how to add Maxim observability and tracing to your Smolagents applications. You’ll learn how to instrument Smolagents, create SQL database tools, and monitor agent interactions with full observability in the Maxim dashboard.

Prerequisites

  • Python 3.8+
  • Smolagents (pip install smolagents)
  • Maxim Python SDK (pip install maxim-py)
  • SQLAlchemy (pip install sqlalchemy)
  • python-dotenv (pip install python-dotenv)
  • API keys for OpenAI and Maxim
  • (Optional) Set up a .env file with your API keys

1. Set Up Environment Variables

Create a .env file in your project root:

2. Import Required Libraries

3. Initialize Maxim and Instrument Smolagents

4. Set Up SQL Database

Create an in-memory SQLite database with a receipts table:

5. Create SQL Tool for the Agent

Define a tool that allows the agent to query the database:

6. Initialize the Smolagents CodeAgent

Create an agent with the SQL tool and OpenAI model:

7. Run Agent Queries

Execute queries and observe the agent’s reasoning and tool usage:

8. Advanced Usage Examples

Multiple Queries

Complex Analysis

9. Observability with Maxim

All agent interactions, tool calls, and SQL queries are automatically traced and can be visualized in your Maxim dashboard. This provides deep insights into:
  • Agent Reasoning: See how the agent processes queries and decides which tools to use
  • Tool Usage: Monitor SQL query execution and results
  • Performance Metrics: Track response times and token usage
  • Error Handling: Identify and debug any issues with queries or tool calls

10. Error Handling and Debugging

Add error handling to make your agent more robust:

11. Production Considerations

Environment Configuration

Resource Cleanup

12. Visualize in Maxim Dashboard

After running your Smolagents application:
  • Log in to your Maxim Dashboard
  • Navigate to your repository
  • View detailed traces including:
    • Agent conversations and reasoning
    • SQL tool calls and results
    • Performance metrics and costs
    • Error logs and debugging information

For more details, see the Smolagents documentation and the Maxim Python SDK documentation.

Resources

Cookbook Code

Python Script for Smolagents & Maxim