MCP Context Forge Gateway
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A central management point that unifies REST, MCP, and streamable HTTP endpoints, providing federated discovery, authentication, rate‑limiting, observability, virtual servers, and an optional admin UI for AI tools, prompts, and resources.
PythonApache License 2.0agentsapi-gatewayasyncioauthentication-middlewaredevopsdockerfastapifederationgatewaygenerative-aijwtkubernetesllm-agentsmodel-context-protocolobservabilityprompt-engineeringpythontools
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Updated12 days ago
MCP Context Forge Gateway Overview
What is MCP Context Forge Gateway about?
It acts as a gateway, proxy, and registry that sits in front of any Model Context Protocol (MCP) server or REST API, exposing a single unified endpoint for AI clients. The gateway federates multiple back‑ends, translates protocols, and manages tools, prompts, resources, and virtual MCP servers.
How to use MCP Context Forge Gateway?
- Install via PyPI (
pip install mcp-contextforge-gateway) or pull the OCI image from GHCR. - Configure required environment variables (e.g.,
BASIC_AUTH_USER,BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD,JWT_SECRET_KEY,DATABASE_URL). - Run the server (
mcpgateway --host 0.0.0.0 --port 4444) or start the Docker container exposing port 4444. - Generate a JWT for API access (
python -m mcpgateway.utils.create_jwt_token ...). - Register tools, prompts, resources through the REST API, the Admin UI, or the provided CLI wrappers.
- Consume the unified endpoint from any MCP‑compatible client (Claude Desktop, custom agents, etc.).
Key features
- Protocol conversion: REST ↔ MCP ↔ stdio ↔ SSE ↔ streamable‑HTTP.
- Federation: Auto‑discover or manually configure peer gateways; Redis‑backed syncing.
- Virtual servers: Bundle multiple tools or agents into a single MCP server.
- Authentication: Basic auth, JWT, OAuth, email‑based login, SSO integrations.
- Observability: OpenTelemetry support (Phoenix, Jaeger, Zipkin, etc.) with automatic tracing of tool calls, prompt rendering, and federation events.
- Rate limiting & retries: Per‑tool policies, configurable timeouts, exponential back‑off.
- Admin UI: Real‑time log viewer, tool testing, bulk import, and management of agents, prompts, and resources.
- Extensible plugin framework and optional PostgreSQL/Redis back‑ends.
Use cases
- Local development of AI agents that need to call external REST APIs as MCP tools.
- Enterprise federation of multiple MCP services across clusters with unified discovery and security.
- Rapid prototyping of prompt libraries and resource catalogs accessible via a single endpoint.
- Observability‑driven debugging of tool latency, token usage, and error rates.
- Multi‑tenant platforms (future roadmap) where teams share prompts, tools, and resources.
FAQ
Q: Do I need to run the gateway in production? A: The current release (v0.7.0) is marked alpha/beta; it is safe for local development and testing but requires a thorough security review before production use.
Q: How do I persist data?
A: Mount a persistent SQLite file or configure a PostgreSQL database via DATABASE_URL. For distributed setups, use the Redis cache backend.
Q: Can I disable the Admin UI?
A: Yes, set MCPGATEWAY_UI_ENABLED=false and MCPGATEWAY_ADMIN_API_ENABLED=false.
Q: Which observability back‑ends are supported?
A: Any OTLP‑compatible collector (Phoenix, Jaeger, Zipkin, Tempo, DataDog, New Relic) can be enabled with the OTEL_ environment variables.
Q: How do I register a local MCP server as a virtual tool?
A: Use the /gateways endpoint to add the server URL, then create a virtual server via /servers and associate the desired tools.
Q: Is there a Docker‑Compose stack?
A: Yes, docker-compose.yml includes the gateway, optional Redis, and PostgreSQL services for a full development environment.
MCP Context Forge Gateway's README
MCP Gateway
Model Context Protocol gateway & proxy - unify REST, MCP, and A2A with federation, virtual servers, retries, security, and an optional admin UI.
ContextForge MCP Gateway is a feature-rich gateway, proxy and MCP Registry that federates MCP and REST services - unifying discovery, auth, rate-limiting, observability, virtual servers, multi-transport protocols, and an optional Admin UI into one clean endpoint for your AI clients. It runs as a fully compliant MCP server, deployable via PyPI or Docker, and scales to multi-cluster environments on Kubernetes with Redis-backed federation and caching.
Table of Contents
-
- 4.1. 🐳 Docker
- 4.1.1. 1 - Minimum viable run
- 4.1.2. 2 - Persist the SQLite database
- 4.1.3. 3 - Local tool discovery (host network)
- 4.2. 🦭 Podman (rootless-friendly)
- 4.2.1. 1 - Basic run
- 4.2.2. 2 - Persist SQLite
- 4.2.3. 3 - Host networking (rootless)
- 4.1. 🐳 Docker
-
- 7.1. Prerequisites
- 7.2. One-liner (dev)
- 7.3. Containerized (self-signed TLS)
- 7.4. Smoke-test the API
-
- 8.1. Via Make
- 8.2. UV (alternative)
- 8.3. pip (alternative)
- 8.4. Optional (PostgreSQL adapter)
- 8.4.1. Quick Postgres container
-
- 10.1. Basic
- 10.2. Authentication
- 10.3. A2A (Agent-to-Agent) Features
- 10.4. Email-Based Authentication & User Management
- 10.5. MCP Client Authentication
- 10.6. SSO (Single Sign-On) Configuration
- 10.7. Dynamic Client Registration & Virtual MCP Server Authentication
- 10.8. UI Features
- 10.9. Security
- 10.10. Logging
- 10.11. Transport
- 10.12. Federation
- 10.13. Resources
- 10.14. Tools
- 10.15. Prompts
- 10.16. Health Checks
- 10.17. Database
- 10.18. Cache Backend
- 10.19. Plugin Configuration
- 10.20. Development
-
- 11.1. Makefile
- 11.2. Script helper
- 11.3. Manual (Uvicorn)
-
- 14.1. 🔧 Prerequisites
- 14.2. 📦 Environment Variables
- 14.3. 🚀 Make Targets
- 14.4. 📝 Example Workflow
-
- 20.1. Diagnose the listener
- 20.2. Why localhost fails on Windows
- 20.2.1. Fix (Podman rootless)
- 20.2.2. Fix (Docker Desktop > 4.19)
🚀 Overview & Goals
ContextForge MCP Gateway is a gateway, registry, and proxy that sits in front of any Model Context Protocol (MCP) server or REST API-exposing a unified endpoint for all your AI clients.
⚠️ Caution: The current release (0.7.0) is considered alpha / early beta. It is not production-ready and should only be used for local development, testing, or experimentation. Features, APIs, and behaviors are subject to change without notice. Do not deploy in production environments without thorough security review, validation and additional security mechanisms. Many of the features required for secure, large-scale, or multi-tenant production deployments are still on the project roadmap - which is itself evolving.
It currently supports:
- Federation across multiple MCP and REST services
- A2A (Agent-to-Agent) integration for external AI agents (OpenAI, Anthropic, custom)
- Virtualization of legacy APIs as MCP-compliant tools and servers
- Transport over HTTP, JSON-RPC, WebSocket, SSE (with configurable keepalive), stdio and streamable-HTTP
- An Admin UI for real-time management, configuration, and log monitoring
- Built-in auth, retries, and rate-limiting with user-scoped OAuth tokens and unconditional X-Upstream-Authorization header support
- OpenTelemetry observability with Phoenix, Jaeger, Zipkin, and other OTLP backends
- Scalable deployments via Docker or PyPI, Redis-backed caching, and multi-cluster federation
For a list of upcoming features, check out the ContextForge MCP Gateway Roadmap
Note on Multi‑Tenancy (v0.7.0): A comprehensive multi‑tenant architecture with email authentication, teams, RBAC, and resource visibility is landing in v0.7.0. See the Migration Guide and Changelog for details.
⚠️ Important: MCP Gateway is not a standalone product - it is an open source component with NO OFFICIAL SUPPORT from IBM or its affiliates that can be integrated into your own solution architecture. If you choose to use it, you are responsible for evaluating its fit, securing the deployment, and managing its lifecycle. See SECURITY.md for more details.
- Sits in front of any MCP server or REST API
- Lets you choose your MCP protocol version (e.g.,
2025-03-26) - Exposes a single, unified interface for diverse backends
- Auto-discovers or configures peer gateways (via mDNS or manual)
- Performs health checks and merges remote registries transparently
- Supports Redis-backed syncing and fail-over
- Wraps non-MCP services as virtual MCP servers
- Registers tools, prompts, and resources with minimal configuration
-
Adapts REST APIs into tools with:
- Automatic JSON Schema extraction
- Support for headers, tokens, and custom auth
- Retry, timeout, and rate-limit policies
- Prompts: Jinja2 templates, multimodal support, rollback/versioning
- Resources: URI-based access, MIME detection, caching, SSE updates
- Tools: Native or adapted, with input validation and concurrency controls
- Admin UI built with HTMX + Alpine.js
- Real-time log viewer with filtering, search, and export capabilities
- Auth: Basic, JWT, or custom schemes
- Structured logs, health endpoints, metrics
- 400+ tests, Makefile targets, live reload, pre-commit hooks
- Vendor-agnostic tracing with OpenTelemetry (OTLP) protocol support
- Multiple backend support: Phoenix (LLM-focused), Jaeger, Zipkin, Tempo, DataDog, New Relic
- Distributed tracing across federated gateways and services
- Automatic instrumentation of tools, prompts, resources, and gateway operations
- LLM-specific metrics: Token usage, costs, model performance
- Zero-overhead when disabled with graceful degradation
- Easy configuration via environment variables
Quick start with Phoenix (LLM observability):
# Start Phoenix
docker run -p 6006:6006 -p 4317:4317 arizephoenix/phoenix:latest
# Configure gateway
export OTEL_ENABLE_OBSERVABILITY=true
export OTEL_TRACES_EXPORTER=otlp
export OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT=http://localhost:4317
# Run gateway - traces automatically sent to Phoenix
mcpgateway
See Observability Documentation for detailed setup with other backends.
Quick Start - PyPI
MCP Gateway is published on PyPI as mcp-contextforge-gateway.
TLDR;: (single command using uv)
# Quick start with environment variables
BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=pass \
MCPGATEWAY_UI_ENABLED=true \
MCPGATEWAY_ADMIN_API_ENABLED=true \
PLATFORM_ADMIN_EMAIL=admin@example.com \
PLATFORM_ADMIN_PASSWORD=changeme \
PLATFORM_ADMIN_FULL_NAME="Platform Administrator" \
uvx --from mcp-contextforge-gateway mcpgateway --host 0.0.0.0 --port 4444
# Or better: use the provided .env.example
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env to customize your settings
uvx --from mcp-contextforge-gateway mcpgateway --host 0.0.0.0 --port 4444
- Python ≥ 3.10 (3.11 recommended)
- curl + jq - only for the last smoke-test step
1 - Install & run (copy-paste friendly)
# 1️⃣ Isolated env + install from pypi
mkdir mcpgateway && cd mcpgateway
python3 -m venv .venv && source .venv/bin/activate
pip install --upgrade pip
pip install mcp-contextforge-gateway
# 2️⃣ Copy and customize the configuration
# Download the example environment file
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge/main/.env.example
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env to customize your settings (especially passwords!)
# Or set environment variables directly:
export MCPGATEWAY_UI_ENABLED=true
export MCPGATEWAY_ADMIN_API_ENABLED=true
export PLATFORM_ADMIN_EMAIL=admin@example.com
export PLATFORM_ADMIN_PASSWORD=changeme
export PLATFORM_ADMIN_FULL_NAME="Platform Administrator"
BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=pass JWT_SECRET_KEY=my-test-key \
mcpgateway --host 0.0.0.0 --port 4444 & # admin/pass
# 3️⃣ Generate a bearer token & smoke-test the API
export MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN=$(python3 -m mcpgateway.utils.create_jwt_token \
--username admin@example.com --exp 10080 --secret my-test-key)
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
http://127.0.0.1:4444/version | jq
# 1️⃣ Isolated env + install from PyPI
mkdir mcpgateway ; cd mcpgateway
python3 -m venv .venv ; .\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
pip install --upgrade pip
pip install mcp-contextforge-gateway
# 2️⃣ Copy and customize the configuration
# Download the example environment file
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge/main/.env.example" -OutFile ".env.example"
Copy-Item .env.example .env
# Edit .env to customize your settings
# Or set environment variables (session-only)
$Env:MCPGATEWAY_UI_ENABLED = "true"
$Env:MCPGATEWAY_ADMIN_API_ENABLED = "true"
$Env:BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD = "changeme" # admin/changeme
$Env:JWT_SECRET_KEY = "my-test-key"
$Env:PLATFORM_ADMIN_EMAIL = "admin@example.com"
$Env:PLATFORM_ADMIN_PASSWORD = "changeme"
$Env:PLATFORM_ADMIN_FULL_NAME = "Platform Administrator"
# 3️⃣ Launch the gateway
mcpgateway.exe --host 0.0.0.0 --port 4444
# Optional: background it
# Start-Process -FilePath "mcpgateway.exe" -ArgumentList "--host 0.0.0.0 --port 4444"
# 4️⃣ Bearer token and smoke-test
$Env:MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN = python3 -m mcpgateway.utils.create_jwt_token `
--username admin@example.com --exp 10080 --secret my-test-key
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $Env:MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" `
http://127.0.0.1:4444/version | jq
Copy .env.example to .env and tweak any of the settings (or use them as env variables).
# 1️⃣ Spin up the sample GO MCP time server using mcpgateway.translate & docker
python3 -m mcpgateway.translate \
--stdio "docker run --rm -i ghcr.io/ibm/fast-time-server:latest -transport=stdio" \
--expose-sse \
--port 8003
# Or using the official mcp-server-git using uvx:
pip install uv # to install uvx, if not already installed
python3 -m mcpgateway.translate --stdio "uvx mcp-server-git" --expose-sse --port 9000
# Alternative: running the local binary
# cd mcp-servers/go/fast-time-server; make build
# python3 -m mcpgateway.translate --stdio "./dist/fast-time-server -transport=stdio" --expose-sse --port 8002
# NEW: Expose via multiple protocols simultaneously!
python3 -m mcpgateway.translate \
--stdio "uvx mcp-server-git" \
--expose-sse \
--expose-streamable-http \
--port 9000
# Now accessible via both /sse (SSE) and /mcp (streamable HTTP) endpoints
# 2️⃣ Register it with the gateway
curl -s -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"name":"fast_time","url":"http://localhost:9000/sse"}' \
http://localhost:4444/gateways
# 3️⃣ Verify tool catalog
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/tools | jq
# 4️⃣ Create a *virtual server* bundling those tools. Use the ID of tools from the tool catalog (Step #3) and pass them in the associatedTools list.
curl -s -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"name":"time_server","description":"Fast time tools","associatedTools":[<ID_OF_TOOLS>]}' \
http://localhost:4444/servers | jq
# Example curl
curl -s -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN"
-H "Content-Type: application/json"
-d '{"name":"time_server","description":"Fast time tools","associatedTools":["6018ca46d32a4ac6b4c054c13a1726a2"]}' \
http://localhost:4444/servers | jq
# 5️⃣ List servers (should now include the UUID of the newly created virtual server)
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/servers | jq
# 6️⃣ Client SSE endpoint. Inspect it interactively with the MCP Inspector CLI (or use any MCP client)
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/inspector
# Transport Type: SSE, URL: http://localhost:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1/sse, Header Name: "Authorization", Bearer Token
export MCP_AUTH="Bearer ${MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN}"
export MCP_SERVER_URL=http://localhost:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1/mcp
python3 -m mcpgateway.wrapper # Ctrl-C to exit
You can also run it with uv or inside Docker/Podman - see the Containers section above.
In MCP Inspector, define MCP_AUTH and MCP_SERVER_URL env variables, and select python3 as the Command, and -m mcpgateway.wrapper as Arguments.
echo $PWD/.venv/bin/python3 # Using the Python3 full path ensures you have a working venv
export MCP_SERVER_URL='http://localhost:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1/mcp'
export MCP_AUTH="Bearer ${MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN}"
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/inspector
or
Pass the url and auth as arguments (no need to set environment variables)
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/inspector
command as `python`
Arguments as `-m mcpgateway.wrapper --url "http://localhost:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1/mcp" --auth "Bearer <your token>"`
When using a MCP Client such as Claude with stdio:
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcpgateway-wrapper": {
"command": "python",
"args": ["-m", "mcpgateway.wrapper"],
"env": {
"MCP_AUTH": "Bearer your-token-here",
"MCP_SERVER_URL": "http://localhost:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1",
"MCP_TOOL_CALL_TIMEOUT": "120"
}
}
}
}
Quick Start - Containers
Use the official OCI image from GHCR with Docker or Podman.
🐳 Docker
1 - Minimum viable run
docker run -d --name mcpgateway \
-p 4444:4444 \
-e MCPGATEWAY_UI_ENABLED=true \
-e MCPGATEWAY_ADMIN_API_ENABLED=true \
-e HOST=0.0.0.0 \
-e JWT_SECRET_KEY=my-test-key \
-e BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin \
-e BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=changeme \
-e AUTH_REQUIRED=true \
-e PLATFORM_ADMIN_EMAIL=admin@example.com \
-e PLATFORM_ADMIN_PASSWORD=changeme \
-e PLATFORM_ADMIN_FULL_NAME="Platform Administrator" \
-e DATABASE_URL=sqlite:///./mcp.db \
ghcr.io/ibm/mcp-context-forge:0.7.0
# Tail logs (Ctrl+C to quit)
docker logs -f mcpgateway
# Generating an API key
docker run --rm -it ghcr.io/ibm/mcp-context-forge:0.7.0 \
python3 -m mcpgateway.utils.create_jwt_token --username admin@example.com --exp 0 --secret my-test-key
Browse to http://localhost:4444/admin (user admin / pass changeme).
2 - Persist the SQLite database
mkdir -p $(pwd)/data
touch $(pwd)/data/mcp.db
sudo chown -R :docker $(pwd)/data
chmod 777 $(pwd)/data
docker run -d --name mcpgateway \
--restart unless-stopped \
-p 4444:4444 \
-v $(pwd)/data:/data \
-e MCPGATEWAY_UI_ENABLED=true \
-e MCPGATEWAY_ADMIN_API_ENABLED=true \
-e DATABASE_URL=sqlite:////data/mcp.db \
-e HOST=0.0.0.0 \
-e JWT_SECRET_KEY=my-test-key \
-e BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin \
-e BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=changeme \
-e PLATFORM_ADMIN_EMAIL=admin@example.com \
-e PLATFORM_ADMIN_PASSWORD=changeme \
-e PLATFORM_ADMIN_FULL_NAME="Platform Administrator" \
ghcr.io/ibm/mcp-context-forge:0.7.0
SQLite now lives on the host at ./data/mcp.db.
3 - Local tool discovery (host network)
mkdir -p $(pwd)/data
touch $(pwd)/data/mcp.db
sudo chown -R :docker $(pwd)/data
chmod 777 $(pwd)/data
docker run -d --name mcpgateway \
--network=host \
-e MCPGATEWAY_UI_ENABLED=true \
-e MCPGATEWAY_ADMIN_API_ENABLED=true \
-e HOST=0.0.0.0 \
-e PORT=4444 \
-e DATABASE_URL=sqlite:////data/mcp.db \
-e PLATFORM_ADMIN_EMAIL=admin@example.com \
-e PLATFORM_ADMIN_PASSWORD=changeme \
-e PLATFORM_ADMIN_FULL_NAME="Platform Administrator" \
-v $(pwd)/data:/data \
ghcr.io/ibm/mcp-context-forge:0.7.0
Using --network=host allows Docker to access the local network, allowing you to add MCP servers running on your host. See Docker Host network driver documentation for more details.
🦭 Podman (rootless-friendly)
1 - Basic run
podman run -d --name mcpgateway \
-p 4444:4444 \
-e HOST=0.0.0.0 \
-e DATABASE_URL=sqlite:///./mcp.db \
ghcr.io/ibm/mcp-context-forge:0.7.0
2 - Persist SQLite
mkdir -p $(pwd)/data
touch $(pwd)/data/mcp.db
sudo chown -R :docker $(pwd)/data
chmod 777 $(pwd)/data
podman run -d --name mcpgateway \
--restart=on-failure \
-p 4444:4444 \
-v $(pwd)/data:/data \
-e DATABASE_URL=sqlite:////data/mcp.db \
ghcr.io/ibm/mcp-context-forge:0.7.0
3 - Host networking (rootless)
mkdir -p $(pwd)/data
touch $(pwd)/data/mcp.db
sudo chown -R :docker $(pwd)/data
chmod 777 $(pwd)/data
podman run -d --name mcpgateway \
--network=host \
-v $(pwd)/data:/data \
-e DATABASE_URL=sqlite:////data/mcp.db \
ghcr.io/ibm/mcp-context-forge:0.7.0
-
.env files - Put all the
-e FOO=lines into a file and replace them with--env-file .env. See the provided .env.example for reference. -
Pinned tags - Use an explicit version (e.g.
v0.7.0) instead oflatestfor reproducible builds. -
JWT tokens - Generate one in the running container:
docker exec mcpgateway python3 -m mcpgateway.utils.create_jwt_token --username admin@example.com --exp 10080 --secret my-test-key -
Upgrades - Stop, remove, and rerun with the same
-v $(pwd)/data:/datamount; your DB and config stay intact.
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
http://localhost:4444/health | jq
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
http://localhost:4444/tools | jq
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
http://localhost:4444/version | jq
The mcpgateway.wrapper lets you connect to the gateway over stdio while keeping JWT authentication. You should run this from the MCP Client. The example below is just for testing.
# Set environment variables
export MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN=$(python3 -m mcpgateway.utils.create_jwt_token --username admin@example.com --exp 10080 --secret my-test-key)
export MCP_AUTH="Bearer ${MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN}"
export MCP_SERVER_URL='http://localhost:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1/mcp'
export MCP_TOOL_CALL_TIMEOUT=120
export MCP_WRAPPER_LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG # or OFF to disable logging
docker run --rm -i \
-e MCP_AUTH=$MCP_AUTH \
-e MCP_SERVER_URL=http://host.docker.internal:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1/mcp \
-e MCP_TOOL_CALL_TIMEOUT=120 \
-e MCP_WRAPPER_LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG \
ghcr.io/ibm/mcp-context-forge:0.7.0 \
python3 -m mcpgateway.wrapper
Testing mcpgateway.wrapper by hand:
Because the wrapper speaks JSON-RPC over stdin/stdout, you can interact with it using nothing more than a terminal or pipes.
# Start the MCP Gateway Wrapper
export MCP_AUTH="Bearer ${MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN}"
export MCP_SERVER_URL=http://localhost:4444/servers/YOUR_SERVER_UUID
python3 -m mcpgateway.wrapper
# Initialize the protocol
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"initialize","params":{"protocolVersion":"2025-03-26","capabilities":{},"clientInfo":{"name":"demo","version":"0.0.1"}}}
# Then after the reply:
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"notifications/initialized","params":{}}
# Get prompts
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":4,"method":"prompts/list"}
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":5,"method":"prompts/get","params":{"name":"greeting","arguments":{"user":"Bob"}}}
# Get resources
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":6,"method":"resources/list"}
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":7,"method":"resources/read","params":{"uri":"https://example.com/some.txt"}}
# Get / call tools
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":2,"method":"tools/list"}
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":3,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"get_system_time","arguments":{"timezone":"Europe/Dublin"}}}
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"result":{"protocolVersion":"2025-03-26","capabilities":{"experimental":{},"prompts":{"listChanged":false},"resources":{"subscribe":false,"listChanged":false},"tools":{"listChanged":false}},"serverInfo":{"name":"mcpgateway-wrapper","version":"0.7.0"}}}
# When there's no tools
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":2,"result":{"tools":[]}}
# After you add some tools and create a virtual server
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":2,"result":{"tools":[{"annotations":{"readOnlyHint":false,"destructiveHint":true,"idempotentHint":false,"openWorldHint":true},"description":"Convert time between different timezones","inputSchema":{"properties":{"source_timezone":{"description":"Source IANA timezone name","type":"string"},"target_timezone":{"description":"Target IANA timezone name","type":"string"},"time":{"description":"Time to convert in RFC3339 format or common formats like '2006-01-02 15:04:05'","type":"string"}},"required":["time","source_timezone","target_timezone"],"type":"object"},"name":"convert_time"},{"annotations":{"readOnlyHint":false,"destructiveHint":true,"idempotentHint":false,"openWorldHint":true},"description":"Get current system time in specified timezone","inputSchema":{"properties":{"timezone":{"description":"IANA timezone name (e.g., 'America/New_York', 'Europe/London'). Defaults to UTC","type":"string"}},"type":"object"},"name":"get_system_time"}]}}
# Running the time tool:
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":3,"result":{"content":[{"type":"text","text":"2025-07-09T00:09:45+01:00"}]}}
🧩 Running from an MCP Client (mcpgateway.wrapper)
The mcpgateway.wrapper exposes everything your Gateway knows about over stdio, so any MCP client that can't (or shouldn't) open an authenticated SSE stream still gets full tool-calling power.
Remember to substitute your real Gateway URL (and server ID) for
http://localhost:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1/mcp. When inside Docker/Podman, that often becomeshttp://host.docker.internal:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1/mcp(macOS/Windows) or the gateway container's hostname (Linux).
export MCP_AUTH="Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN"
docker run -i --rm \
--network=host \
-e MCP_SERVER_URL=http://localhost:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1/mcp \
-e MCP_AUTH=${MCP_AUTH} \
-e MCP_TOOL_CALL_TIMEOUT=120 \
ghcr.io/ibm/mcp-context-forge:0.7.0 \
python3 -m mcpgateway.wrapper
# Install gateway package in its own isolated venv
pipx install --include-deps mcp-contextforge-gateway
# Run the stdio wrapper
MCP_AUTH="Bearer ${MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN}" \
MCP_SERVER_URL=http://localhost:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1/mcp \
python3 -m mcpgateway.wrapper
# Alternatively with uv
uv run --directory . -m mcpgateway.wrapper
Claude Desktop JSON (uses the host Python that pipx injected):
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcpgateway-wrapper": {
"command": "python3",
"args": ["-m", "mcpgateway.wrapper"],
"env": {
"MCP_AUTH": "Bearer <your-token>",
"MCP_SERVER_URL": "http://localhost:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1/mcp",
"MCP_TOOL_CALL_TIMEOUT": "120"
}
}
}
}
1 - Install uv (uvx is an alias it provides)
# (a) official one-liner
curl -Ls https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
# (b) or via pipx
pipx install uv
2 - Create an on-the-spot venv & run the wrapper
# Create venv in ~/.venv/mcpgateway (or current dir if you prefer)
uv venv ~/.venv/mcpgateway
source ~/.venv/mcpgateway/bin/activate
# Install the gateway package using uv
uv pip install mcp-contextforge-gateway
# Launch wrapper
MCP_AUTH="Bearer ${MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN}" \
MCP_SERVER_URL=http://localhost:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1/mcp \
uv run --directory . -m mcpgateway.wrapper # Use this just for testing, as the Client will run the uv command
Claude Desktop JSON (runs through uvx)
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcpgateway-wrapper": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"run",
"--",
"python",
"-m",
"mcpgateway.wrapper"
],
"env": {
"MCP_AUTH": "Bearer <your-token>",
"MCP_SERVER_URL": "http://localhost:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1/mcp"
}
}
}
🚀 Using with Claude Desktop (or any GUI MCP client)
- Edit Config →
File ▸ Settings ▸ Developer ▸ Edit Config - Paste one of the JSON blocks above (Docker / pipx / uvx).
- Restart the app so the new stdio server is spawned.
- Open logs in the same menu to verify
mcpgateway-wrapperstarted and listed your tools.
Need help? See:
- MCP Debugging Guide - https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/tools/debugging
🚀 Quick Start: VS Code Dev Container
Spin up a fully-loaded dev environment (Python 3.11, Docker/Podman CLI, all project dependencies) in just two clicks.
- VS Code with the Dev Containers extension
- Docker or Podman installed and running locally
1 - Clone & Open
git clone https://github.com/ibm/mcp-context-forge.git
cd mcp-context-forge
code .
VS Code will detect the .devcontainer and prompt:
"Reopen in Container"
or manually run: Ctrl/Cmd ⇧ P → Dev Containers: Reopen in Container
2 - First-Time Build (Automatic)
The container build will:
- Install system packages & Python 3.11
- Run
make install-devto pull all dependencies - Execute tests to verify the toolchain
You'll land in /workspace ready to develop.
Common tasks inside the container:
# Start dev server (hot reload)
make dev # http://localhost:4444
# Run tests & linters
make test
make lint
Optional:
make bash- drop into an interactive shellmake clean- clear build artefacts & caches- Port forwarding is automatic (customize via
.devcontainer/devcontainer.json)
No local Docker? Use Codespaces:
- Go to the repo → Code ▸ Codespaces ▸ Create codespace on main
- Wait for the container image to build in the cloud
- Develop using the same workflow above
Quick Start (manual install)
Prerequisites
- Python ≥ 3.10
- GNU Make (optional, but all common workflows are available as Make targets)
- Optional: Docker / Podman for containerized runs
One-liner (dev)
make venv install serve
What it does:
- Creates / activates a
.venvin your home folder~/.venv/mcpgateway - Installs the gateway and necessary dependencies
- Launches Gunicorn (Uvicorn workers) on http://localhost:4444
For development, you can use:
make install-dev # Install development dependencies, ex: linters and test harness
make lint # optional: run style checks (ruff, mypy, etc.)
Containerized (self-signed TLS)
Container Runtime Support
This project supports both Docker and Podman. The Makefile automatically detects which runtime is available and handles image naming differences.
Auto-detection
make container-build # Uses podman if available, otherwise docker
> You can use docker or podman, ex:
```bash
make podman # build production image
make podman-run-ssl # run at https://localhost:4444
# or listen on port 4444 on your host directly, adds --network=host to podman
make podman-run-ssl-host
Smoke-test the API
curl -k -sX GET \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
https://localhost:4444/tools | jq
You should receive [] until you register a tool.
Installation
Via Make
make venv install # create .venv + install deps
make serve # gunicorn on :4444
UV (alternative)
uv venv && source .venv/bin/activate
uv pip install -e '.[dev]' # IMPORTANT: in zsh, quote to disable glob expansion!
pip (alternative)
python3 -m venv .venv && source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -e ".[dev]"
Optional (PostgreSQL adapter)
You can configure the gateway with SQLite, PostgreSQL (or any other compatible database) in .env.
When using PostgreSQL, you need to install psycopg2 driver.
uv pip install psycopg2-binary # dev convenience
# or
uv pip install psycopg2 # production build
Quick Postgres container
docker run --name mcp-postgres \
-e POSTGRES_USER=postgres \
-e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=mysecretpassword \
-e POSTGRES_DB=mcp \
-p 5432:5432 -d postgres
A make compose-up target is provided along with a docker-compose.yml file to make this process simpler.
🔄 Upgrading to v0.7.0
⚠️ CRITICAL: Version 0.7.0 introduces comprehensive multi-tenancy and requires database migration.
Backup Your Data First
Before upgrading to v0.7.0, always backup your database, environment configuration, and export your settings:
# Backup database (SQLite example)
cp mcp.db mcp.db.backup.$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)
# Backup existing .env file
cp .env .env.bak
# Export configuration via Admin UI or API
curl -u admin:changeme "http://localhost:4444/admin/export/configuration" \
-o config_backup_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).json
Migration Process
- Update
.env- Copy new settings:cp .env.example .envthen configurePLATFORM_ADMIN_EMAILand other required multi-tenancy settings - Run migration - Database schema updates automatically:
python3 -m mcpgateway.bootstrap_db - Verify migration - Use verification script:
python3 scripts/verify_multitenancy_0_7_0_migration.py
If Migration Fails
If the database migration fails or you encounter issues:
- Restore database backup:
cp mcp.db.backup.YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS mcp.db - Restore .env backup:
cp .env.bak .env - Delete corrupted database:
rm mcp.db(if migration partially completed) - Restore configuration: Import your exported configuration via Admin UI
Complete Migration Guide
For detailed upgrade instructions, troubleshooting, and rollback procedures, see:
- 📖 MIGRATION-0.7.0.md - Complete step-by-step upgrade guide
- 🏗️ Multi-tenancy Architecture - Understanding the new system
Configuration (.env or env vars)
⚠️ If any required
.envvariable is missing or invalid, the gateway will fail fast at startup with a validation error via Pydantic.
You can get started by copying the provided .env.example to .env and making the necessary edits to fit your environment.
Basic
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
APP_NAME |
Gateway / OpenAPI title | MCP Gateway |
string |
HOST |
Bind address for the app | 127.0.0.1 |
IPv4/IPv6 |
PORT |
Port the server listens on | 4444 |
1-65535 |
DATABASE_URL |
SQLAlchemy connection URL | sqlite:///./mcp.db |
any SQLAlchemy dialect |
APP_ROOT_PATH |
Subpath prefix for app (e.g. /gateway) |
(empty) | string |
TEMPLATES_DIR |
Path to Jinja2 templates | mcpgateway/templates |
path |
STATIC_DIR |
Path to static files | mcpgateway/static |
path |
PROTOCOL_VERSION |
MCP protocol version supported | 2025-03-26 |
string |
FORGE_CONTENT_TYPE |
Content-Type for outgoing requests to Forge | application/json |
application/json, application/x-www-form-urlencoded |
💡 Use
APP_ROOT_PATH=/fooif reverse-proxying under a subpath likehttps://host.com/foo/. 🔄 UseFORGE_CONTENT_TYPE=application/x-www-form-urlencodedto send URL-encoded form data instead of JSON.
Authentication
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
BASIC_AUTH_USER |
Username for Admin UI login and HTTP Basic authentication | admin |
string |
BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD |
Password for Admin UI login and HTTP Basic authentication | changeme |
string |
PLATFORM_ADMIN_EMAIL |
Email for bootstrap platform admin user (auto-created with admin privileges) | admin@example.com |
string |
AUTH_REQUIRED |
Require authentication for all API routes | true |
bool |
JWT_ALGORITHM |
Algorithm used to sign the JWTs (HS256 is default, HMAC-based) |
HS256 |
PyJWT algs |
JWT_SECRET_KEY |
Secret key used to sign JWT tokens for API access | my-test-key |
string |
JWT_PUBLIC_KEY_PATH |
If an asymmetric algorithm is used, a public key is required | (empty) | path to pem |
JWT_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH |
If an asymmetric algorithm is used, a private key is required | (empty) | path to pem |
JWT_AUDIENCE |
JWT audience claim for token validation | mcpgateway-api |
string |
JWT_AUDIENCE_VERIFICATION |
Disables jwt audience verification (useful for DCR) | true |
boolean |
JWT_ISSUER |
JWT issuer claim for token validation | mcpgateway |
string |
TOKEN_EXPIRY |
Expiry of generated JWTs in minutes | 10080 |
int > 0 |
REQUIRE_TOKEN_EXPIRATION |
Require all JWT tokens to have expiration claims | false |
bool |
AUTH_ENCRYPTION_SECRET |
Passphrase used to derive AES key for encrypting tool auth headers | my-test-salt |
string |
OAUTH_REQUEST_TIMEOUT |
OAuth request timeout in seconds | 30 |
int > 0 |
OAUTH_MAX_RETRIES |
Maximum retries for OAuth token requests | 3 |
int > 0 |
🔐
BASIC_AUTH_USER/PASSWORDare used for:
- Logging into the web-based Admin UI
- Accessing APIs via Basic Auth (
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN")🔑
JWT_SECRET_KEYis used to:
Sign JSON Web Tokens (
Authorization: Bearer <token>)Generate tokens via:
export MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN=$(python3 -m mcpgateway.utils.create_jwt_token --username admin@example.com --exp 0 --secret my-test-key) echo $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKENTokens allow non-interactive API clients to authenticate securely.
🧪 Set
AUTH_REQUIRED=falseduring development if you want to disable all authentication (e.g. for local testing or open APIs) or clients that don't support SSE authentication. In production, you should use the SSE to stdiomcpgateway-wrapperfor such tools that don't support authenticated SSE, while still ensuring the gateway uses authentication.🔐
AUTH_ENCRYPTION_SECRETis used to encrypt and decrypt tool authentication credentials (auth_value). You must set the same value across environments to decode previously stored encrypted auth values. Recommended: use a long, random string.
UI Features
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
MCPGATEWAY_UI_ENABLED |
Enable the interactive Admin dashboard | false |
bool |
MCPGATEWAY_ADMIN_API_ENABLED |
Enable API endpoints for admin ops | false |
bool |
MCPGATEWAY_BULK_IMPORT_ENABLED |
Enable bulk import endpoint for tools | true |
bool |
MCPGATEWAY_BULK_IMPORT_MAX_TOOLS |
Maximum number of tools per bulk import request | 200 |
int |
MCPGATEWAY_BULK_IMPORT_RATE_LIMIT |
Rate limit for bulk import endpoint (requests per minute) | 10 |
int |
MCPGATEWAY_UI_TOOL_TEST_TIMEOUT |
Tool test timeout in milliseconds for the admin UI | 60000 |
int |
MCPCONTEXT_UI_ENABLED |
Enable ContextForge UI features | true |
bool |
🖥️ Set both UI and Admin API to
falseto disable management UI and APIs in production. 📥 The bulk import endpoint allows importing up to 200 tools in a single request via/admin/tools/import. ⏱️ IncreaseMCPGATEWAY_UI_TOOL_TEST_TIMEOUTif your tools make multiple API calls or operate in high-latency environments.
A2A (Agent-to-Agent) Features
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
MCPGATEWAY_A2A_ENABLED |
Enable A2A agent features | true |
bool |
MCPGATEWAY_A2A_MAX_AGENTS |
Maximum number of A2A agents allowed | 100 |
int |
MCPGATEWAY_A2A_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT |
Default timeout for A2A HTTP requests (seconds) | 30 |
int |
MCPGATEWAY_A2A_MAX_RETRIES |
Maximum retry attempts for A2A calls | 3 |
int |
MCPGATEWAY_A2A_METRICS_ENABLED |
Enable A2A agent metrics collection | true |
bool |
🤖 A2A Integration: Register external AI agents (OpenAI, Anthropic, custom) and expose them as MCP tools 📊 Metrics: Track agent performance, success rates, and response times 🔒 Security: Encrypted credential storage and configurable authentication 🎛️ Admin UI: Dedicated tab for agent management with test functionality
A2A Configuration Effects:
MCPGATEWAY_A2A_ENABLED=false: Completely disables A2A features (API endpoints return 404, admin tab hidden)MCPGATEWAY_A2A_METRICS_ENABLED=false: Disables metrics collection while keeping functionality
Email-Based Authentication & User Management
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
EMAIL_AUTH_ENABLED |
Enable email-based authentication system | true |
bool |
PLATFORM_ADMIN_EMAIL |
Email for bootstrap platform admin user | admin@example.com |
string |
PLATFORM_ADMIN_PASSWORD |
Password for bootstrap platform admin user | changeme |
string |
PLATFORM_ADMIN_FULL_NAME |
Full name for bootstrap platform admin user | Platform Administrator |
string |
ARGON2ID_TIME_COST |
Argon2id time cost (iterations) | 3 |
int > 0 |
ARGON2ID_MEMORY_COST |
Argon2id memory cost in KiB | 65536 |
int > 0 |
ARGON2ID_PARALLELISM |
Argon2id parallelism (threads) | 1 |
int > 0 |
PASSWORD_MIN_LENGTH |
Minimum password length | 8 |
int > 0 |
PASSWORD_REQUIRE_UPPERCASE |
Require uppercase letters in passwords | false |
bool |
PASSWORD_REQUIRE_LOWERCASE |
Require lowercase letters in passwords | false |
bool |
PASSWORD_REQUIRE_NUMBERS |
Require numbers in passwords | false |
bool |
PASSWORD_REQUIRE_SPECIAL |
Require special characters in passwords | false |
bool |
MAX_FAILED_LOGIN_ATTEMPTS |
Maximum failed login attempts before lockout | 5 |
int > 0 |
ACCOUNT_LOCKOUT_DURATION_MINUTES |
Account lockout duration in minutes | 30 |
int > 0 |
MCP Client Authentication
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
MCP_CLIENT_AUTH_ENABLED |
Enable JWT authentication for MCP client operations | true |
bool |
TRUST_PROXY_AUTH |
Trust proxy authentication headers | false |
bool |
PROXY_USER_HEADER |
Header containing authenticated username from proxy | X-Authenticated-User |
string |
🔐 MCP Client Auth: When
MCP_CLIENT_AUTH_ENABLED=false, you must setTRUST_PROXY_AUTH=trueif using a trusted authentication proxy. This is a security-sensitive setting.
SSO (Single Sign-On) Configuration
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
SSO_ENABLED |
Master switch for Single Sign-On authentication | false |
bool |
SSO_AUTO_CREATE_USERS |
Automatically create users from SSO providers | true |
bool |
SSO_TRUSTED_DOMAINS |
Trusted email domains (JSON array) | [] |
JSON array |
SSO_PRESERVE_ADMIN_AUTH |
Preserve local admin authentication when SSO enabled | true |
bool |
SSO_REQUIRE_ADMIN_APPROVAL |
Require admin approval for new SSO registrations | false |
bool |
GitHub OAuth:
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
SSO_GITHUB_ENABLED |
Enable GitHub OAuth authentication | false |
bool |
SSO_GITHUB_CLIENT_ID |
GitHub OAuth client ID | (none) | string |
SSO_GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET |
GitHub OAuth client secret | (none) | string |
SSO_GITHUB_ADMIN_ORGS |
GitHub orgs granting admin privileges (JSON) | [] |
JSON array |
Google OAuth:
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
SSO_GOOGLE_ENABLED |
Enable Google OAuth authentication | false |
bool |
SSO_GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID |
Google OAuth client ID | (none) | string |
SSO_GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET |
Google OAuth client secret | (none) | string |
SSO_GOOGLE_ADMIN_DOMAINS |
Google admin domains (JSON) | [] |
JSON array |
IBM Security Verify OIDC:
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
SSO_IBM_VERIFY_ENABLED |
Enable IBM Security Verify OIDC authentication | false |
bool |
SSO_IBM_VERIFY_CLIENT_ID |
IBM Security Verify client ID | (none) | string |
SSO_IBM_VERIFY_CLIENT_SECRET |
IBM Security Verify client secret | (none) | string |
SSO_IBM_VERIFY_ISSUER |
IBM Security Verify OIDC issuer URL | (none) | string |
Okta OIDC:
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
SSO_OKTA_ENABLED |
Enable Okta OIDC authentication | false |
bool |
SSO_OKTA_CLIENT_ID |
Okta client ID | (none) | string |
SSO_OKTA_CLIENT_SECRET |
Okta client secret | (none) | string |
SSO_OKTA_ISSUER |
Okta issuer URL | (none) | string |
SSO Admin Assignment:
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
SSO_AUTO_ADMIN_DOMAINS |
Email domains that automatically get admin privileges | [] |
JSON array |
Dynamic Client Registration & Virtual MCP Server Authentication
ContextForge supports OAuth2 with Dynamic Client Registration (DCR) for streamable HTTP servers through integration with an upstream API gateway, such as HyperMCP gateway, enabling automatic OAuth2 client provisioning for MCP servers without manual configuration.
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
JWT_AUDIENCE_VERIFICATION |
JWT audience verification needs to be disabled for DCR | true |
bool |
You can find an example for using dynamic client registration (DCR) with HyprMCP Gateway (hyprmcp/mcp-gateway).
Follow the tutorial at https://ibm.github.io/mcp-context-forge/tutorials/dcr-hyprmcp/ to get started.
Personal Teams Configuration
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
AUTO_CREATE_PERSONAL_TEAMS |
Enable automatic personal team creation for new users | true |
bool |
PERSONAL_TEAM_PREFIX |
Personal team naming prefix | personal |
string |
MAX_TEAMS_PER_USER |
Maximum number of teams a user can belong to | 50 |
int > 0 |
MAX_MEMBERS_PER_TEAM |
Maximum number of members per team | 100 |
int > 0 |
INVITATION_EXPIRY_DAYS |
Number of days before team invitations expire | 7 |
int > 0 |
REQUIRE_EMAIL_VERIFICATION_FOR_INVITES |
Require email verification for team invitations | true |
bool |
Security
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
SKIP_SSL_VERIFY |
Skip upstream TLS verification | false |
bool |
ENVIRONMENT |
Deployment environment (affects security defaults) | development |
development/production |
APP_DOMAIN |
Domain for production CORS origins | localhost |
string |
ALLOWED_ORIGINS |
CORS allow-list | Auto-configured by environment | JSON array |
CORS_ENABLED |
Enable CORS | true |
bool |
CORS_ALLOW_CREDENTIALS |
Allow credentials in CORS | true |
bool |
SECURE_COOKIES |
Force secure cookie flags | true |
bool |
COOKIE_SAMESITE |
Cookie SameSite attribute | lax |
strict/lax/none |
SECURITY_HEADERS_ENABLED |
Enable security headers middleware | true |
bool |
X_FRAME_OPTIONS |
X-Frame-Options header value | DENY |
DENY/SAMEORIGIN |
X_CONTENT_TYPE_OPTIONS_ENABLED |
Enable X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff header | true |
bool |
X_XSS_PROTECTION_ENABLED |
Enable X-XSS-Protection header | true |
bool |
X_DOWNLOAD_OPTIONS_ENABLED |
Enable X-Download-Options: noopen header | true |
bool |
HSTS_ENABLED |
Enable HSTS header | true |
bool |
HSTS_MAX_AGE |
HSTS max age in seconds | 31536000 |
int |
HSTS_INCLUDE_SUBDOMAINS |
Include subdomains in HSTS header | true |
bool |
REMOVE_SERVER_HEADERS |
Remove server identification | true |
bool |
DOCS_ALLOW_BASIC_AUTH |
Allow Basic Auth for docs (in addition to JWT) | false |
bool |
MIN_SECRET_LENGTH |
Minimum length for secret keys (JWT, encryption) | 32 |
int |
MIN_PASSWORD_LENGTH |
Minimum length for passwords | 12 |
int |
REQUIRE_STRONG_SECRETS |
Enforce strong secrets (fail startup on weak secrets) | false |
bool |
CORS Configuration: When
ENVIRONMENT=development, CORS origins are automatically configured for common development ports (3000, 8080, gateway port). In production, origins are constructed fromAPP_DOMAIN(e.g.,https://yourdomain.com,https://app.yourdomain.com). You can override this by explicitly settingALLOWED_ORIGINS.Security Headers: The gateway automatically adds configurable security headers to all responses including CSP, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, X-Download-Options, and HSTS (on HTTPS). All headers can be individually enabled/disabled. Sensitive server headers are removed.
Security Validation: Set
REQUIRE_STRONG_SECRETS=trueto enforce minimum lengths for JWT secrets and passwords at startup. This helps prevent weak credentials in production. Default isfalsefor backward compatibility.iframe Embedding: By default,
X-Frame-Options: DENYprevents iframe embedding for security. To allow embedding, setX_FRAME_OPTIONS=SAMEORIGIN(same domain) or disable withX_FRAME_OPTIONS="". Also update CSPframe-ancestorsdirective if needed.Cookie Security: Authentication cookies are automatically configured with HttpOnly, Secure (in production), and SameSite attributes for CSRF protection.
Note: do not quote the ALLOWED_ORIGINS values, this needs to be valid JSON, such as: ALLOWED_ORIGINS=["http://localhost", "http://localhost:4444"]
Documentation endpoints (
/docs,/redoc,/openapi.json) are always protected by authentication. By default, they require Bearer token authentication. SettingDOCS_ALLOW_BASIC_AUTH=trueenables HTTP Basic Authentication as an additional method using the same credentials asBASIC_AUTH_USERandBASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD.
Logging
MCP Gateway provides flexible logging with stdout/stderr output by default and optional file-based logging. When file logging is enabled, it provides JSON formatting for structured logs and text formatting for console output.
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
LOG_LEVEL |
Minimum log level | INFO |
DEBUG...CRITICAL |
LOG_FORMAT |
Console log format | json |
json, text |
LOG_TO_FILE |
Enable file logging | false |
true, false |
LOG_FILE |
Log filename (when enabled) | null |
mcpgateway.log |
LOG_FOLDER |
Directory for log files | null |
logs, /var/log/gateway |
LOG_FILEMODE |
File write mode | a+ |
a+ (append), w (overwrite) |
LOG_ROTATION_ENABLED |
Enable log file rotation | false |
true, false |
LOG_MAX_SIZE_MB |
Max file size before rotation (MB) | 1 |
Any positive integer |
LOG_BACKUP_COUNT |
Number of backup files to keep | 5 |
Any non-negative integer |
LOG_BUFFER_SIZE_MB |
Size of in-memory log buffer (MB) | 1.0 |
float > 0 |
Logging Behavior:
- Default: Logs only to stdout/stderr with human-readable text format
- File Logging: When
LOG_TO_FILE=true, logs to both file (JSON format) and console (text format) - Log Rotation: When
LOG_ROTATION_ENABLED=true, files rotate atLOG_MAX_SIZE_MBwithLOG_BACKUP_COUNTbackup files (e.g.,.log.1,.log.2) - Directory Creation: Log folder is automatically created if it doesn't exist
- Centralized Service: All modules use the unified
LoggingServicefor consistent formatting
Example Configurations:
# Default: stdout/stderr only (recommended for containers)
LOG_LEVEL=INFO
# No additional config needed - logs to stdout/stderr
# Optional: Enable file logging (no rotation)
LOG_TO_FILE=true
LOG_FOLDER=/var/log/mcpgateway
LOG_FILE=gateway.log
LOG_FILEMODE=a+
# Optional: Enable file logging with rotation
LOG_TO_FILE=true
LOG_ROTATION_ENABLED=true
LOG_MAX_SIZE_MB=10
LOG_BACKUP_COUNT=3
LOG_FOLDER=/var/log/mcpgateway
LOG_FILE=gateway.log
Default Behavior:
- Logs are written only to stdout/stderr in human-readable text format
- File logging is disabled by default (no files created)
- Set
LOG_TO_FILE=trueto enable optional file logging with JSON format
Observability (OpenTelemetry)
MCP Gateway includes vendor-agnostic OpenTelemetry support for distributed tracing. Works with Phoenix, Jaeger, Zipkin, Tempo, DataDog, New Relic, and any OTLP-compatible backend.
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
OTEL_ENABLE_OBSERVABILITY |
Master switch for observability | true |
true, false |
OTEL_SERVICE_NAME |
Service identifier in traces | mcp-gateway |
string |
OTEL_SERVICE_VERSION |
Service version in traces | 0.7.0 |
string |
OTEL_DEPLOYMENT_ENVIRONMENT |
Environment tag (dev/staging/prod) | development |
string |
OTEL_TRACES_EXPORTER |
Trace exporter backend | otlp |
otlp, jaeger, zipkin, console, none |
OTEL_RESOURCE_ATTRIBUTES |
Custom resource attributes | (empty) | key=value,key2=value2 |
OTLP Configuration (for Phoenix, Tempo, DataDog, etc.):
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT |
OTLP collector endpoint | (none) | http://localhost:4317 |
OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_PROTOCOL |
OTLP protocol | grpc |
grpc, http/protobuf |
OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_HEADERS |
Authentication headers | (empty) | api-key=secret,x-auth=token |
OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_INSECURE |
Skip TLS verification | true |
true, false |
Alternative Backends (optional):
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
OTEL_EXPORTER_JAEGER_ENDPOINT |
Jaeger collector endpoint | http://localhost:14268/api/traces |
URL |
OTEL_EXPORTER_ZIPKIN_ENDPOINT |
Zipkin collector endpoint | http://localhost:9411/api/v2/spans |
URL |
Performance Tuning:
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
OTEL_TRACES_SAMPLER |
Sampling strategy | parentbased_traceidratio |
always_on, always_off, traceidratio |
OTEL_TRACES_SAMPLER_ARG |
Sample rate (0.0-1.0) | 0.1 |
float (0.1 = 10% sampling) |
OTEL_BSP_MAX_QUEUE_SIZE |
Max queued spans | 2048 |
int > 0 |
OTEL_BSP_MAX_EXPORT_BATCH_SIZE |
Max batch size for export | 512 |
int > 0 |
OTEL_BSP_SCHEDULE_DELAY |
Export interval (ms) | 5000 |
int > 0 |
Quick Start with Phoenix:
# Start Phoenix for LLM observability
docker run -p 6006:6006 -p 4317:4317 arizephoenix/phoenix:latest
# Configure gateway
export OTEL_ENABLE_OBSERVABILITY=true
export OTEL_TRACES_EXPORTER=otlp
export OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT=http://localhost:4317
# Run gateway - traces automatically sent to Phoenix
mcpgateway
🔍 What Gets Traced: Tool invocations, prompt rendering, resource fetching, gateway federation, health checks, plugin execution (if enabled)
🚀 Zero Overhead: When
OTEL_ENABLE_OBSERVABILITY=false, all tracing is disabled with no performance impact📊 View Traces: Phoenix UI at
http://localhost:6006, Jaeger athttp://localhost:16686, or your configured backend
Transport
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
TRANSPORT_TYPE |
Enabled transports | all |
http,ws,sse,stdio,all |
WEBSOCKET_PING_INTERVAL |
WebSocket ping (secs) | 30 |
int > 0 |
SSE_RETRY_TIMEOUT |
SSE retry timeout (ms) | 5000 |
int > 0 |
SSE_KEEPALIVE_ENABLED |
Enable SSE keepalive events | true |
bool |
SSE_KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL |
SSE keepalive interval (secs) | 30 |
int > 0 |
USE_STATEFUL_SESSIONS |
streamable http config | false |
bool |
JSON_RESPONSE_ENABLED |
json/sse streams (streamable http) | true |
bool |
💡 SSE Keepalive Events: The gateway sends periodic keepalive events to prevent connection timeouts with proxies and load balancers. Disable with
SSE_KEEPALIVE_ENABLED=falseif your client doesn't handle unknown event types. Common intervals: 30s (default), 60s (AWS ALB), 240s (Azure).
Federation
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
FEDERATION_ENABLED |
Enable federation | true |
bool |
FEDERATION_DISCOVERY |
Auto-discover peers | false |
bool |
FEDERATION_PEERS |
Comma-sep peer URLs | [] |
JSON array |
FEDERATION_TIMEOUT |
Gateway timeout (secs) | 30 |
int > 0 |
FEDERATION_SYNC_INTERVAL |
Sync interval (secs) | 300 |
int > 0 |
Resources
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
RESOURCE_CACHE_SIZE |
LRU cache size | 1000 |
int > 0 |
RESOURCE_CACHE_TTL |
Cache TTL (seconds) | 3600 |
int > 0 |
MAX_RESOURCE_SIZE |
Max resource bytes | 10485760 |
int > 0 |
ALLOWED_MIME_TYPES |
Acceptable MIME types | see code | JSON array |
Tools
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
TOOL_TIMEOUT |
Tool invocation timeout (secs) | 60 |
int > 0 |
MAX_TOOL_RETRIES |
Max retry attempts | 3 |
int ≥ 0 |
TOOL_RATE_LIMIT |
Tool calls per minute | 100 |
int > 0 |
TOOL_CONCURRENT_LIMIT |
Concurrent tool invocations | 10 |
int > 0 |
GATEWAY_TOOL_NAME_SEPARATOR |
Tool name separator for gateway routing | - |
-, --, _, . |
Prompts
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
PROMPT_CACHE_SIZE |
Cached prompt templates | 100 |
int > 0 |
MAX_PROMPT_SIZE |
Max prompt template size (bytes) | 102400 |
int > 0 |
PROMPT_RENDER_TIMEOUT |
Jinja render timeout (secs) | 10 |
int > 0 |
Health Checks
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
HEALTH_CHECK_INTERVAL |
Health poll interval (secs) | 60 |
int > 0 |
HEALTH_CHECK_TIMEOUT |
Health request timeout (secs) | 10 |
int > 0 |
UNHEALTHY_THRESHOLD |
Fail-count before peer deactivation, | 3 |
int > 0 |
| Set to -1 if deactivation is not needed. | |||
GATEWAY_VALIDATION_TIMEOUT |
Gateway URL validation timeout (secs) | 5 |
int > 0 |
FILELOCK_NAME |
File lock for leader election | gateway_service_leader.lock |
string |
DEFAULT_ROOTS |
Default root paths for resources | [] |
JSON array |
Database
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
DB_POOL_SIZE . |
SQLAlchemy connection pool size | 200 |
int > 0 |
DB_MAX_OVERFLOW. |
Extra connections beyond pool | 10 |
int ≥ 0 |
DB_POOL_TIMEOUT. |
Wait for connection (secs) | 30 |
int > 0 |
DB_POOL_RECYCLE. |
Recycle connections (secs) | 3600 |
int > 0 |
DB_MAX_RETRIES . |
Max Retry Attempts | 3 |
int > 0 |
DB_RETRY_INTERVAL_MS |
Retry Interval (ms) | 2000 |
int > 0 |
Cache Backend
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
CACHE_TYPE |
Backend type | database |
none, memory, database, redis |
REDIS_URL |
Redis connection URL | (none) | string or empty |
CACHE_PREFIX |
Key prefix | mcpgw: |
string |
SESSION_TTL |
Session validity (secs) | 3600 |
int > 0 |
MESSAGE_TTL |
Message retention (secs) | 600 |
int > 0 |
REDIS_MAX_RETRIES |
Max Retry Attempts | 3 |
int > 0 |
REDIS_RETRY_INTERVAL_MS |
Retry Interval (ms) | 2000 |
int > 0 |
🧠
nonedisables caching entirely. Usememoryfor dev,databasefor local persistence, orredisfor distributed caching across multiple instances.
Database Management
MCP Gateway uses Alembic for database migrations. Common commands:
make db-current- Show current database versionmake db-upgrade- Apply pending migrationsmake db-migrate- Create new migrationmake db-history- Show migration historymake db-status- Detailed migration status
Troubleshooting
Common Issues:
-
"No 'script_location' key found": Ensure you're running from the project root directory.
-
"Unknown SSE event: keepalive" warnings: Some MCP clients don't recognize keepalive events. These warnings are harmless and don't affect functionality. To disable:
SSE_KEEPALIVE_ENABLED=false -
Connection timeouts with proxies/load balancers: If experiencing timeouts, adjust keepalive interval to match your infrastructure:
SSE_KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL=60(AWS ALB) or240(Azure).
Development
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
DEV_MODE |
Enable dev mode | false |
bool |
RELOAD |
Auto-reload on changes | false |
bool |
DEBUG |
Debug logging | false |
bool |
Well-Known URI Configuration
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
WELL_KNOWN_ENABLED |
Enable well-known URI endpoints (/.well-known/*) | true |
bool |
WELL_KNOWN_ROBOTS_TXT |
robots.txt content | (blocks crawlers) | string |
WELL_KNOWN_SECURITY_TXT |
security.txt content (RFC 9116) | (empty) | string |
WELL_KNOWN_CUSTOM_FILES |
Additional custom well-known files (JSON) | {} |
JSON object |
WELL_KNOWN_CACHE_MAX_AGE |
Cache control for well-known files (seconds) | 3600 |
int > 0 |
🔍 robots.txt: By default, blocks all crawlers for security. Customize for your needs.
🔐 security.txt: Define security contact information per RFC 9116. Leave empty to disable.
📄 Custom Files: Add arbitrary well-known files like
ai.txt,dnt-policy.txt, etc.
Header Passthrough Configuration
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
ENABLE_HEADER_PASSTHROUGH |
Enable HTTP header passthrough feature (⚠️ Security implications) | false |
bool |
ENABLE_OVERWRITE_BASE_HEADERS |
Enable overwriting of base headers (⚠️ Advanced usage) | false |
bool |
DEFAULT_PASSTHROUGH_HEADERS |
Default headers to pass through (JSON array) | ["X-Tenant-Id", "X-Trace-Id"] |
JSON array |
⚠️ Security Warning: Header passthrough is disabled by default for security. Only enable if you understand the implications and have reviewed which headers should be passed through to backing MCP servers. Authorization headers are not included in defaults.
Plugin Configuration
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
PLUGINS_ENABLED |
Enable the plugin framework | false |
bool |
PLUGIN_CONFIG_FILE |
Path to main plugin configuration file | plugins/config.yaml |
string |
PLUGINS_CLI_COMPLETION |
Enable auto-completion for plugins CLI | false |
bool |
PLUGINS_CLI_MARKUP_MODE |
Set markup mode for plugins CLI | (none) | rich, markdown, disabled |
HTTP Retry Configuration
| Setting | Description | Default | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
RETRY_MAX_ATTEMPTS |
Maximum retry attempts for HTTP requests | 3 |
int > 0 |
RETRY_BASE_DELAY |
Base delay between retries (seconds) | 1.0 |
float > 0 |
RETRY_MAX_DELAY |
Maximum delay between retries (seconds) | 60 |
int > 0 |
RETRY_JITTER_MAX |
Maximum jitter fraction of base delay | 0.5 |
float 0-1 |
Running
Makefile
make serve # Run production Gunicorn server on
make serve-ssl # Run Gunicorn behind HTTPS on :4444 (uses ./certs)
Script helper
To run the development (uvicorn) server:
make dev
# or
./run.sh --reload --log debug --workers 2
run.shis a wrapper arounduvicornthat loads.env, supports reload, and passes arguments to the server.
Key flags:
| Flag | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
-e, --env FILE |
load env-file | --env prod.env |
-H, --host |
bind address | --host 127.0.0.1 |
-p, --port |
listen port | --port 8080 |
-w, --workers |
gunicorn workers | --workers 4 |
-r, --reload |
auto-reload | --reload |
Manual (Uvicorn)
uvicorn mcpgateway.main:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 4444 --workers 4
Authentication examples
# Generate a JWT token using JWT_SECRET_KEY and export it as MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN
# Note that the module needs to be installed. If running locally use:
export MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN=$(JWT_SECRET_KEY=my-test-key python3 -m mcpgateway.utils.create_jwt_token)
# Use the JWT token in an API call
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/tools
☁️ AWS / Azure / OpenShift
Deployment details can be found in the GitHub Pages.
☁️ IBM Cloud Code Engine Deployment
This project supports deployment to IBM Cloud Code Engine using the ibmcloud CLI and the IBM Container Registry.
🔧 Prerequisites
- Podman or Docker installed locally
- IBM Cloud CLI (use
make ibmcloud-cli-installto install) - An IBM Cloud API key with access to Code Engine & Container Registry
- Code Engine and Container Registry services enabled in your IBM Cloud account
📦 Environment Variables
Create a .env file (or export the variables in your shell).
The first block is required; the second provides tunable defaults you can override:
# ── Required ─────────────────────────────────────────────
IBMCLOUD_REGION=us-south
IBMCLOUD_RESOURCE_GROUP=default
IBMCLOUD_PROJECT=my-codeengine-project
IBMCLOUD_CODE_ENGINE_APP=mcpgateway
IBMCLOUD_IMAGE_NAME=us.icr.io/myspace/mcpgateway:latest
IBMCLOUD_IMG_PROD=mcpgateway/mcpgateway
IBMCLOUD_API_KEY=your_api_key_here # Optional - omit to use interactive `ibmcloud login --sso`
# ── Optional overrides (sensible defaults provided) ──────
IBMCLOUD_CPU=1 # vCPUs for the app
IBMCLOUD_MEMORY=4G # Memory allocation
IBMCLOUD_REGISTRY_SECRET=my-regcred # Name of the Container Registry secret
✅ Quick check:
make ibmcloud-check-env
🚀 Make Targets
| Target | Purpose |
|---|---|
make ibmcloud-cli-install |
Install IBM Cloud CLI and required plugins |
make ibmcloud-login |
Log in to IBM Cloud (API key or SSO) |
make ibmcloud-ce-login |
Select the Code Engine project & region |
make ibmcloud-tag |
Tag the local container image |
make ibmcloud-push |
Push the image to IBM Container Registry |
make ibmcloud-deploy |
Create or update the Code Engine application (uses CPU/memory/secret) |
make ibmcloud-ce-status |
Show current deployment status |
make ibmcloud-ce-logs |
Stream logs from the running app |
make ibmcloud-ce-rm |
Delete the Code Engine application |
📝 Example Workflow
make ibmcloud-check-env
make ibmcloud-cli-install
make ibmcloud-login
make ibmcloud-ce-login
make ibmcloud-tag
make ibmcloud-push
make ibmcloud-deploy
make ibmcloud-ce-status
make ibmcloud-ce-logs
API Endpoints
You can test the API endpoints through curl, or Swagger UI, and check detailed documentation on ReDoc:
- Swagger UI → http://localhost:4444/docs
- ReDoc → http://localhost:4444/redoc
Generate an API Bearer token, and test the various API endpoints.
# Generate a bearer token using the configured secret key (use the same as your .env)
export MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN=$(python3 -m mcpgateway.utils.create_jwt_token --username admin@example.com --secret my-test-key)
echo ${MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN}
# Quickly confirm that authentication works and the gateway is healthy
curl -s -k -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" https://localhost:4444/health
# {"status":"healthy"}
# Quickly confirm the gateway version & DB connectivity
curl -s -k -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" https://localhost:4444/version | jq
# Initialize MCP session
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"protocol_version":"2025-03-26",
"capabilities":{},
"client_info":{"name":"MyClient","version":"1.0.0"}
}' \
http://localhost:4444/protocol/initialize
# Ping (JSON-RPC style)
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"ping"}' \
http://localhost:4444/protocol/ping
# Completion for prompt/resource arguments (not implemented)
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"ref":{"type":"ref/prompt","name":"example_prompt"},
"argument":{"name":"topic","value":"py"}
}' \
http://localhost:4444/protocol/completion/complete
# Sampling (streaming) (not implemented)
curl -N -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"messages":[{"role":"user","content":{"type":"text","text":"Hello"}}],
"maxTokens":16
}' \
http://localhost:4444/protocol/sampling/createMessage
# Generic JSON-RPC calls (tools, gateways, roots, etc.)
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"list_tools"}' \
http://localhost:4444/rpc
Handles any method name: list_tools, list_gateways, prompts/get, or invokes a tool if method matches a registered tool name .
# Register a new tool
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"name":"clock_tool",
"url":"http://localhost:9000/rpc",
"description":"Returns current time",
"input_schema":{
"type":"object",
"properties":{"timezone":{"type":"string"}},
"required":[]
}
}' \
http://localhost:4444/tools
# List tools
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/tools
# Get tool by ID
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/tools/1
# Update tool
curl -X PUT -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{ "description":"Updated desc" }' \
http://localhost:4444/tools/1
# Toggle active status
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
http://localhost:4444/tools/1/toggle?activate=false
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
http://localhost:4444/tools/1/toggle?activate=true
# Delete tool
curl -X DELETE -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/tools/1
# Register a new A2A agent
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"name":"hello_world_agent",
"endpoint_url":"http://localhost:9999/",
"agent_type":"jsonrpc",
"description":"External AI agent for hello world functionality",
"auth_type":"api_key",
"auth_value":"your-api-key",
"tags":["ai", "hello-world"]
}' \
http://localhost:4444/a2a
# List A2A agents
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/a2a
# Get agent by ID
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/a2a/agent-id
# Update agent
curl -X PUT -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{ "description":"Updated description" }' \
http://localhost:4444/a2a/agent-id
# Test agent (direct invocation)
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"parameters": {
"method": "message/send",
"params": {
"message": {
"messageId": "test-123",
"role": "user",
"parts": [{"type": "text", "text": "Hello!"}]
}
}
},
"interaction_type": "test"
}' \
http://localhost:4444/a2a/agent-name/invoke
# Toggle agent status
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
http://localhost:4444/a2a/agent-id/toggle?activate=false
# Delete agent
curl -X DELETE -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
http://localhost:4444/a2a/agent-id
# Associate agent with virtual server (agents become available as MCP tools)
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"name":"AI Assistant Server",
"description":"Virtual server with AI agents",
"associated_a2a_agents":["agent-id"]
}' \
http://localhost:4444/servers
🤖 A2A Integration: A2A agents are external AI agents that can be registered and exposed as MCP tools 🔄 Protocol Detection: Gateway automatically detects JSONRPC vs custom A2A protocols 📊 Testing: Built-in test functionality via Admin UI or
/a2a/{agent_id}/testendpoint 🎛️ Virtual Servers: Associate agents with servers to expose them as standard MCP tools
# Register an MCP server as a new gateway provider
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"name":"peer_gateway","url":"http://peer:4444"}' \
http://localhost:4444/gateways
# List gateways
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/gateways
# Get gateway by ID
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/gateways/1
# Update gateway
curl -X PUT -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"description":"New description"}' \
http://localhost:4444/gateways/1
# Toggle active status
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
http://localhost:4444/gateways/1/toggle?activate=false
# Delete gateway
curl -X DELETE -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/gateways/1
# Register resource
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"uri":"config://app/settings",
"name":"App Settings",
"content":"key=value"
}' \
http://localhost:4444/resources
# List resources
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/resources
# Read a resource
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/resources/config://app/settings
# Update resource
curl -X PUT -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"content":"new=value"}' \
http://localhost:4444/resources/config://app/settings
# Delete resource
curl -X DELETE -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/resources/config://app/settings
# Subscribe to updates (SSE)
curl -N -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/resources/subscribe/config://app/settings
# Create prompt template
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"name":"greet",
"template":"Hello, {{ user }}!",
"argument_schema":{
"type":"object",
"properties":{"user":{"type":"string"}},
"required":["user"]
}
}' \
http://localhost:4444/prompts
# List prompts
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/prompts
# Get prompt (with args)
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"user":"Alice"}' \
http://localhost:4444/prompts/greet
# Get prompt (no args)
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/prompts/greet
# Update prompt
curl -X PUT -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"template":"Hi, {{ user }}!"}' \
http://localhost:4444/prompts/greet
# Toggle active
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
http://localhost:4444/prompts/5/toggle?activate=false
# Delete prompt
curl -X DELETE -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/prompts/greet
# List roots
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/roots
# Add root
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"uri":"/data","name":"Data Root"}' \
http://localhost:4444/roots
# Remove root
curl -X DELETE -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/roots/%2Fdata
# Subscribe to root changes (SSE)
curl -N -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/roots/changes
# List servers
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/servers
# Get server
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1
# Create server
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"name":"db","description":"Database","associatedTools": ["1","2","3"]}' \
http://localhost:4444/servers
# Update server
curl -X PUT -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"description":"Updated"}' \
http://localhost:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1
# Toggle active
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" \
http://localhost:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1/toggle?activate=false
# Get aggregated metrics
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/metrics
# Reset metrics (all or per-entity)
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/metrics/reset
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/metrics/reset?entity=tool&id=1
# SSE: all events
curl -N -H "Authorization: Bearer $MCPGATEWAY_BEARER_TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/events
# WebSocket
wscat -c ws://localhost:4444/ws \
-H "Authorization: Basic $(echo -n admin:changeme|base64)"
# Health check
curl http://localhost:4444/health
Full Swagger UI at /docs.
uvicorn sample_tool.clock_tool:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 9000
curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"get_time","params":{"timezone":"UTC"}}' \
http://localhost:9000/rpc
Testing
make test # Run unit tests
make lint # Run lint tools
Doctest Coverage
MCP Context Forge implements comprehensive doctest coverage to ensure all code examples in documentation are tested and verified:
make doctest # Run all doctests
make doctest-verbose # Run with detailed output
make doctest-coverage # Generate coverage report
make doctest-check # Check coverage percentage
Coverage Status:
- ✅ Transport Modules: 100% (base, stdio, SSE, WebSocket, streamable HTTP)
- ✅ Utility Functions: 100% (slug generation, JWT tokens, validation)
- ✅ Configuration: 100% (settings, environment variables)
- 🔄 Service Classes: ~60% (in progress)
- 🔄 Complex Classes: ~40% (in progress)
Benefits:
- All documented examples are automatically tested
- Documentation stays accurate and up-to-date
- Developers can run examples directly from docstrings
- Regression prevention through automated verification
For detailed information, see the Doctest Coverage Guide.
Project Structure
# ────────── CI / Quality & Meta-files ──────────
├── .bumpversion.cfg # Automated semantic-version bumps
├── .coveragerc # Coverage.py settings
├── .darglint # Doc-string linter rules
├── .dockerignore # Context exclusions for image builds
├── .editorconfig # Consistent IDE / editor behaviour
├── .env # Local runtime variables (git-ignored)
├── .env.ce # IBM Code Engine runtime env (ignored)
├── .env.ce.example # Sample env for IBM Code Engine
├── .env.example # Generic sample env file
├── .env.gcr # Google Cloud Run runtime env (ignored)
├── .eslintrc.json # ESLint rules for JS / TS assets
├── .flake8 # Flake-8 configuration
├── .gitattributes # Git attributes (e.g. EOL normalisation)
├── .github # GitHub settings, CI/CD workflows & templates
│ ├── CODEOWNERS # Default reviewers
│ └── workflows/ # Bandit, Docker, CodeQL, Python Package, Container Deployment, etc.
├── .gitignore # Git exclusion rules
├── .hadolint.yaml # Hadolint rules for Dockerfiles
├── .htmlhintrc # HTMLHint rules
├── .markdownlint.json # Markdown-lint rules
├── .pre-commit-config.yaml # Pre-commit hooks (ruff, black, mypy, ...)
├── .pycodestyle # PEP-8 checker settings
├── .pylintrc # Pylint configuration
├── .pyspelling.yml # Spell-checker dictionary & filters
├── .ruff.toml # Ruff linter / formatter settings
├── .spellcheck-en.txt # Extra dictionary entries
├── .stylelintrc.json # Stylelint rules for CSS
├── .travis.yml # Legacy Travis CI config (reference)
├── .whitesource # WhiteSource security-scanning config
├── .yamllint # yamllint ruleset
# ────────── Documentation & Guidance ──────────
├── CHANGELOG.md # Version-by-version change log
├── CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md # Community behaviour guidelines
├── CONTRIBUTING.md # How to file issues & send PRs
├── DEVELOPING.md # Contributor workflows & style guide
├── LICENSE # Apache License 2.0
├── README.md # Project overview & quick-start
├── SECURITY.md # Security policy & CVE disclosure process
├── TESTING.md # Testing strategy, fixtures & guidelines
# ────────── Containerisation & Runtime ──────────
├── Containerfile # OCI image build (Docker / Podman)
├── Containerfile.lite # FROM scratch UBI-Micro production build
├── docker-compose.yml # Local multi-service stack
├── podman-compose-sonarqube.yaml # One-liner SonarQube stack
├── run-gunicorn.sh # Opinionated Gunicorn startup script
├── run.sh # Uvicorn shortcut with arg parsing
# ────────── Build / Packaging / Tooling ──────────
├── MANIFEST.in # sdist inclusion rules
├── Makefile # Dev & deployment targets
├── package-lock.json # Deterministic npm lock-file
├── package.json # Front-end / docs tooling deps
├── pyproject.toml # Poetry / PDM config & lint rules
├── sonar-code.properties # SonarQube analysis settings
├── uv.lock # UV resolver lock-file
# ────────── Kubernetes & Helm Assets ──────────
├── charts # Helm chart(s) for K8s / OpenShift
│ ├── mcp-stack # Umbrella chart
│ │ ├── Chart.yaml # Chart metadata
│ │ ├── templates/... # Manifest templates
│ │ └── values.yaml # Default values
│ └── README.md # Install / upgrade guide
├── k8s # Raw (non-Helm) K8s manifests
│ └── *.yaml # Deployment, Service, PVC resources
# ────────── Documentation Source ──────────
├── docs # MkDocs site source
│ ├── base.yml # MkDocs "base" configuration snippet (do not modify)
│ ├── mkdocs.yml # Site configuration (requires base.yml)
│ ├── requirements.txt # Python dependencies for the MkDocs site
│ ├── Makefile # Make targets for building/serving the docs
│ └── theme # Custom MkDocs theme assets
│ └── logo.png # Logo for the documentation theme
│ └── docs # Markdown documentation
│ ├── architecture/ # ADRs for the project
│ ├── articles/ # Long-form writeups
│ ├── blog/ # Blog posts
│ ├── deployment/ # Deployment guides (AWS, Azure, etc.)
│ ├── development/ # Development workflows & CI docs
│ ├── images/ # Diagrams & screenshots
│ ├── index.md # Top-level docs landing page
│ ├── manage/ # Management topics (backup, logging, tuning, upgrade)
│ ├── overview/ # Feature overviews & UI documentation
│ ├── security/ # Security guidance & policies
│ ├── testing/ # Testing strategy & fixtures
│ └── using/ # User-facing usage guides (agents, clients, etc.)
│ ├── media/ # Social media, press coverage, videos & testimonials
│ │ ├── press/ # Press articles and blog posts
│ │ ├── social/ # Tweets, LinkedIn posts, YouTube embeds
│ │ ├── testimonials/ # Customer quotes & community feedback
│ │ └── kit/ # Media kit & logos for bloggers & press
├── dictionary.dic # Custom dictionary for spell-checker (make spellcheck)
# ────────── Application & Libraries ──────────
├── agent_runtimes # Configurable agentic frameworks converted to MCP Servers
├── mcpgateway # ← main application package
│ ├── __init__.py # Package metadata & version constant
│ ├── admin.py # FastAPI routers for Admin UI
│ ├── cache
│ │ ├── __init__.py
│ │ ├── resource_cache.py # LRU+TTL cache implementation
│ │ └── session_registry.py # Session ↔ cache mapping
│ ├── config.py # Pydantic settings loader
│ ├── db.py # SQLAlchemy models & engine setup
│ ├── federation
│ │ ├── __init__.py
│ │ ├── discovery.py # Peer-gateway discovery
│ │ ├── forward.py # RPC forwarding
│ ├── handlers
│ │ ├── __init__.py
│ │ └── sampling.py # Streaming sampling handler
│ ├── main.py # FastAPI app factory & startup events
│ ├── mcp.db # SQLite fixture for tests
│ ├── py.typed # PEP 561 marker (ships type hints)
│ ├── schemas.py # Shared Pydantic DTOs
│ ├── services
│ │ ├── __init__.py
│ │ ├── completion_service.py # Prompt / argument completion
│ │ ├── gateway_service.py # Peer-gateway registry
│ │ ├── logging_service.py # Central logging helpers
│ │ ├── prompt_service.py # Prompt CRUD & rendering
│ │ ├── resource_service.py # Resource registration & retrieval
│ │ ├── root_service.py # File-system root registry
│ │ ├── server_service.py # Server registry & monitoring
│ │ └── tool_service.py # Tool registry & invocation
│ ├── static
│ │ ├── admin.css # Styles for Admin UI
│ │ └── admin.js # Behaviour for Admin UI
│ ├── templates
│ │ └── admin.html # HTMX/Alpine Admin UI template
│ ├── transports
│ │ ├── __init__.py
│ │ ├── base.py # Abstract transport interface
│ │ ├── sse_transport.py # Server-Sent Events transport
│ │ ├── stdio_transport.py # stdio transport for embedding
│ │ └── websocket_transport.py # WS transport with ping/pong
│ ├── models.py # Core enums / type aliases
│ ├── utils
│ │ ├── create_jwt_token.py # CLI & library for JWT generation
│ │ ├── services_auth.py # Service-to-service auth dependency
│ │ └── verify_credentials.py # Basic / JWT auth helpers
│ ├── validation
│ │ ├── __init__.py
│ │ └── jsonrpc.py # JSON-RPC 2.0 validation
│ └── version.py # Library version helper
├── mcpgateway-wrapper # Stdio client wrapper (PyPI)
│ ├── pyproject.toml
│ ├── README.md
│ └── src/mcpgateway_wrapper/
│ ├── __init__.py
│ └── server.py # Wrapper entry-point
├── mcp-servers # Sample downstream MCP servers
├── mcp.db # Default SQLite DB (auto-created)
├── mcpgrid # Experimental grid client / PoC
├── os_deps.sh # Installs system-level deps for CI
# ────────── Tests & QA Assets ──────────
├── test_readme.py # Guard: README stays in sync
├── tests
│ ├── conftest.py # Shared fixtures
│ ├── e2e/... # End-to-end scenarios
│ ├── hey/... # Load-test logs & helper script
│ ├── integration/... # API-level integration tests
│ └── unit/... # Pure unit tests for business logic
API Documentation
- Swagger UI → http://localhost:4444/docs
- ReDoc → http://localhost:4444/redoc
- Admin Panel → http://localhost:4444/admin
Makefile targets
This project offer the following Makefile targets. Type make in the project root to show all targets.
🐍 MCP CONTEXT FORGE (An enterprise-ready Model Context Protocol Gateway)
🔧 SYSTEM-LEVEL DEPENDENCIES (DEV BUILD ONLY)
os-deps - Install Graphviz, Pandoc, Trivy, SCC used for dev docs generation and security scan
🌱 VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT & INSTALLATION
venv - Create a fresh virtual environment with uv & friends
activate - Activate the virtual environment in the current shell
install - Install project into the venv
install-dev - Install project (incl. dev deps) into the venv
install-db - Install project (incl. postgres and redis) into venv
update - Update all installed deps inside the venv
check-env - Verify all required env vars in .env are present
▶️ SERVE & TESTING
serve - Run production Gunicorn server on :4444
certs - Generate self-signed TLS cert & key in ./certs (won't overwrite)
serve-ssl - Run Gunicorn behind HTTPS on :4444 (uses ./certs)
dev - Run fast-reload dev server (uvicorn)
run - Execute helper script ./run.sh
test - Run unit tests with pytest
test-curl - Smoke-test API endpoints with curl script
pytest-examples - Run README / examples through pytest-examples
clean - Remove caches, build artefacts, virtualenv, docs, certs, coverage, SBOM, etc.
📊 COVERAGE & METRICS
coverage - Run tests with coverage, emit md/HTML/XML + badge
pip-licenses - Produce dependency license inventory (markdown)
scc - Quick LoC/complexity snapshot with scc
scc-report - Generate HTML LoC & per-file metrics with scc
📚 DOCUMENTATION & SBOM
docs - Build docs (graphviz + handsdown + images + SBOM)
images - Generate architecture & dependency diagrams
🔍 LINTING & STATIC ANALYSIS
lint - Run the full linting suite (see targets below)
black - Reformat code with black
autoflake - Remove unused imports / variables with autoflake
isort - Organise & sort imports with isort
flake8 - PEP-8 style & logical errors
pylint - Pylint static analysis
markdownlint - Lint Markdown files with markdownlint (requires markdownlint-cli)
mypy - Static type-checking with mypy
bandit - Security scan with bandit
pydocstyle - Docstring style checker
pycodestyle - Simple PEP-8 checker
pre-commit - Run all configured pre-commit hooks
ruff - Ruff linter + formatter
ty - Ty type checker from astral
pyright - Static type-checking with Pyright
radon - Code complexity & maintainability metrics
pyroma - Validate packaging metadata
importchecker - Detect orphaned imports
spellcheck - Spell-check the codebase
fawltydeps - Detect undeclared / unused deps
wily - Maintainability report
pyre - Static analysis with Facebook Pyre
depend - List dependencies in ≈requirements format
snakeviz - Profile & visualise with snakeviz
pstats - Generate PNG call-graph from cProfile stats
spellcheck-sort - Sort local spellcheck dictionary
tox - Run tox across multi-Python versions
sbom - Produce a CycloneDX SBOM and vulnerability scan
pytype - Flow-sensitive type checker
check-manifest - Verify sdist/wheel completeness
yamllint - Lint YAML files (uses .yamllint)
jsonlint - Validate every *.json file with jq (--exit-status)
tomllint - Validate *.toml files with tomlcheck
🕸️ WEBPAGE LINTERS & STATIC ANALYSIS (HTML/CSS/JS lint + security scans + formatting)
install-web-linters - Install HTMLHint, Stylelint, ESLint, Retire.js & Prettier via npm
lint-web - Run HTMLHint, Stylelint, ESLint, Retire.js and npm audit
format-web - Format HTML, CSS & JS files with Prettier
osv-install - Install/upgrade osv-scanner (Go)
osv-scan-source - Scan source & lockfiles for CVEs
osv-scan-image - Scan the built container image for CVEs
osv-scan - Run all osv-scanner checks (source, image, licence)
📡 SONARQUBE ANALYSIS
sonar-deps-podman - Install podman-compose + supporting tools
sonar-deps-docker - Install docker-compose + supporting tools
sonar-up-podman - Launch SonarQube with podman-compose
sonar-up-docker - Launch SonarQube with docker-compose
sonar-submit-docker - Run containerized Sonar Scanner CLI with Docker
sonar-submit-podman - Run containerized Sonar Scanner CLI with Podman
pysonar-scanner - Run scan with Python wrapper (pysonar-scanner)
sonar-info - How to create a token & which env vars to export
🛡️ SECURITY & PACKAGE SCANNING
trivy - Scan container image for CVEs (HIGH/CRIT). Needs podman socket enabled
grype-scan - Scan container for security audit and vulnerability scanning
dockle - Lint the built container image via tarball (no daemon/socket needed)
hadolint - Lint Containerfile/Dockerfile(s) with hadolint
pip-audit - Audit Python dependencies for published CVEs
📦 DEPENDENCY MANAGEMENT
deps-update - Run update-deps.py to update all dependencies in pyproject.toml and docs/requirements.txt
containerfile-update - Update base image in Containerfile to latest tag
📦 PACKAGING & PUBLISHING
dist - Clean-build wheel *and* sdist into ./dist
wheel - Build wheel only
sdist - Build source distribution only
verify - Build + twine + check-manifest + pyroma (no upload)
publish - Verify, then upload to PyPI (needs TWINE_* creds)
🦭 PODMAN CONTAINER BUILD & RUN
podman-dev - Build development container image
podman - Build container image
podman-prod - Build production container image (using ubi-micro → scratch). Not supported on macOS.
podman-run - Run the container on HTTP (port 4444)
podman-run-shell - Run the container on HTTP (port 4444) and start a shell
podman-run-ssl - Run the container on HTTPS (port 4444, self-signed)
podman-run-ssl-host - Run the container on HTTPS with --network=host (port 4444, self-signed)
podman-stop - Stop & remove the container
podman-test - Quick curl smoke-test against the container
podman-logs - Follow container logs (⌃C to quit)
podman-stats - Show container resource stats (if supported)
podman-top - Show live top-level process info in container
podman-shell - Open an interactive shell inside the Podman container
🐋 DOCKER BUILD & RUN
docker-dev - Build development Docker image
docker - Build production Docker image
docker-prod - Build production container image (using ubi-micro → scratch). Not supported on macOS.
docker-run - Run the container on HTTP (port 4444)
docker-run-ssl - Run the container on HTTPS (port 4444, self-signed)
docker-stop - Stop & remove the container
docker-test - Quick curl smoke-test against the container
docker-logs - Follow container logs (⌃C to quit)
docker-stats - Show container resource usage stats (non-streaming)
docker-top - Show top-level process info in Docker container
docker-shell - Open an interactive shell inside the Docker container
🛠️ COMPOSE STACK - Build / start / stop the multi-service stack
compose-up - Bring the whole stack up (detached)
compose-restart - Recreate changed containers, pulling / building as needed
compose-build - Build (or rebuild) images defined in the compose file
compose-pull - Pull the latest images only
compose-logs - Tail logs from all services (Ctrl-C to exit)
compose-ps - Show container status table
compose-shell - Open an interactive shell in the "gateway" container
compose-stop - Gracefully stop the stack (keep containers)
compose-down - Stop & remove containers (keep named volumes)
compose-rm - Remove *stopped* containers
compose-clean - ✨ Down **and** delete named volumes (data-loss ⚠)
☁️ IBM CLOUD CODE ENGINE
ibmcloud-check-env - Verify all required IBM Cloud env vars are set
ibmcloud-cli-install - Auto-install IBM Cloud CLI + required plugins (OS auto-detected)
ibmcloud-login - Login to IBM Cloud CLI using IBMCLOUD_API_KEY (--sso)
ibmcloud-ce-login - Set Code Engine target project and region
ibmcloud-list-containers - List deployed Code Engine apps
ibmcloud-tag - Tag container image for IBM Container Registry
ibmcloud-push - Push image to IBM Container Registry
ibmcloud-deploy - Deploy (or update) container image in Code Engine
ibmcloud-ce-logs - Stream logs for the deployed application
ibmcloud-ce-status - Get deployment status
ibmcloud-ce-rm - Delete the Code Engine application
🧪 MINIKUBE LOCAL CLUSTER
minikube-install - Install Minikube (macOS, Linux, or Windows via choco)
helm-install - Install Helm CLI (macOS, Linux, or Windows)
minikube-start - Start local Minikube cluster with Ingress + DNS + metrics-server
minikube-stop - Stop the Minikube cluster
minikube-delete - Delete the Minikube cluster
minikube-image-load - Build and load ghcr.io/ibm/mcp-context-forge:latest into Minikube
minikube-k8s-apply - Apply Kubernetes manifests from deployment/k8s/
minikube-status - Show status of Minikube and ingress pods
🛠️ HELM CHART TASKS
helm-lint - Lint the Helm chart (static analysis)
helm-package - Package the chart into dist/ as mcp-stack-<ver>.tgz
helm-deploy - Upgrade/Install chart into Minikube (profile mcpgw)
helm-delete - Uninstall the chart release from Minikube
🏠 LOCAL PYPI SERVER
local-pypi-install - Install pypiserver for local testing
local-pypi-start - Start local PyPI server on :8084 (no auth)
local-pypi-start-auth - Start local PyPI server with basic auth (admin/admin)
local-pypi-stop - Stop local PyPI server
local-pypi-upload - Upload existing package to local PyPI (no auth)
local-pypi-upload-auth - Upload existing package to local PyPI (with auth)
local-pypi-test - Install package from local PyPI
local-pypi-clean - Full cycle: build → upload → install locally
🏠 LOCAL DEVPI SERVER
devpi-install - Install devpi server and client
devpi-init - Initialize devpi server (first time only)
devpi-start - Start devpi server
devpi-stop - Stop devpi server
devpi-setup-user - Create user and dev index
devpi-upload - Upload existing package to devpi
devpi-test - Install package from devpi
devpi-clean - Full cycle: build → upload → install locally
devpi-status - Show devpi server status
devpi-web - Open devpi web interface
🔍 Troubleshooting
If the gateway fails on macOS with sqlite3.OperationalError: disk I/O error (works on Linux/Docker), it's usually a filesystem/locking quirk rather than a schema bug.
Quick placement guidance (macOS):
-
Avoid cloning/running the repo under
~/Documentsor~/Desktopif iCloud "Desktop & Documents" sync is enabled. -
A simple, safe choice is a project folder directly under your home directory:
mkdir -p "$HOME/mcp-context-forge" && cd "$HOME/mcp-context-forge"- If you keep the DB inside the repo, use a subfolder like
data/and an absolute path in.env:mkdir -p "$HOME/mcp-context-forge/data"DATABASE_URL=sqlite:////Users/$USER/mcp-context-forge/data/mcp.db
-
Use a safe, local APFS path for SQLite (avoid iCloud/Dropbox/OneDrive/Google Drive, network shares, or external exFAT/NAS):
- Option A (system location): point the DB to Application Support (note spaces):
mkdir -p "$HOME/Library/Application Support/mcpgateway"export DATABASE_URL="sqlite:////Users/$USER/Library/Application Support/mcpgateway/mcp.db"
- Option B (project-local): keep the DB under
~/mcp-context-forge/data:mkdir -p "$HOME/mcp-context-forge/data"export DATABASE_URL="sqlite:////Users/$USER/mcp-context-forge/data/mcp.db"
- Option A (system location): point the DB to Application Support (note spaces):
-
Clean stale SQLite artifacts after any crash:
pkill -f mcpgateway || true && rm -f mcp.db-wal mcp.db-shm mcp.db-journal
-
Reduce startup concurrency to rule out multi-process contention:
GUNICORN_WORKERS=1 make serve(or usemake devwhich runs single-process)
-
Run the diagnostic helper to verify the environment:
python3 scripts/test_sqlite.py --verbose
-
While debugging, consider lowering pool pressure and retry:
DB_POOL_SIZE=10 DB_MAX_OVERFLOW=0 DB_POOL_TIMEOUT=60 DB_MAX_RETRIES=10 DB_RETRY_INTERVAL_MS=5000
-
Optional: temporarily disable the file-lock leader path by using the in-process mode:
export CACHE_TYPE=none
If the error persists, update SQLite and ensure Python links against it:
brew install sqlite3 && brew link --force sqlite3brew install python3 && /opt/homebrew/bin/python3 -c 'import sqlite3; print(sqlite3.sqlite_version)'
See the full migration guide's "SQLite Troubleshooting Guide" for deeper steps (WAL cleanup, integrity check, recovery): MIGRATION-0.7.0.md.
Diagnose the listener
# Inside your WSL distro
ss -tlnp | grep 4444 # Use ss
netstat -anp | grep 4444 # or netstat
Seeing :::4444 LISTEN rootlessport is normal - the IPv6 wildcard
socket (::) also accepts IPv4 traffic when
net.ipv6.bindv6only = 0 (default on Linux).
Why localhost fails on Windows
WSL 2's NAT layer rewrites only the IPv6 side of the dual-stack listener. From Windows, http://127.0.0.1:4444 (or Docker Desktop's "localhost") therefore times-out.
Fix (Podman rootless)
# Inside the WSL distro
echo "wsl" | sudo tee /etc/containers/podman-machine
systemctl --user restart podman.socket
ss should now show 0.0.0.0:4444 instead of :::4444, and the
service becomes reachable from Windows and the LAN.
Fix (Docker Desktop > 4.19)
Docker Desktop adds a "WSL integration" switch per-distro. Turn it on for your distro, restart Docker Desktop, then restart the container:
docker restart mcpgateway
Copy .env.example to .env first:
cp .env.example .env
Then edit DATABASE_URL, JWT_SECRET_KEY, BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD, etc.
Missing or empty required vars cause a fast-fail at startup.
Contributing
- Fork the repo, create a feature branch.
- Run
make lintand fix any issues. - Keep
make testgreen and 100% coverage. - Open a PR - describe your changes clearly.
See CONTRIBUTING.md for more details.
Changelog
A complete changelog can be found here: CHANGELOG.md
License
Licensed under the Apache License 2.0 - see LICENSE
Core Authors and Maintainers
- Mihai Criveti - Distinguished Engineer, Agentic AI
Special thanks to our contributors for helping us improve ContextForge MCP Gateway:
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MCP Context Forge Gateway's Information
- Author
- IBM
- Category
- Development Tools
- Language
- Python
- License
- Apache License 2.0
- Stars
- 2,562
- Updated
- 12 days ago
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