MCP Server Building

Build the smallest server that exposes the required capability safely. Treat protocol conformance, business authorization, and model behavior as separate concerns; all three need independent controls.

Inputs

Collect or infer, and label assumptions for, these inputs:

• User jobs and the minimum capabilities needed
• Backing APIs, data stores, file systems, or local processes
• Intended MCP clients, exact protocol revision, and current SDK/runtime constraints
• Local stdio or remote HTTP transport requirements
• Tenant, identity, credential, and authorization model
• Read, write, destructive, billable, or externally visible effects
• Expected volume, latency, pagination, and deployment environment
• Existing schemas, tests, observability, and incident procedures

Ask only for missing facts that materially change the architecture. Consult the current MCP specification and SDK documentation before relying on version-sensitive behavior.