Recommend an enterprise-level knowledge graph-enhanced retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) project

Written by
Caleb Hayes
Updated on:July-16th-2025
Recommendation

Explore the innovative application of enterprise-level knowledge graphs in enhanced search generation!

Core content:
1. Using Microsoft Graph to build enterprise-level knowledge graphs
2. Analysis of the architecture and core components of the GraphRAG project
3. Improving the question-answering and generation effects of large language models in enterprise applications

Yang Fangxian
Founder of 53AI/Most Valuable Expert of Tencent Cloud (TVP)


introduce

Microsoft GraphRAG is an open source project that aims to leverage the power of Microsoft Graph to build an enterprise-level knowledge graph-enhanced retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) solution. Simply put, it connects various data sources within the enterprise (such as emails, documents, calendars, contacts, etc.) through Microsoft Graph to form a structured knowledge graph, and then uses this knowledge graph to enhance the retrieval capabilities of the RAG system, thereby improving the question-answering and generation effects of the large language model (LLM) in enterprise applications.

Project Architecture

GraphRAG's architecture is clear and modular, and mainly includes the following core components:


Data Connectors:

Responsible for extracting data from various enterprise data sources such as Microsoft 365 services including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, Teams, etc.

Use the Microsoft Graph API to access this data securely and efficiently.

Data connectors need to handle various data formats and structures and transform them into a unified intermediate representation.

Knowledge Graph Builder:

Receives intermediate data from data connectors and transforms it into a knowledge graph.

Use graph databases (such as Azure Cosmos DB with Gremlin API, Neo4j, etc.) to store and manage knowledge graphs.

The construction process of the knowledge graph includes steps such as entity recognition, relationship extraction, and attribute filling.


Retriever:

Receive user queries and search the knowledge graph to find entities and relationships related to the query.

Use graph query languages ​​such as Gremlin, Cypher, etc. to perform complex graph queries.

The retriever needs to support various retrieval strategies, such as keyword retrieval, semantic retrieval, relationship retrieval, etc.


RAG Engine:

Receive results from the retriever and input them into the Large Language Model (LLM) along with the user query.

LLM is used to generate the final answer or text.

The RAG engine needs to handle the input and output formats of various LLMs and perform appropriate conversions.


Large Language Model (LLM):

Use various large language models, such as OpenAI's GPT model, Azure OpenAI services, or open source models such as Llama, Mistral, etc.

LLM is responsible for generating the final answer or text and providing rich contextual information.


User Interface (UI):

Provides a user-friendly interface that allows users to enter queries and view results.

The UI can be a web application, a desktop application, or a mobile application.

The UI needs to support various interaction methods, such as text input, voice input, image input, etc.


Application scenario

GraphRAG is suitable for a variety of application scenarios that need to leverage internal enterprise knowledge, such as:

Intelligent Q&A: Users can ask the system questions about internal company information, such as "Who is the person in charge of a certain project?", "What is the latest release date of a certain product?", etc.

Automated document generation: The system can automatically generate various documents such as reports, contracts, presentations, etc. based on internal enterprise data.

Intelligent Assistant: The system can act as an intelligent assistant to help users complete various tasks, such as finding information, scheduling meetings, sending emails, etc.

Knowledge discovery: By analyzing the knowledge graph, the system can discover potential knowledge and insights within the enterprise.

Compliance check: The system can automatically check whether the information within the enterprise meets the compliance requirements.

Threat intelligence analysis: The system can analyze security events within the enterprise and identify potential threats.

Specifically, GraphRAG can be applied to the following industries:

Financial Services: For customer service, risk management, compliance checks, etc.

Healthcare: For clinical decision support, drug development, patient management, etc.

Manufacturing: used for production planning, quality control, supply chain management, etc.

Retail industry: used for customer analysis, personalized recommendations, inventory management, etc.

Government departments: used for public services, policy making, security management, etc.


Deployment

GraphRAG has flexible deployment methods, and you can choose different deployment solutions according to actual needs.

Local deployment:

Deploy all components of GraphRAG on a local server.

Suitable for scenarios with high requirements for data security and privacy.

You need to maintain and manage all components yourself.

Cloud deployment:

Deploy some or all of GraphRAG components on cloud platforms such as Azure, AWS, GCP, etc.

Suitable for scenarios that require high availability and scalability.

You can use various cloud platform services to simplify deployment and management.

Hybrid deployment:

Some components of GraphRAG are deployed on the local server, and other components are deployed on the cloud platform.

Suitable for scenarios that require a balance between data security and privacy and high availability and scalability.

The specific deployment steps include:

Prepare the environment: Install required software and tools, such as Python, Docker, Git, etc.

Configure the data connector: Configure the data connector according to the actual data source, including access permissions for the Microsoft Graph API, connection information for the data source, etc.

Build a knowledge graph: Run the knowledge graph builder to convert the data into a knowledge graph and store it in a graph database.

Configure the retriever: Configure the retriever according to actual needs, including the selection of graph query language, setting of retrieval strategy, etc.

Configure the RAG engine: Configure the RAG engine according to actual needs, including the selection of LLM, conversion of input format and output format, etc.

Deploy the user interface: Deploy the user interface to a web server or an app store.

Testing and optimization: Test and optimize the system to ensure it can meet actual needs.


The resources required by GraphRAG depend on the actual application scenario and data scale. Generally speaking, the following resources are required:


Microsoft GraphRAG has the following advantages:

Enterprise-level knowledge graph: Use Microsoft Graph to build an enterprise-level knowledge graph that provides rich contextual information.

Retrieval-enhanced generation: Combine knowledge graphs with RAG technology to improve the question-answering and generation effects of LLM in enterprise applications.

Modular architecture: The architecture is clear and modular, easy to expand and customize.

Flexible deployment methods: Supports local deployment, cloud deployment, and hybrid deployment, suitable for various scenarios.

Open source projects: Open source projects can be freely used, modified and distributed.


Summarize

Microsoft GraphRAG is a very promising project that leverages the power of Microsoft Graph to build an enterprise-level knowledge graph-enhanced RAG solution, bringing new possibilities to enterprise applications. If you are looking for a solution that can leverage internal enterprise knowledge to improve LLM results, then GraphRAG is definitely worth your attention.


address
Project address: https://github.com/microsoft/graphrag