Content
# MEAI, Azure AI Foundry, Foundry Local and MCP Sample
Did you know .NET is the most versatile language to build both frontend and backend apps? In addition to that, .NET is also capable of building AI infused app really easily. This repository provides several sample apps using Microsoft.Extensions.AI, Azure AI Foundry, Foundry Local and MCP server/client.
## Prerequisites
- [.NET 9 SDK](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/9.0)
- [Visual Studio 17.14 or later](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/)
- [VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/download) + [C# Dev Kit](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-dotnettools.csdevkit)
- [Azure Subscription](http://azure.microsoft.com/free)
- [Foundry Local](https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/ai-foundry/foundry-local/get-started)
## Getting started
### Build Foundry Local SDK
> **NOTE**: This is an interim solution until the official NuGet package is ready.
1. Clone Foundry Local repository.
```bash
git clone https://github.com/microsoft/Foundry-Local.git foundry-local
```
1. Build the C# SDK.
```bash
cd foundry-local/sdk/cs
dotnet restore && dotnet build
```
1. Get the NuGet package location.
```bash
# bash/zsh
FOUNDRY_LOCAL_NUGET_PACKAGE_PATH=$(find $(pwd) -name "*.nupkg" -type f -exec dirname {} \; | sort -u)
```
```powershell
# PowerShell
$FOUNDRY_LOCAL_NUGET_PACKAGE_PATH = $(Get-ChildItem -Path . -Filter *.nupkg -Recurse).Directory.FullName
```
### Get ready to run apps on your local machine
1. Clone this repository.
```bash
git clone https://github.com/devkimchi/meai-azure-ai-foundry-mcp-sample.git
```
1. Create `nuget.config`. `{{FOUNDRY_LOCAL_NUGET_PACKAGE_PATH}}` is the value from the [previous section](#build-foundry-local-sdk).
```bash
# bash/zsh
cd meai-azure-ai-foundry-mcp-sample
cat ./nuget.sample.config \
| sed 's|/path/to/foundry-local/sdk/cs/src/bin/Debug|{{FOUNDRY_LOCAL_NUGET_PACKAGE_PATH}}|g' \
> nuget.config
```
```powershell
# PowerShell
cd meai-azure-ai-foundry-mcp-sample
$(Get-Content -Path ./nuget.sample.config) `
-replace "/path/to/foundry-local/sdk/cs/src/bin/Debug", "{{FOUNDRY_LOCAL_NUGET_PACKAGE_PATH}}" `
| Out-File -Path nuget.config -Force
```
> **NOTE**: This step is only required until the official NuGet package is published.
### Run `Microsoft.Extensions.AI` sample app
1. Make sure you have API keys for OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, GitHub Models, Anthropic and/or Google Vertex AI.
1. Store those API keys to user secrets:
```bash
# OpenAI
dotnet user-secrets --project ./src/Meai.ClientApp set ConnectionStrings:openai "Endpoint=https://api.openai.com/v1;Key={{OPENAI_API_KEY}}"
# Azure OpenAI
dotnet user-secrets --project ./src/Meai.ClientApp set ConnectionStrings:openai "Endpoint={{AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT}};Key={{AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY}}"
# GitHub Models
dotnet user-secrets --project ./src/Meai.ClientApp set ConnectionStrings:openai "Endpoint=https://models.inference.ai.azure.com;Key={{GITHUB_PAT}}"
# Anthropic
dotnet user-secrets --project ./src/Meai.ClientApp set ConnectionStrings:anthropic "Endpoint=https://api.anthropic.com;Key={{ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}}"
# Google Vertex AI
dotnet user-secrets --project ./src/Meai.ClientApp set ConnectionStrings:google "Endpoint=https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com;Key={{GOOGLE_API_KEY}}"
```
1. Make sure which LLM you're going to use at `src/Meai.ClientApp/appsettings.json`
```jsonc
// To use OpenAI, Azure OpenAI or GitHub Models
{
"MEAI": {
"ChatClient": "openai"
}
}
```
```jsonc
// To use Anthropic
{
"MEAI": {
"ChatClient": "anthropic"
}
}
```
```jsonc
// To use Google Vertex AI
{
"MEAI": {
"ChatClient": "google"
}
}
```
1. Run the app.
```bash
dotnet watch run --project ./src/Meai.ClientApp
```
### Run Azure AI Foundry sample app
1. Make sure you have an API key for Azure AI Foundry.
1. Store the API key to user secrets:
```bash
# Azure AI Foundry
dotnet user-secrets --project ./src/Meai.ClientApp set ConnectionStrings:foundry "Endpoint={{AZURE_AI_FOUNDRY_ENDPOINT}};Key={{AZURE_AI_FOUNDRY_API_KEY}}"
```
1. Make sure which LLM you're going to use at `src/Foundry.ClientApp/appsettings.json`
```jsonc
{
"MEAI": {
"ChatClient": "foundry"
}
}
```
1. Run the app.
```bash
dotnet watch run --project ./src/Foundry.ClientApp
```
### Run Foundry Local sample app
1. Make sure you have installed Foundry Local CLI.
1. Add model to Foundry Local. You can add any model from the list by running `foundry model ls`.
```bash
foundry model download qwen2.5-0.5b
```
1. Make sure which LLM you're going to use at `src/Foundry.ClientApp/appsettings.json`
```jsonc
{
"MEAI": {
"ChatClient": "local"
}
}
```
1. Run the app.
```bash
dotnet watch run --project ./src/Foundry.ClientApp
```
### Run MCP server/client sample app
1. Make sure you have API keys for OpenAI, Azure OpenAI or GitHub Models.
1. Store those API keys to user secrets:
```bash
# OpenAI
dotnet user-secrets --project ./src/Meai.ClientApp set ConnectionStrings:openai "Endpoint=https://api.openai.com/v1;Key={{OPENAI_API_KEY}}"
# Azure OpenAI
dotnet user-secrets --project ./src/Meai.ClientApp set ConnectionStrings:openai "Endpoint={{AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT}};Key={{AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY}}"
# GitHub Models
dotnet user-secrets --project ./src/Meai.ClientApp set ConnectionStrings:openai "Endpoint=https://models.inference.ai.azure.com;Key={{GITHUB_PAT}}"
```
1. Run the MCP server app.
```bash
dotnet run --project ./src/McpTodo.ServerApp
```
1. Run the MCP client app in another terminal.
```bash
dotnet watch run --project ./src/mcpTodo.ClientApp
```
## Known Issues: Installing Foundry Local CLI
On Windows, if you keep failing to install Foundry Local CLI on your machine, try this way as a [workaround](https://github.com/microsoft/Foundry-Local/issues/79#issuecomment-2899281617):
```powershell
# Download the package and its dependency
$releaseUri = "https://github.com/microsoft/Foundry-Local/releases/download/v0.3.9267/FoundryLocal-x64-0.3.9267.43123.msix"
Invoke-WebRequest -Method Get -Uri $releaseUri -OutFile ./FoundryLocal.msix
$crtUri = "https://aka.ms/Microsoft.VCLibs.x64.14.00.Desktop.appx"
Invoke-WebRequest -Method Get -Uri $crtUri -OutFile ./VcLibs.appx
# Install the Foundry Local package
Add-AppxPackage ./FoundryLocal.msix -DependencyPath ./VcLibs.appx
```
## More resources
- [Microsoft.Extensions.AI](https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/ai/microsoft-extensions-ai)
- [Anthropic SDK](https://github.com/tghamm/Anthropic.SDK)
- [Google Vertex AI SDK](https://github.com/mscraftsman/generative-ai)
- [Azure AI Foundry](https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/ai-foundry/what-is-azure-ai-foundry)
- [Foundry Local](https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/ai-foundry/foundry-local/what-is-foundry-local)
- [MCP SDK](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/csharp-sdk)
