MCP Architecture
MCP Servers are the bridge between external resources and the protocol. They expose specific capabilities (tools, data sources, or services) through a standardized interface.
Core Responsibilities:
- Resource Exposure: Making external data and functionality available
- Authentication Handling: Managing secure access to external systems
- Protocol Translation: Converting MCP requests to system-specific operations
- Response Formatting: Returning data in protocol-compliant formats
MCP Clients are AI applications or agents that consume the capabilities exposed by MCP Servers. They initiate requests, handle responses, and integrate the external capabilities into their workflows.
Core Responsibilities:
- Server Discovery: Finding and connecting to available MCP servers
- Request Management: Sending properly formatted requests to servers
- Response Processing: Handling and utilizing server responses
- Error Handling: Managing connection issues and failures gracefully
MCP Hosts orchestrate the relationship between clients and servers, managing connections, routing requests, and maintaining the overall system state.
Core Responsibilities:
- Connection Management: Establishing and maintaining client-server connections
- Request Routing: Directing requests to appropriate servers
- Session Management: Handling authentication and session state
- Protocol Enforcement: Ensuring all communications follow MCP standards