Connector Readiness LabMethodology

Test taxonomy · v0.1 · 6 September 2026

One language for
every test case.

Stable families keep scope, execution, evidence and findings connected. This is a catalogue for choosing cases—not a claim that every check is automated, offered or completed.

CASE IDCLI-03

Family plus stable number. Variants belong in the case record, not in an improvised ID.

RESULTPASS / FAIL

Also BLOCKED, UNKNOWN or NOT APPLICABLE. Results always belong to a recorded environment.

EVIDENCEEV-###

Every executed conclusion points to an evidence record. Blocked cases explain why no execution artifact exists.

Rules of use

Specific enough to reproduce.

  • Select only the families required by the buyer's decision.
  • Write prerequisites, input, expected result, permitted operation, evidence and stop limit before execution.
  • Record server, client, protocol, transport, authorization context and versions separately from the ID.
  • Use dated specification or client/platform requirements. Do not force a current requirement onto an older scoped version.
  • Never convert an unknown or blocked case into a pass, and never turn a protocol pass into a workflow claim.

Catalogue

Eleven test families.

Example labels below are starting points. A paid scope contains the exact expectation and evidence rule for each selected case.

CON

Connection

Reachability, initialization, version negotiation and session continuity.

  • CON-01Endpoint reachable
  • CON-02Initialization completes
  • CON-03Version outcome recorded
  • CON-04Session remains usable
TRN

Transport

Behaviour on the transport named in scope; transports are not treated as interchangeable.

  • TRN-01stdio exchange
  • TRN-02Streamable HTTP exchange
  • TRN-03Session identifier handling
  • TRN-04Reconnect or termination
AUT

Authorization

The named authorization flow and its safe failure paths.

  • AUT-01Protected-resource discovery
  • AUT-02Approved sign-in completes
  • AUT-03Invalid or expired credential
  • AUT-04Least-privilege denial
DSC

Discovery

Advertised server capabilities and changes visible to the named client.

  • DSC-01Capability discovery
  • DSC-02Tool list
  • DSC-03Resource list
  • DSC-04Prompt list
TOL

Tools

Tool metadata, input contracts, valid calls and outputs.

  • TOL-01Name and description
  • TOL-02Input schema
  • TOL-03Valid invocation
  • TOL-04Output contract
ERR

Errors & recovery

Invalid requests, service errors and recovery without hiding failed attempts.

  • ERR-01Missing required input
  • ERR-02Invalid value
  • ERR-03Rate or service failure
  • ERR-04Recovery and retry
CLI

Named client

Observed behaviour in the exact client and version; scripts do not substitute for this family.

  • CLI-01Configuration accepted
  • CLI-02Connection in product UI
  • CLI-03Tool exposed to model
  • CLI-04Client-specific failure
WRK

Workflow

A buyer-defined outcome across one or more steps, including safe failure.

  • WRK-01Outcome definition
  • WRK-02Multi-step completion
  • WRK-03Permission continuity
  • WRK-04Output verification
ENT

Enterprise environment

Only agreed enterprise controls that are available and safe to test.

  • ENT-01SSO or identity context
  • ENT-02Role or repository boundary
  • ENT-03Proxy or private network
  • ENT-04Audit evidence
PRF

Performance

Repeatable response behaviour under an agreed, limited workload.

  • PRF-01Baseline latency
  • PRF-02Timeout boundary
  • PRF-03Large response
  • PRF-04Agreed concurrency
SAF

Safety boundary

Checks for authorized scope and unintended exposure; not a penetration test or certification.

  • SAF-01Credential redaction
  • SAF-02Denied-scope request
  • SAF-03Unexpected data stop
  • SAF-04State-change guard

Reference boundary

Protocol source, not invented authority.

The protocol-aligned families are informed by the official MCP 2026-07-28 pages for versioning, transports, authorization, and server features. Named-client, workflow, enterprise, performance and safety expectations require their own agreed sources. This taxonomy is an internal review system, not part of the MCP specification.

How are results produced?Read the scope, evidence and re-test procedure.
Read the methodology