Glossary Terms: M

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Machine Identity

Identity types
Machine identity refers to cryptographic credentials (certificates, keys, tokens) that uniquely identify and authenticate nonhuman entities such as physical devices, software workloads, applications and services.

Master Password

Security concepts
A master password is a single, high-entropy cryptographic secret that undergoes password-based key derivation functions (PBKDFs) to generate encryption keys for protecting stored credentials, secrets, and sensitive data within password managers and secrets management systems.

Multifactor Authentication (MFA)

Security concepts
Multifactor authentication (MFA) is an authentication process that requires users to provide two or more distinct verification factors from different categories (knowledge, possession, or inherence) to verify their identity before granting access to systems or resources.

MCP Gateway

AI/MCP Concepts
An MCP gateway is a specialized security and routing service that sits between your AI agents and the resources they access (like databases and APIs). It enforces authentication and authorization decisions, policy enforcement, and audit logging for all MCP-based communications.

Multi-Agent System (MAS)

AI/MCP Concepts
A Multi-Agent System (MAS) is a coordinated network of autonomous AI agents that communicate and collaborate to accomplish shared goals. Each agent operates independently, perceiving its environment, making decisions, and taking actions, but the system as a whole behaves collectively, distributing intelligence across agents rather than centralizing it in one model.

Machine Credentials

Identity types
Machine credentials are digital secrets, such as API keys, access tokens, SSH keys, or certificates, that allow software-based entities (like applications, workloads, and agents) to authenticate and access other systems autonomously. They serve as the identity proof for machines communicating within and across networks.

MCP Server

AI/MCP Concepts
An MCP Server is the central service in the Model Context Protocol (MCP) ecosystem that exposes tools, data sources, or APIs to authorized MCP Clients. It acts as the authoritative endpoint responsible for managing capabilities, handling authentication, and responding to agent or model requests in a standardized, interoperable format.

MCP Host

AI/MCP Concepts
An MCP Host is the environment or runtime that runs a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server and provides tools, data, or services that AI agents and models can access through standardized interfaces. It acts as the provider side in the MCP ecosystem, exposing actions, endpoints, and contextual data to authorized MCP clients.

MCP Client

AI/MCP Concepts
An MCP Client is the software component or AI agent that connects to a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server to request tools, data, or context. It serves as the initiator in an MCP workflow, sending structured requests, receiving context, and invoking actions defined by MCP-compatible tools.

Model Context Protocol (MCP)

AI/MCP Concepts
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that enables large language models (LLMs) and AI agents to securely connect with external tools, APIs, and data sources through a common communication framework. MCP standardizes how models exchange context, invoke tools, and handle permissions, creating a foundation for safe, extensible agent ecosystems.