A colleague says a program can only be called an MCP server if it is running somewhere on the network. Is that right?

Easymcparchitectureserverlocal-remote

Last reviewed 22 Aug 2026

Yes — a server needs to be on separate hardware, so that the host and the server are not competing for resources.
Yes — a server has to be reachable over the internet, which is what separates it from a plain library.
Yes — a server is a hosted account you subscribe to, and the program is only the part that connects you to it.
No — a server is a program that provides context, and it may execute locally or remotely.Correct answer

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D. No — a server is a program that provides context, and it may execute locally or remotely.

Explanation

The principle — Definitions in this protocol are about role, not about deployment.

Why the key is correct — MCP Server: A program that provides context to MCP clients. Where it runs is a separate question, and the documentation answers it directly: MCP servers can execute locally or remotely.

Why the others are wrong — Network reachability, separate hardware and a subscription are all things some servers happen to have. None of them appears in the definition.

Remember this — What makes it a server is what it provides, not where it sits.

Sources — MCP first-party documentation.

Sources

Primary sourceArchitecture overview — MCP · accessed 20 Aug 2026
“MCP Server: A program that provides context to MCP clients”
Primary sourceArchitecture overview — MCP · accessed 20 Aug 2026
“MCP servers can execute locally or remotely.”

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A colleague says a program can only be called an MCP server if it is running somewhere on the network. Is that right?

Easymcparchitectureserverlocal-remote

Last reviewed 22 Aug 2026

Yes — a server needs to be on separate hardware, so that the host and the server are not competing for resources.
Yes — a server has to be reachable over the internet, which is what separates it from a plain library.
Yes — a server is a hosted account you subscribe to, and the program is only the part that connects you to it.
No — a server is a program that provides context, and it may execute locally or remotely.Correct answer

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D. No — a server is a program that provides context, and it may execute locally or remotely.

Explanation

The principle — Definitions in this protocol are about role, not about deployment.

Why the others are wrong — Network reachability, separate hardware and a subscription are all things some servers happen to have. None of them appears in the definition.

Remember this — What makes it a server is what it provides, not where it sits.

Sources — MCP first-party documentation.

Sources

Primary sourceArchitecture overview — MCP · accessed 20 Aug 2026
“MCP Server: A program that provides context to MCP clients”
Primary sourceArchitecture overview — MCP · accessed 20 Aug 2026
“MCP servers can execute locally or remotely.”

Practise 10 questions on this topic

Take MCP Fundamentals — Timed Test 1 (10 questions) — scored instantly, explanation for every question, no login.

Start the test

A colleague says a program can only be called an MCP server if it is running somewhere on the network. Is that right?

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A colleague says a program can only be called an MCP server if it is running somewhere on the network. Is that right?

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