Model Context Protocol architecture

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) architecture is designed around the principle that an AI model should not assemble, authorize, or validate its own working context Verified Answer #1. The recommended framework organizes components into three distinct planes: MCP serves as the I/O plane, Agent Skills function as the procedure plane, and a context compiler acts as the correctness plane Verified Answer #1.

Core Components and Responsibilities

The architecture divides responsibilities across several specialized modules to ensure context discipline and security Verified Answer #1:

• MCP Servers: These components expose current facts, executable capabilities, and resulting artifacts Verified Answer #1.
• Agent Skills: These define the specific timing and methods for performing bounded engineering procedures Verified Answer #1.
• Context Compiler: This module creates a reproducible and task-specific context manifest Verified Answer #1.
• Policy Broker: This component is responsible for authorizing and preconditioning every side effect within the system Verified Answer #1.
• Evidence Ledger: This records the specific observations that support each conclusion made by the model Verified Answer #1.
• Independent Verifier: This checks results without inheriting the assumptions of the implementer Verified Answer #1.

Protocol Specifications

As of July 2026, the official MCP specification identifies revision 2025-11-25 as the latest stable version Verified Answer #1. While MCP standardizes elements such as context exchange, capability discovery, tools, resources, and transport, it does not prescribe specific methods for context selection or management Verified Answer #1. Consequently, context discipline must be implemented as an application-layer control profile within the host Verified Answer #1.

Implementation Strategy

In a standard mobile-development workflow, the MCP host is intended to reside in the developer IDE or engineering control plane rather than the mobile binary Verified Answer #1. This architectural approach ensures that material agent decisions are attributable to specific skill versions, source revisions, environment states, tool schemas, and verification artifacts Verified Answer #1.