Understanding MCP: The Model Context Protocol for AI Agents

MCP (Model Context Protocol) standardizes how AI agents interact with tools and resources.

Why MCP Matters

Without standards, every AI agent reinvents tool integration. MCP provides a common interface for tools, reducing integration effort.

Core Concepts

• Tools: Functions the agent can call
• Resources: Data sources the agent can access
• Prompts: Reusable prompt templates
• Sampling: Model inference requests

Integration Patterns

MCP servers expose capabilities to MCP clients (agents). This decoupling enables tool reuse across different agent frameworks.

Building MCP Servers

• Define clear tool schemas
• Handle errors gracefully
• Implement proper authentication
• Document capabilities thoroughly