Welcome to **Core MCP Primitives: Context, Actions, and Interaction**!
In the previous module, we established a foundational understanding of the Model Context Protocol (MCP)'s client-server architecture. We saw how Hosts, Clients, and Servers interact, and how messages are exchanged. Now, we're ready to delve into the specific, essential building blocks that empower this architecture to deliver rich context, enable real-world actions, and facilitate secure, guided interactions for Large Language Models (LLMs).
This module is crucial for anyone looking to truly understand how MCP enables LLMs to move beyond simple text generation and interact meaningfully with their environment. We will systematically explore the five core primitives that form the backbone of MCP's capabilities:
* **Resources**: Discover how servers expose structured data and dynamic information, providing LLMs with the necessary context to understand their operational environment and user requests.
* **Tools**: Learn the mechanism by which LLMs can perform real-world actions, such as interacting with APIs or local systems, always under the explicit approval and control of the user.
* **Prompts**: Understand how reusable and standardized interaction patterns are defined, guiding LLMs to produce consistent, relevant, and high-quality outputs for specific tasks.
* **Roots**: Grasp the concept of operational boundaries and namespaces, which organize and secure the services and data exposed by MCP servers.
* **Sampling**: Explore the critical process that facilitates secure and controlled LLM completions, ensuring data privacy and integrity by managing how LLMs receive and process sensitive information via the client.
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
* Define and differentiate between MCP Resources, Tools, Prompts, Roots, and Sampling.
* Understand how servers use Resources to provide context to LLMs.
* Learn how Tools enable LLMs to perform real-world actions with user approval.
* Comprehend the role of Prompts in standardizing and guiding LLM interactions.
* Understand how Roots define operational boundaries for servers.
* Grasp the concept of Sampling for secure LLM completions via the client.
Let's begin our exploration of these fundamental elements that make MCP a powerful protocol for LLM integration.
