MCP (Model Context Protocol)

llm-integration | agent

Overview

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open protocol developed by Anthropic that enables AI models to connect with external data sources and tools in a standardized way. It provides a universal interface for LLM tool use.

Key Design

• Client-server architecture: LLM client connects to MCP servers
• Standardized tool schema: Tools described in a universal JSON format
• Server registry: Pre-built servers for filesystem, web, database, etc.
• Bidirectional communication: Both tool calls and data fetching

Relationship to Other Projects

• Used by claude-code for its built-in tools
• Alternative to OpenAI's function calling and LangChain tool interfaces
• mcp-system concept page covers the internal architecture of MCP-based systems

References

• Specification: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/