The Right Pattern

Feature teams build capabilities. Platform handles protocol.

Your Team
API / CLI / exe
→
Platform Layer
ODR + mcp-cli
→
Agent
exec() + skill
Your team owns
The capability
  • A CLI or API usable from Node.js, Python, or PowerShell
  • Not COM/C++ that requires Windows SDK or a build environment
  • Structured output (--output json)
  • Good error codes and a --help
Platform owns
The protocol + discovery
  • ODR today: MCP server discovery, containment, IT policy, audit
  • ODR tomorrow: skills registration — so agents can discover CLIs + skill files, not just MCP servers
  • mcp-cli: MCP sessions, JSON-RPC, format translation, server lifecycle
  • When MCP changes (and it will), one team updates — not N
Agent owns
The decision
  • Discovers what's available, picks the right tool, invokes it
  • Zero MCP knowledge required
  • Progressive discovery — not 50 schemas upfront

Your team ships the exe. The platform wraps it in MCP. Everyone wins.