THE MODEL CONTEXT PROTOCOL (MCP) AND TOOL STANDARDS

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING • What problem does MCP solve? ◦ Answer: it replaces many custom one-to-one integrations with a shared standard. • What is the difference between an MCP client and an MCP server? ◦ Answer: the client lives in the host application and keeps a connection, while the server offers tools, resources, and prompts. • When would you choose stdio over a network transport? ◦ Answer: when the server runs on the same machine for one user and you want the simplest setup. • Name two benefits of standardization. ◦ Answer: any two of reuse, interoperability, ecosystem, separation of concerns, consistent safety controls. • Name two limitations of MCP. ◦ Answer: any two of context cost, uneven server quality, security exposure, operational complexity, rapid change.