The AI Control Plane Handbook
Contents

Executive Edition · 2026

The AI Control Plane Handbook

Architecture, orchestration, and zero-trust security for the agentic enterprise

John Fisher · 2026

About this handbook

This handbook sets out what an enterprise AI control plane is, why it has become the next infrastructure advantage, how to architect one, the vendor-neutral target reference architecture to steer by, one way to realize it with MuleSoft Agent Fabric and Informatica, and how to sequence the work over the next 12 to 24 months so that every milestone brings a strategic win. Sections 11 to 13 then apply the architecture to three reference use cases: a professional services firm, a capital markets firm and a natural gas pipeline operator. A companion executive briefing deck follows the structure of Sections 1 to 10.

Each chapter combines the architectural framework with the research behind it and product facts from public documentation. Superscript numbers refer to the endnotes in Appendix B, which the companion deck shares. Appendix A summarizes what the principal sources add, and Appendix C maps the control plane to the main AI standards. Appendix D holds the license, the trademarks and the other notices, and Appendix E is about the author.

Disclosure. John Fisher works for Salesforce. The views here are his own, not Salesforce’s, and are drawn from public information; this handbook is not affiliated with or endorsed by Salesforce. Product names are trademarks of their owners. Illustrative figures are not results from any customer. Appendix D gives the full notices, including the license.

Contents

  1. •Executive summary
  2. 1Why intelligence orchestration is the next infrastructure advantage
  3. 2What an enterprise AI control plane is
  4. 3Architecture: exposing enterprise capabilities securely
  5. 4Orchestration: coordinating models, agents and workloads
  6. 5Trust, security and resilience
  7. 6A target reference architecture for the AI control plane
  8. 7Realizing the north star with MuleSoft and Informatica
  9. 8A 12- to 24-month plan with value in every phase
  10. 9Measuring success
  11. 10Questions for the leadership team and board
  12. 11Reference use case 1: Professional services engagement launch
  13. 12Reference use case 2: Capital markets T+1 settlement exceptions
  14. 13Reference use case 3: Energy pipeline compressor reliability
  15. ADigest of the principal sources
  16. BEndnotes
  17. CStandards crosswalk for compliance teams
  18. DNotices and disclosures
  19. EAbout John Fisher