Getting Started with Remote MCP Servers using Azure Functions (.NET/C#)
LocalAbout Getting Started with Remote MCP Servers using Azure Functions (.NET/C#)
A quickstart template for building and deploying remote MCP servers in .NET/C# on Azure Functions. It includes several samples and uses built-in Microsoft Entra authentication.
Key features
- 01Remote MCP server template on Azure Functions
- 02Built-in Microsoft Entra authentication
- 03Local run and debugging support
- 04Cloud deployment with azd up
- 05Optional API Management and VNET isolation
Use cases
- 01Quickly building a custom remote MCP server on Azure
- 02Exploring tool, resource and prompt samples for the Azure Functions MCP extension
MCP support
The project provides remote MCP server samples that expose tools, resources and prompts to MCP clients.
Configuration
Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.
We haven’t collected a package or remote endpoint for this server. Follow the instructions in the project README.
Tools
Local servers expose tools only once running on your machine, and the maintainer has not provided a tool list.
Details
From the project READMEGetting Started with Remote MCP Servers using Azure Functions (.NET/C#)
This repo has a collection of samples to help you easily build and deploy a custom remote MCP server to the cloud using Azure functions. You can clone/restore/run on your local machine with debugging, and azd up to have a server in the cloud in a couple minutes.
All sample MCP servers are configured with built-in authentication using Microsoft Entra as the identity provider.
You can also use API Management to secure the server, as well as network isolation using VNET.
If you're looking for samples in more languages check out the Node.js/TypeScript and Python samples.
Prerequisites
Required for all development approaches
- .NET 10 SDK
- Azure Functions Core Tools >=
4.5.0 - Azure Developer CLI 1.23.x or above (for deployment)
- Docker (for the Azurite storage emulator)
For Visual Studio development
- Visual Studio 2022
- Make sure to select the Azure development workload during installation
For Visual Studio Code development
Choose one: You can use either Visual Studio OR Visual Studio Code. Both provide full debugging support, but the setup steps differ slightly.
Below is the architecture diagram for the Remote MCP Server using Azure Functions:
Samples in this repo
Each project README has instructions for running locally, connecting to the MCP server, deploying to the cloud, and more.
| Project | Description | Getting Started |
|---|---|---|
| FunctionsMcpTool | MCP Tools — snippet CRUD, QR code generation, badges, website preview, auth (OBO) | README |
| FunctionsMcpApp | MCP Apps — fluent API for tools that return interactive UI | README |
| FunctionsMcpResources | MCP Resources — snippet resource template, server info resource | README |
| FunctionsMcpPrompts | MCP Prompts — code review checklist, summarize content, generate docs | README |
| McpWeatherApp | Weather App — MCP App demo with interactive UI | README |
Next Steps
- Learn more about the Azure Functions MCP extension
- Learn more about built-in MCP auth
- Follow our blog posts on Azure SDK Blog and Tech Community for updates.
Comments
New to MCP?
From what the protocol is to installing your first server, these answers cover most first questions.
An open protocol that defines how AI applications connect to external tools and data in a uniform way. Clients talk to the model; MCP servers provide tools, resources and prompt templates. They exchange standard messages, so one server can be reused by many clients.