MCP Crash Course: Complete Model Context Protocol in a Day

This course contains the use of artificial intelligence :) Please note that this is not a course for beginners. This course assumes that you have a background in software engineering and are proficient in Python. I will be using Cursor IDE but you can use any editor you'd like since we only use basic feature of the IDE like debugging and running scripts . Ideal students are software developers / data scientists MCP (Model Context Protocol): A protocol that helps build agents and complex workflows on top of LLMs, providing pre-built integrations, flexibility to switch between LLM providers, and security for your data. Architecture Components MCP Hosts: Programs like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, or AI tools that want to access data through MCP MCP Clients: Protocol clients that maintain 1:1 connections with servers  (Content ETA April) MCP Servers: Lightweight programs that each expose specific capabilities through the standardized Model Context Protocol Local Data Sources: Your computer's files, databases, and services that MCP servers can securely access  (Content ETA End of March) Remote Services: External systems available over the internet (e.g., through APIs) that MCP servers can connect to (Content ETA End of March) Authenticaiton Key Capabilities Resources: Components that expose data and content from your servers to LLMs Prompts: Functionality to create reusable prompt templates and workflows Tools: Features that enable LLMs to perform actions through your server Sampling: Capability that lets your servers request completions from LLMs Transports: MCP's communication mechanism between clients and servers Topic Covered: MCP + Agent Security best practices Containerizing MCP Servers Protocol Flow MCP + Docker MCP + LangChain OAuth 2.0 with MCP featuring Auth0 MCP Deployment (featuring Cloudflare) A2A - Agent 2 Agent Protocol (WIP)