Are you using GitHub Copilot’s Agent mode in VS Code and wondering how to push its capabilities beyond generating code snippets?
If so, the video below is for you!
While powerful, AI models like the one powering GitHub Copilot typically lack real-time access to external data, tools, or the specific context of your project’s dependencies, databases, or live services.
This is where MCP Servers come in. MCP stands for Model Context Protocol, and an MCP Server is essentially a standardized gateway or bridge designed to connect an AI agent (like the GitHub Copilot Agent) with external systems and information sources.
Think of it this way: Your AI agent is like a brilliant strategist who knows how to solve problems but needs someone else to gather specific intelligence or execute tasks in the real world. The MCP Server acts as that intelligent assistant. It receives requests from the agent formatted according to the Model Context Protocol, translates those requests into actions using pre-configured tools or plugins (e.g., making an API call, querying a database, reading a file), retrieves the results, and formats them back into a structured response the AI agent can understand and utilize.
In the video below, we’ll explore how to leverage this powerful capability by adding MCP Servers to your VS Code setup.
We’ll use the Azure MCP Server (currently in public preview) as a practical example to demonstrate accessing Azure Storage directly from GitHub Copilot, but the fundamental approach for installing and configuring any MCP Server follows the same principles. Get ready to unlock a new level of AI-assisted development!
References:
Azure MCP Server Blog: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/azure-sdk/introducing-the-azure-mcp-server/
Official MCP Server GitHub: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers
Below is the configuration file from VS Code showing some MCP Servers set up. Just remember, you need to have any required prerequisites installed like PHP, Node.js, or Docker as required by the type of MCP Server you are setting up.
settings.json File from VS Code showing Installed MCP Servers
"servers": {
"mcp-server-time": {
"command": "python",
"args": [
"-m",
"mcp_server_time",
"--local-timezone=America/Los_Angeles"
],
"env": {}
},
"my-mcp-server-7e38b1fc": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@upstash/context7-mcp@latest"
]
},
"filesystem": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
"/Data"
]
},
"Azure MCP Server": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@azure/mcp@latest",
"server",
"start"
]
}
}
Watch for exciting content related to the Azure Integration Services, Azure Logic Apps, and Azure AI being created soon.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!
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