The Server: Where Tools Live
The process that advertises and runs your capabilities.
The Server: Where Tools Live is a free MCP Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 3 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the MCP Academy learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.
What Is a Server?
An MCP server is a standalone program that offers capabilities to AI. It is where your tools, data, and prompts actually live and run.
The Server Has No Model
A server never contains a language model. It just advertises what it can do and waits for a client to ask it to act.
Tools Live Here
The headline capability is tools: functions the model can invoke, like searching a database or sending an email. The server defines and executes them.
Resources Live Here Too
Beyond tools, a server can expose resources: read-only data such as files or records the model can pull in as context.
And Prompts
A server may also publish prompts: reusable, templated instructions a user can trigger. Tools, resources, and prompts are its three offerings.
A Tiny Server in Python
With the Python SDK you create a named server in one line. This FastMCP object will hold every tool you add.
from mcp.server.fastmcp import FastMCP
mcp = FastMCP("weather")Adding a Tool
You turn a plain function into a tool with a decorator. The tool decorator tells MCP this function is callable by the model.
@mcp.tool()
def get_temp(city: str) -> str:
return "21C"Servers Advertise, Then Wait
A running server lists its capabilities on request, then sits idle. It only does work when a client sends it a call.
Servers Can Run Anywhere
A server might run as a local process on your machine or live remotely on the web. Either way, the protocol it speaks stays the same.
One Server, One Focus
Good servers stay focused. A weather server handles weather; a file server handles files. Small, clear servers are easy to trust and combine.
The Server Completes the Trio
Host, client, and server are the three MCP roles. The server is the worker that holds the real capabilities behind the scenes.
Quick Check
Pick what an MCP server is responsible for.
Recap
You learned the server: a focused, model-free program that advertises and runs tools, resources, and prompts for clients to use. Well done!
Frequently asked questions
Is the “The Server: Where Tools Live” lesson free?
Yes — the full text of “The Server: Where Tools Live” is free to read here on the web, and the MCP Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the MCP Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.
What will I learn in “The Server: Where Tools Live”?
The process that advertises and runs your capabilities. You practise MCP Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.
Do I need any experience to start MCP Academy?
No prior experience is required. MCP Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 3 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.
How long does the “The Server: Where Tools Live” lesson take?
Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.
Can I write and run code in this MCP Academy lesson?
Yes. Every MCP Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.
All lessons in this course
- The Host: Claude Desktop & IDEs
- The Client: One Link Per Server
- The Server: Where Tools Live
- Tracing a Request End to End