Unlocking AI Intro to MCP

Description

The collected sources provide a comprehensive overview of the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard introduced by Anthropic to standardise how Large Language Models (LLMs) connect with external systems, data sources, and tools. MCP operates on a client-server architecture comprising three main components: the Host (the user-facing application, often containing the LLM), the Client (which manages the connection and translates requests), and the Server (an external service exposing capabilities like Tools, Resources, and Prompts). Communication between the Client and Server is conducted using JSON-RPC 2.0 messages over transport layers like STDIO or HTTP+SSE, and the process begins with an Initialization phase where Capability Negotiation ensures both parties agree on supported features and protocol versioning. The central benefit of MCP is providing a standardized, modular "USB-C" interface for LLMs, enhancing agentic systems by allowing them to retrieve real-time data and perform actions with clear security boundaries, such as explicit user consent and permission scoping. Numerous development tools and integrations, including those from Microsoft, Google Cloud, and major IDEs like Claude Desktop, demonstrate the protocol's rapid adoption and growing ecosystem.