---
title: "Request flows and trust boundaries"
version: "v0.27.0"
canonical: "https://docs.obot.ai/v0.27.0/architecture/request-flows"
unreleased: false
---

# Request flows and trust boundaries

An Obot deployment has several enforcement points. Identify which traffic passes through each before relying on a policy.

| Flow                | Path                                                      | Boundary                                                                                |
| ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| MCP request         | Client → Obot gateway → hosted or remote MCP server       | Obot authenticates the client and applies server/tool grants and matching filters       |
| LLM request         | Client → Obot LLM Gateway → model provider                | Obot checks model access and supplies the upstream provider credential                  |
| Private MCP request | Gateway → outbound tunnel connection → private MCP server | The tunnel allowlist limits destinations; the tunnel machine makes the final connection |
| Local tool call     | AI client hook → Sentry → Obot decision/audit services    | Coverage depends on the client and installed hooks, independently of gateway routing    |

The [MCP authentication diagrams](https://docs.obot.ai/v0.27.0/concepts/architecture.md#obot-doc-authentication-flow) distinguish permission to access Obot from permission to use an upstream service. Clients receive Obot tokens; upstream OAuth credentials remain with Obot.

Hosted MCP servers and filters execute outside the Obot process. Calling a remote server does not place that service inside Obot's workload isolation boundary. [Filters](https://docs.obot.ai/v0.27.0/functionality/filters.md) inspect matching traffic; they do not sandbox the remote service.

A client that talks directly to a provider or server bypasses the corresponding gateway. Device enforcement has its own [client support and limitations](https://docs.obot.ai/v0.27.0/device-management/enforcement.md). Use [Security model](https://docs.obot.ai/v0.27.0/security/model.md) to relate these boundaries to deployment responsibilities.