Skip to content
CentralMind

OpenAI

The OpenAI provider enables direct integration with OpenAI’s models including o3-mini. This guide covers setup, configuration, authentication, and usage options for connecting to OpenAI’s API.

Overview

The OpenAI provider allows direct access to OpenAI’s language models, including the latest O series and GPT models. This provider offers a streamlined integration with robust authentication, flexible configuration options, and support for advanced features like high reasoning effort and JSON responses.

Authentication

The provider uses API key authentication to access OpenAI’s services. You’ll need to obtain an API key from OpenAI to use this provider:

  • Environment Variable: Set OPENAI_API_KEY to provide your credentials.
  • Command Line: Pass your API key using the appropriate flag.

For more details on obtaining and managing OpenAI API keys, refer to OpenAI’s documentation:

Example Usage

Terminal window
export OPENAI_API_KEY='yourkey'

Below is a basic example of how to use the provider with a connection configuration file:

Terminal window
./gateway discover \
  --ai-provider openai \
  --config connection.yaml

Endpoint Configuration

By default, the provider connects to OpenAI’s standard API endpoint. You can specify a custom endpoint using one of the following methods:

  1. Configuration File: Include the endpoint in your connection.yaml
  2. Environment Variable: Set the OPENAI_ENDPOINT variable.

Example with a custom endpoint:

Terminal window
export OPENAI_ENDPOINT="https://custom-openai-endpoint.example.com"
./gateway discover \
  --ai-provider openai \
  --config connection.yaml

Model Selection

By default, the OpenAI provider uses o3-mini. You can specify a different model using one of the following methods:

  1. Command-line Flag: Use the --ai-model flag.
  2. Environment Variable: Set the OPENAI_MODEL_ID.

Examples:

Terminal window
# Specify model via command line
./gateway discover \
  --ai-provider openai \
  --ai-model o3-mini \
  --config connection.yaml


# Or via environment variable
export OPENAI_MODEL_ID=o3-mini
./gateway discover \
  --ai-provider openai \
  --config connection.yaml

Advanced Configuration

Reasoning Mode

Enable OpenAI’s high reasoning effort for complex tasks:

Terminal window
./gateway discover \
  --ai-provider openai \
  --ai-reasoning=true \
  --config connection.yaml

When reasoning mode is enabled, the provider sets the reasoning_effort parameter to “high”.

Response Length Control

Control the maximum token count in responses:

Terminal window
./gateway discover \
  --ai-provider openai \
  --ai-max-tokens 8192 \
  --config connection.yaml

If not specified, the default maximum token count is 100,000 tokens.

Temperature Adjustment

Adjust the randomness of responses with the temperature parameter:

Terminal window
./gateway discover \
  --ai-provider openai \
  --ai-temperature 0.7 \
  --config connection.yaml

Lower values produce more deterministic outputs, while higher values increase creativity and randomness.

Usage Costs

The OpenAI provider includes cost estimation for various models:

ModelInput Cost (per 1M tokens)Output Cost (per 1M tokens)
gpt-4o-mini$0.15$0.60
gpt-4o$2.50$10.00
o3-mini$1.10$4.40
o1$15.00$60.00

Costs are calculated based on the actual token usage for each request.

  • API Key Security: Use environment variables for sensitive settings like API keys.
  • Manage Token Count: Set a reasonable maximum token count to control costs.
  • Enable Reasoning Mode: Use for complex analytical tasks.
  • Select the Right Model: Choose models based on your specific needs and budget constraints.

Additional Resources