# A2A Is Now an Open Standard. The Data Layer Underneath It Isn't.

DevFeed: [A2A Is Now an Open Standard. The Data Layer Underneath It Isn't.](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/a2a-is-now-an-open-standard-the-data-layer-underneath-it-isn-t-23729.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://cockroachlabs.com/blog/a2a-agent-state-data-layer>)

Author: Quentin Packard

Published: 2026-08-19T00:00:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Cockroach Labs](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/cockroach-labs.md>)

Topics: [agent to agent communication](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/agent-to-agent-communication.md>), [Multi Agent Systems](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/multi-agent-systems.md>), [Model Context Protocol](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/model-context-protocol.md>), [Database](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/database.md>), [Artificial Intelligence](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai.md>)

Tags: [a2a](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/a2a.md>), [agent-to-agent-communication](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/agent-to-agent-communication.md>), [agentic](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/agentic.md>), [agents](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/agents.md>), [ai](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai.md>), [architecture](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/architecture.md>), [database](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/database.md>), [mcp](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mcp.md>), [model-context-protocol](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/model-context-protocol.md>), [multi-agent-systems](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/multi-agent-systems.md>), [protocol](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/protocol.md>), [standards](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/standards.md>)

## AI overview

The article argues that A2A standardizes communication between agents but leaves the underlying data and state layer undefined. It contrasts A2A's horizontal agent-to-agent communication with MCP's vertical connection between an agent and external tools or data, and argues that production systems need both alongside a database-centered state architecture. AGENTS.md is presented as another interface standard that leaves durable state outside its scope.

## Source excerpt

In April 2025, Google released a protocol for agent-to-agent communication. Within three months, Google had donated it to the Linux Foundation...