MCP standardizes how AI applications connect to tools, data sources, prompts, and workflows. In the aRuntime taxonomy, it belongs at the tool and context boundary rather than replacing the model server, agent framework, or full runtime architecture.
At a glance
- Organization
- Model Context Protocol
- Runtime role
- Tool and context protocol
- Category
- Protocols and Contracts
- Official documentation
- Visit official documentation opens in a new tab
Where it fits in the runtime stack
Layer 5: agentic and application runtime. MCP helps expose external capabilities to an AI application through a structured client/server boundary.
Primary runtime role
Use MCP when the runtime must discover tools, connect to data sources, define connector boundaries, and keep tool access outside ad hoc prompt text.
Not the same as
MCP is not a model-serving engine, not a substitute for A2A, and not a complete authorization system by itself.
Integration notes
- Define which MCP clients may connect to which servers and under which user or tenant authority.
- Treat tool descriptions as discovery metadata, not as the final enforcement layer.
- Apply schema validation, authorization, logging, and redaction before tool output reaches model context.
Questions before production use
- Which tools and resources are exposed through MCP, and who can invoke them?
- Where are secrets, tokens, and user delegation stored and rotated?
- How are tool outputs redacted before they become model-visible context?
Review and deprecation posture
This profile is reviewed as part of the aRuntime.com quarterly resource audit. If the official documentation moves, the project is archived, or the resource changes scope, this page should be updated with a dated status note rather than silently removed.
Sources and further reading
- What is the Model Context Protocol? opens in a new tab — Model Context Protocol; official documentation; accessed 2026-06-20 UTC.
- MCP Security Best Practices opens in a new tab — Model Context Protocol; official security guidance; accessed 2026-06-20 UTC.
Last reviewed: .