EP154: What is MCP?

The newsletter introduces Model Context Protocol (MCP), a new open standard by Anthropic that enables AI models (like Claude) to seamlessly integrate with external systems (databases, APIs, file systems) without custom code. It follows a client-server architecture with key components (Host, MCP Client, MCP Server) and five core primitives (Roots, Sampling, Prompts, Resources, Tools). Additionally, the issue covers Instagram-like system design and frontend performance optimization techniques.

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2. Core Technical Concepts/Technologies Discussed

• Model Context Protocol (MCP) – Open standard for AI model integrations
• Client-Server Architecture (Host, MCP Client, MCP Server)
• Instagram System Design (API gateways, databases, caching, async processing)
• Frontend Performance Optimization (compression, selective rendering, pre-loading, tree shaking)

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3. Main Points

A. Model Context Protocol (MCP)

• Enables AI models (e.g., Claude) to connect to external systems (PostgreSQL, APIs, Google Drive) without custom code.
• Three Key Components:
  • Host (AI application environment, runs MCP Client)
  • **MCP Client