Concepts
Glossary
Key terms and concepts used throughout the Agenetix platform.
Core concepts#
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| MCP server | An MCP deployment registered in Agenetix. Can be a generated server (from OpenAPI) or a connected server (your existing MCP). |
| Tool | A single operation exposed by an MCP server. For generated servers, tools have editable rules. For connected servers, tools are observed from the live server. |
| Agent | An AI chat agent that combines one or more MCP servers with a system prompt and LLM configuration. Agents power the embeddable chat experience. |
| Gateway | An optional auth and logging layer you can place in front of any MCP server. Provides OAuth, rate limiting, and request logging. |
Tool concepts#
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Managed tool | A tool on a generated server whose rules you can edit — description, instructions, when to use, when not to use, and examples. |
| Observed tool | A tool on a connected server that Agenetix discovered via tools/list. Read-only by default; the upstream server owns the contract. |
| Tool rules | The structured fields you edit on managed tools to guide how the LLM understands and selects the tool. |
| Description override | A custom description you write that replaces the one from the OpenAPI spec. |
| Instructions | General guidance for the LLM when invoking a tool (e.g. "always confirm with the user first"). |
| When to use / When not to use | Selection hints that help the LLM decide whether to pick a particular tool for a given request. |
Server types#
| Type | Created via | Tools are | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generated | Generate from OpenAPI | Managed (editable) | You have a REST API with an OpenAPI spec |
| Connected | Connect existing MCP | Observed (read-only) | You already run an MCP server |
Agent concepts#
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tool subset | You can limit which tools from a server are available to a specific agent, rather than enabling all of them. |
| Client tools | App-specific tools your frontend sends at chat time via the SDK. These run in your app, not on the server. |
| App context | Extra information your app provides to the agent at runtime (e.g. the current user, the page they are on). |
Update concepts#
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| OpenAPI refresh | Re-importing your OpenAPI spec to pick up API changes. Agenetix merges the new spec non-destructively. |
| Rediscovery | Re-running tool discovery on a connected server to detect changes in its live tool catalog. |
| Merge report | A summary of what changed during a refresh or rediscovery: new tools, updated tools, unchanged tools, and removed tools. |