AI engineering glossary · Agents tools MCP
What is MCP server?
MCP server: A program that exposes tools, resources and prompts to AI applications using the Model Context Protocol. It wraps a system such as a database, file store or web service so that any compatible client can use it in a uniform way.
MCP server: an example
A small server exposes search_tickets and get_ticket tools, wrapping a company's helpdesk API.
Related terms
More Agents tools MCP terms
- MCP tool
- MCP transport
- Memory consolidation
- Memory retrieval
- Model Context Protocol
- Model routing
- Multi-agent system
- OpenAI Agents SDK
Where you learn it
MCP server is part of the AI Engineering Program, which teaches it with notes, a hands-on lab and an exam. The first lesson is free.