Extending Agents with MCP Servers

Liam Conroy-Hampton explains how MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers can extend VS Code Copilot agents by connecting them to external datasets and tools, and walks through installing, configuring, securing, and managing MCP-based agent tools in VS Code.

Overview

The session introduces MCP (Model Context Protocol) and shows how MCP servers can be used to give agents access to capabilities outside the model itself—specifically, connecting to external tools and datasets.

Key segments covered in the video:

Intro to MCP

• What MCP is and why it matters for extending agent capabilities.
• How MCP servers act as a bridge between an agent and external resources.

Demo: install

• Demonstrates installing the MCP-related tooling in VS Code.

Configure

• Walks through configuring MCP servers/tools so an agent can use them.

Secure

• Covers security considerations when connecting agents to external tools and datasets.

Manage

• Shows how to manage MCP servers/tools after setup.

Recap

• Summarizes the MCP workflow: install, configure, secure, and manage.

Links

• Docs: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/agents/agent-tools
• Copilot Free: https://aka.ms/vscode-activatecopilotfree
• Connect with Liam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-conroy-hampton/