Agentic 101 - Washington, DC (State of the Stack) · · Washington, DC ·
MCP Servers - The Agentic API Layer
Abstract
You may already use MCP servers shipped with your favorite tools. You may even have added community servers for the tools you use every day. But what does an MCP server actually do, what does it add to an ordinary API, and what will it take to run one beyond a local demo? In this hands-on session, we will build a simple MCP server together and use it from an MCP-capable client. A public reference implementation will keep everyone moving if local code goes sideways. We will then put the same capability behind a direct API and compare the two interfaces—not as a performance or cost benchmark, but to expose what MCP adds and when that additional machinery earns its keep. Finally, we will take the simple server toward production: deployment, authentication and credentials, permissions, observability, versioning, and failure handling. Attendees will leave able to explain how an MCP server works, recognize when an API is enough, and identify the work required to operate an MCP server after the prototype succeeds.
Speaker
Langdon White
Langdon White is a systems architect, open source strategist, and educator focused on scalable technologies and inclusive pathways into tech. He currently serves as Clinical Assistant Professor at Boston University and Technical Director of Spark!, where he guides student teams and faculty partners in building real-world data products and cloud-native systems.