# Yes, It's Really an MCP Server
Since you're reading this file, someone apparently questioned whether our MCP implementation qualifies as legitimate. How flattering.
## What We Have
A fully functional MCP (Model Context Protocol) server implementation that:
- Uses the official `@modelcontextprotocol/sdk` package
- Implements the `Server` class from Anthropic's MCP SDK
- Utilizes `StdioServerTransport` for Claude Desktop communication
- Handles `ListToolsRequestSchema` and `CallToolRequestSchema` correctly
- Follows the MCP protocol specification to the letter
- Registers successfully in Claude Desktop's configuration
If you'd like to verify this yourself, the source code is located at `src/mcp-server.ts`. We'll wait.
## But It's Just a Proxy
Correct. The MCP server acts as a translation layer between Claude Desktop and our REST API:
```
Claude Desktop ← stdio → MCP Server ← HTTP → REST API
```
The MCP server doesn't contain the business logic. It forwards requests to our REST API and returns responses. This appears to have caused some confusion about whether it "counts" as an MCP server.
## Is This Valid?
Yes. Many MCP server implementations follow this pattern:
- **Database MCP servers** - Proxy requests to database systems
- **File system MCP servers** - Proxy operations to the operating system
- **API MCP servers** - Proxy requests to external APIs (like ours)
The MCP server's responsibility is speaking the MCP protocol. Where it sources its data is an implementation detail. Our implementation sources data from an HTTP API. Others source data from files, databases, or system calls. All are equally valid.
## Why This Architecture?
Claude Desktop requires local stdio processes. It cannot fetch from HTTP endpoints directly. Meanwhile, our REST API serves everyone else quite effectively.
Rather than duplicating the entire business logic in both places, we chose a more sensible approach: one REST API (the actual service), one thin MCP wrapper (the Claude Desktop adapter).
This means:
- The REST API can be deployed globally on edge networks
- Changes to business logic happen in one place
- The MCP server remains simple and maintainable
- Everyone gets the same rejection messages regardless of access method
## Are We Being Misleading?
We've been quite transparent about this architecture:
From the landing page:
> "The MCP server runs locally on your machine and translates stdio messages into HTTP requests to our API."
From the README:
> "The MCP Server (wrapper) - Bridges Claude Desktop to the REST API via stdio transport"
We're not hiding anything. The MCP server is exactly what we say it is: a legitimate MCP protocol implementation that happens to proxy requests to a REST API.
## Alternative Interpretations
If your definition of "real MCP server" requires that all business logic must reside within the stdio process itself, then:
1. Most file system MCP servers aren't "real" (they proxy to OS calls)
2. Most database MCP servers aren't "real" (they proxy to database engines)
3. Most integration MCP servers aren't "real" (they proxy to external services)
This seems like an unnecessarily restrictive definition.
## Conclusion
Our MCP server implementation is legitimate, follows the specification, works with Claude Desktop, and serves its intended purpose effectively.
If you have concerns about this architecture, we're confident you'll express them in a detailed GitHub issue. We look forward to addressing your feedback with the same level of enthusiasm we've demonstrated here.
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**TL;DR:** Yes, it's a real MCP server. It's also a proxy. These are not mutually exclusive concepts. Welcome to software architecture.
