[Online][Series] MCP 101: Understanding the Model Context Protocol

​Model Context Protocol (MCP) is changing how AI models connect to tools, data, and real-world environments - in a clean, consistent, and scalable way.

​In this opening session, we’ll unpack what MCP is, why it exists, and where it fits in the modern AI stack. Whether you’re brand new to MCP or just MCP-curious, you’ll leave with a clear mental model of the key building blocks (clients, servers, resources, tools) and how context flows end-to-end.

​This session is designed to set the foundation for everything that follows - with practical examples and real-world use cases to make the concepts click.

Outline

• ​What problem MCP solves (and why it matters now)

• ​MCP vs traditional tool integrations

• ​Core concepts - clients, servers, resources, and tools

• ​How context flows in MCP (the end-to-end mental model)

• ​Real-world use cases and examples

• ​What we’ll build in the next sessions

​What’s next
And the fun doesn’t end here - we’ve got more MCP sessions coming up:

• ​Session 2: Hands-On MCP - Building Your Own MCP Server

• ​Session 3: Production MCP - Deployment, Versioning & Monitoring