MCP for Beginners (Model Context Protocol)

Topics covered

• •Understand what the Model Context Protocol (MCP) is and what problem it solves.
• •Get familiar with the host-client-server architecture and the role each component plays.
• •See where MCP fits in the ecosystem of AI applications and agents.

Topics covered

• •Take a close look at the protocol's primitives: Tools, Resources, Prompts, Sampling, Roots, Elicitation.
• •Understand the connection lifecycle (initialization, capability negotiation, message exchange).
• •Learn MCP's main security threats and the typical mitigations.

Topics covered

• •Build your first working MCP server in the language of your choice.
• •Write a client that connects to the server, plus a client with an LLM integrated.
• •Connect the server to VS Code and other hosts (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline).

Topics covered

• •Get comfortable with the official MCP SDKs (C#, Java, TypeScript, Python, etc.) for building full-featured servers.
• •Implement all three server primitives: Tools, Resources, Prompts.
• •Learn to test MCP servers and work with the stdio and streamable-HTTP transports.

Topics covered

• •Get comfortable with advanced protocol features: sampling, root contexts, progress notifications, request cancellation.
• •Understand routing and scaling strategies for MCP in high-load scenarios.
• •Learn enterprise integration: OAuth2, Entra ID, Azure, Microsoft Foundry.

Topics covered

• •Learn how to contribute to the open MCP ecosystem: servers, SDKs, documentation.
• •Study lessons from early adopters and Microsoft's MCP server ecosystem.
• •Break down real-world case studies: tracker automation, API Management, a travel agent, documentation.

Topics covered

• •Systematize MCP server design practices: performance, resilience, reliability.
• •Learn error-handling, retry, and degradation patterns.
• •Build a production-readiness checklist for a server.