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Model Context Protocol (MCP)

MCP is an open protocol that lets AI assistants interact with external tools and data sources. With Prism’s MCP server, you can expose your application’s capabilities to AI models — letting them query databases, call APIs, read files, and more.

Why MCP?

Think of MCP as a standard interface between AI assistants and your code:

Tools

Functions the AI can call — like “search the database” or “send an email”

Resources

Data the AI can read — like config files, database records, or logs

Prompts

Pre-built prompt templates the AI can use for common tasks

Quick Start

Simple MCP Server
When running with stdio transport, the MCP server reads JSON-RPC messages from stdin and writes responses to stdout — perfect for CLI tools that Claude Desktop or other AI clients launch as subprocesses.

Architecture

The server handles:
  • Capability negotiation — tells the client what features are available
  • Tool execution — routes tool calls to your handlers
  • Resource serving — provides data on demand
  • Prompt templates — offers pre-built prompts for common workflows

Real-World Example

Here’s an MCP server that gives an AI assistant access to a task database:
Task Manager MCP

Transports

Prism supports two MCP transport modes: See Transports for setup details.

What’s Next

Tools

Build powerful tools for AI assistants

Resources

Expose data as readable resources

Transports

Choose the right transport for your use case