OverviewCore Concepts

Provider & Virtual Keys

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Alephant operates on a dual-key architecture, ensuring security and granular cost tracking.

Provider Keys (Master Keys)

Provider Keys are your raw, Bring-Your-Own-Key (BYO-KEY) credentials from providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, or Azure.

  • They are securely encrypted at rest (AES-256).
  • End users never see these keys.
  • You can map multiple Virtual Keys to a single Provider Key.

Virtual Keys (VKs)

Virtual Keys are proxy credentials generated by Alephant.

  • The Sole Billing Axis: All usage metering, billing, and budget limits in Alephant are tied to Virtual Keys.
  • Bound to Entities: A VK is either bound to an Agent or a Member.
  • Independent Controls: Each VK can have its own budget. If a VK exceeds its limit, it can be configured to alert administrators or automatically block further requests.

Virtual Key Expansion

Each subscription tier includes a base number of VKs. If you need more, you can purchase VK Expansions via the billing dashboard (available on Pro and higher).