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What Is MCP (Model Context Protocol)?

An open protocol standardizing how AI applications connect to external data sources and tools.

Definition

An open protocol standardizing how AI applications connect to external data sources and tools.

MCP enables AI coding assistants and agents within CDEs to access databases, APIs, file systems, and development tools through a unified interface, replacing fragmented custom integrations. Originally created by Anthropic, it is no longer an Anthropic project: it was donated to the Linux Foundation's Agentic AI Foundation in December 2025. A major specification revision ships 07-28-2026 that removes protocol-level sessions entirely, so documentation or designs describing MCP as session-based are out of date.

Where This Fits

This term is covered in depth on MCP Servers for Development Environments and Gateways.

Running Model Context Protocol servers as shared infrastructure: gateways, registries, self-hosting, and what the move to a stateless core changes.

Related Terms

Back to the full CDE and agent infrastructure glossary.