Stage 1: Welcome & Concepts
Duration: ~5 minutes
What happens: AgentSherpa introduces itself, learns your name and experience level, and teaches the fundamentals of MCP.
How it starts
When you type your first message, AgentSherpa:
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Introduces itself with your name and the workshop overview
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Asks about your experience level (beginner / intermediate / advanced) using clickable options
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Adapts all future explanations to your level
What AgentSherpa teaches
MCP fundamentals
AgentSherpa explains MCP using a concept card:
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MCP is an open protocol for connecting AI agents to tools — like a USB standard for AI
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Three roles: Host (the AI app), Client (built into the host), Server (your code)
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Tool definitions include names, descriptions, and typed parameters so the LLM can decide when to use them
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The protocol uses JSON-RPC 2.0 over HTTP with SSE (Streamable HTTP transport)
The three lifecycle layers
If you are at beginner or intermediate level, the agent explains the OpenShift MCP lifecycle:
| Layer | Analogy |
|---|---|
Deploy (MCPServer CR) |
Like a "shipping manifest" — you declare what you want, the operator builds and runs it |
Discover (AI Hub) |
Like an "app store" — deployed servers appear for browsing |
Route & Govern (MCP Gateway) |
Like a "switchboard" — one entry point, many servers, with auth and policies |