API, MCP Server, or AI Agent?
A three-part guide to the architecture under modern AI systems: REST APIs, MCP servers and agents, and how they work together in production.
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API, MCP Server, or AI Agent? Part 1: The Foundation
Developers confuse REST APIs, MCP Servers, and AI Agents. Part 1 explores REST APIs—what they are, how they work, and why they're suboptimal for AI systems. Includes practical code examples and explains the foundation for modern AI architectures.
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API, MCP Server, or AI Agent? Part 2: MCP Servers - The AI-Native Interface
MCP Servers bridge traditional APIs and AI agents. Part 2 covers the Model Context Protocol—resources, tools, prompts—with full code showing how to convert a REST API into an MCP server. Explains capability negotiation, stateful connections, and when to use MCP.
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API, MCP Server, or AI Agent? Part 3: AI Agents and Complete Architecture
AI Agents autonomously orchestrate tools and make decisions. Part 3 completes the picture with agent code examples, full comparison tables, common misconceptions, and real-world architectures showing how REST APIs, MCP servers, and AI agents work together in production systems.