What is Model Context Protocol (MCP)?

MCP is an open standard that defines how AI applications and agents connect to external tools, data sources, and services. It provides a consistent interface so that any MCP-compatible AI system can interact with MCP-enabled infrastructure without custom integration work.

Is MCP Gateway an AI data access layer?

Yes. MCP Gateway functions as an AI data access layer by sitting between AI agents and backend systems such as databases, APIs, search services, and message queues. It centralizes authentication, routing, policy enforcement, and audit logging.

How does MCP Gateway handle security and access control?

The gateway applies centralized authentication, authorization, and access policies to every request. You define governance rules once, and they are enforced consistently across all AI applications and data sources connected through the gateway.

What AI frameworks and tools are compatible with Instaclustr for MCP Gateway?

Any AI application or agent that supports the MCP standard can connect to the gateway. This includes a growing ecosystem of LLM frameworks, agent runtimes, and AI development tools that have adopted MCP as their standard for tool and data access.

How does MCP Gateway reduce time to value for AI projects?

By replacing custom, point-to-point integrations with a single standardized gateway, teams eliminate weeks of integration work. Data access is pre-configured, governed, and production-ready from the start — so teams can focus on building AI capabilities, not infrastructure plumbing.

Is Instaclustr for MCP Gateway fully managed?

Yes. Like all Instaclustr products, the MCP Gateway is fully managed — meaning Instaclustr handles provisioning, scaling, monitoring, and operational maintenance so your team doesn't have to.