What MCP Is and How It Modernizes the OpenEdge Platform
Recently, we hosted an Ask Me Anything webinar on What MCP Is and How It Modernizes the OpenEdge Platform featuring Irfan Syed (Director of Quality Engineering) and Cameron Wright (Principal Consultant). The session walked through how the Model Context Protocol (MCP) is transforming the way Progress OpenEdge developers and business users interact with their data, build AI‑powered solutions and elevate productivity.
If you missed the live event, here’s a quick recap of what we covered, plus answers to some of the top questions participants asked.
What We Covered in the Webinar
We opened the webinar by setting a shared foundation around several key concepts shaping how AI is being applied in OpenEdge environments today. A major focus was clarifying common terminology—especially Model Context Protocol (MCP)—and grounding it in practical, real‑world value rather than hype.
Understanding MCP
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that enables AI systems to securely access business‑specific data, APIs, files and services. Instead of relying on custom integrations, MCP provides a unified, interoperable way for AI agents to communicate with back‑end systems of all types.
This allows organizations to move beyond internet‑based AI responses and bring their own structured, contextual, and secure data into the AI workflow.
Why MCP Matters
Before MCP, building AI assistants or agentic solutions typically resulted in:
- High maintenance overhead due to multiple SDKs, LLMs and integration layers
- Security risks from hardcoded credentials or over‑permissioned access
- Inconsistent performance with no standard for caching or context handling
- Scalability limitations as each new service introduced exponential complexity
MCP standardizes these interactions, reducing technical debt, improving security, and accelerating AI adoption. Should we add in something about the benefits of using industry standards here?
The OpenEdge MCP Ecosystem
1. OpenEdge MCP Server
The OpenEdge MCP server exposes OpenEdge REST/WEB services and PAS for OpenEdge-based business logic as MCP‑standard tools. Through this, AI agents can:
- Interact with OpenEdge data
- Query services
- Perform business‑specific operations
- Receive structured outputs
All in a secure, governed way.
2. OpenEdge MCP Connector for ABL
The connector enhances developer productivity by providing AI with:
- Access to ABL documentation
- Syntax references
- Code examples
- Best practices
Common Questions From the Webinar
Here are some of the top questions participants asked:
1. What does the OpenEdge backend need to work with the MCP Server?
The OpenEdge backend must expose its application logic as RESTful services (REST/WEB) and provide an OpenAPI specification. The OpenEdge MCP Server requires only a valid OpenAPI spec as input to communicate with backend services.
If your application uses business entities, the mcpgen CLI provided with the OpenEdge MCP Server can automatically generate an OpenAPI specification for you.
2. Can MCP Server be deployed locally?
Yes. The OpenEdge MCP Server can run entirely within a local environment. You can generate multiple MCP Servers, and each server can be associated with a specific OpenEdge backend (RESTful services running on PAS for OpenEdge).
For restricted or air‑gapped networks, the MCP Connector also supports offline rules files.
3. Does MCP require internet access?
No. The OpenEdge MCP Server itself does not require internet access and does not communicate directly with an LLM. It functions as a server that interacts with an MCP Client.
The MCP Client, which communicates with the MCP Server, requires LLM and internet access to perform natural‑language processing and response generation.
4. Can the MCP Connector work with our existing codebase?
Yes. The MCP Connector can analyze existing ABL code, follow organization‑specific standards, and assist with modernization initiatives—such as converting procedural code to OOABL, adding structured error handling, and improving design patterns.
5. Does the MCP Server provide direct access to the database?
No. All access is enforced through REST/WEB services or business entities, maintaining strong security boundaries.
Business entities can be easily generated for selected database tables and fields, providing controlled RESTful access to your data without exposing the database directly.
6. Does this support older OpenEdge versions?
The MCP Connector supports language constructs for OpenEdge 12.2 and 12.8, with planned updates for OpenEdge 13.0.
If you are running an older version of OpenEdge, we recommend modernizing with the help of the Progress Services team to ensure compatibility and get the most value from MCP.
7. Can MCP help generate or refactor REST APIs?
Yes. When combined with the MCP Connector’s documentation and examples, AI can guide—and in many cases generate—the creation or refactoring of REST endpoints.
8. Is PAS for OpenEdge required?
Yes. For OpenEdge applications with business logic, deployment to PASOE is required.
The solution follows best‑practice security patterns by validating user identity across all layers—from the OpenEdge MCP Server, to PAS for OpenEdge, and down to the database.
How can we get started faster with MCP and AI services?
To help teams adopt AI‑assisted development faster, Progress offers the AI Coding Assistant for ABL Accelerator Service, a tailored Professional Services engagement built around the OpenEdge Model Context Protocol (MCP) Connector for Advanced Business Language (ABL).
The OpenEdge MCP Connector for ABL extends AI coding assistants directly into the development environment, enabling developers to work with AI‑powered features without switching tools or disrupting workflows. By combining Generative AI with Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) grounded in your ABL code, documentation and development standards, the MCP Connector provides context‑aware guidance designed specifically for how OpenEdge teams build and modernize applications.
Through a focused Professional Services engagement, Progress experts help set up the development environment, configure AI‑powered tooling and lead hands‑on onboarding and enablement. This approach accelerates modernization, improves code quality and helps development teams integrate AI into their daily workflows with confidence.
Contact Progress Professional Services to learn how AI‑powered OpenEdge development tools and the MCP Connector for ABL can support your modernization and developer productivity goals.
Where can we continue the conversation and ask more questions?
Join the Progress OpenEdge community on Discord to connect with experts, ask follow‑up questions, and share best practices:
See the Full Demo and Discussion
The webinar recording includes detailed demonstrations, real customer scenarios, deep technical explanations, and dozens of practical Q&A answers.
Watch the on‑demand webinar recording: https://www.progress.com/campaigns/openedge/webinars/whatismcp-webinar
Jessica (Malakian) Newton
Jessica (Malakian) Newton is a Senior Product Marketing Specialist at Progress, focused on the Progress OpenEdge product. Jessica started her career at Progress as an intern in 2020 and has since developed into a full-time marketer, dedicated to guiding customers on how to maximize the value of their OpenEdge solutions. Outside of work, Jessica enjoys reading and writing.
