MCP helps you build agents and complex workflows on top of LLMs. LLMs frequently need to integrate with data and tools, and MCP provides:
- A growing list of pre-built integrations that your LLM can directly plug into
- The flexibility to switch between LLM providers and vendors
- Best practices for securing your data within your infrastructure
General architecture
At its core, MCP follows a client-server architecture where a host application can connect to multiple servers:
- MCP Hosts: Programs like Claude Desktop, IDEs, or AI tools that want to access data through MCP
- MCP Clients: Protocol clients that maintain 1:1 connections with servers
- MCP Servers: Lightweight programs that each expose specific capabilities through the standardized Model Context Protocol
- Local Data Sources: Your computer’s files, databases, and services that MCP servers can securely access
- Remote Services: External systems available over the internet (e.g., through APIs) that MCP servers can connect to