Beyond the Protocol: Applying API Engineering Practices to MCP Servers
Cisco, Tuesday, August 4th, 2026
Cisco DevNet applies API engineering practices to MCP servers with a new MCP Description format.
Cisco DevNet argues that Model Context Protocol servers should be treated with the same rigor as any production API.
The team applies established API engineering practices including versioning, linting, changelogs, and documentation to MCP servers.
To support this, Cisco introduces a new format called MCP Description. The approach aims to make agent-facing interfaces maintainable and reviewable rather than ad hoc.