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Overview

MCP (Model Context Protocol) Tools enable integration with MCP servers for extended functionality. These tools allow you to connect to both local and remote MCP servers, discover available tools, and execute them with custom inputs using the Python SDK.

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Key Features

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MCP_LOCAL_RUN

  • Connect to local MCP servers
  • Execute tools on your local environment
  • Direct Python SDK integration
  • Real-time tool discovery and execution

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MCP_REMOTE_RUN

  • Connect to remote MCP servers via HTTP
  • Streamable HTTP connections
  • Cloud-based tool execution
  • Scalable remote processing

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Authentication

MCP tools may require authentication depending on the server configuration. Check with your MCP server administrator for specific requirements.

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Example: Local MCP Server Integration

- id: connect_local_mcp
  name: connect_local_mcp
  tool: MCP_LOCAL_RUN
  input:
    - name: server_config
      value: |
        {
          "server_path": "/path/to/mcp-server",
          "server_args": ["--config", "/path/to/config.json"],
          "timeout": 30
        }
    - name: tool_name
      value: "file_reader"
    - name: tool_inputs
      value: |
        {
          "file_path": "/home/user/documents/report.txt",
          "encoding": "utf-8"
        }

- id: process_mcp_result
  name: process_mcp_result
  tool: PYTHON_SANDBOX_RUN
  input:
    - name: code
      value: |
        import json
        
        # Process MCP tool result
        mcp_result = json.loads('''{{steps.connect_local_mcp.result.output}}''')
        
        print("MCP Tool Execution Results:")
        print("=" * 40)
        print(f"Tool: {mcp_result.get('tool_name', 'Unknown')}")
        print(f"Status: {mcp_result.get('status', 'Unknown')}")
        print(f"Execution Time: {mcp_result.get('execution_time', 'N/A')}ms")
        print()
        
        if 'data' in mcp_result:
            print("Output Data:")
            print(mcp_result['data'])

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Example: Remote MCP Service Integration

- id: discover_remote_tools
  name: discover_remote_tools
  tool: MCP_REMOTE_RUN
  input:
    - name: server_url
      value: "https://mcp-server.example.com/api"
    - name: auth_token
      value: "{{secrets.MCP_AUTH_TOKEN}}"
    - name: action
      value: "list_tools"
    - name: tool_inputs
      value: "{}"

- id: execute_remote_analysis
  name: execute_remote_analysis
  tool: MCP_REMOTE_RUN
  input:
    - name: server_url
      value: "https://mcp-server.example.com/api"
    - name: auth_token
      value: "{{secrets.MCP_AUTH_TOKEN}}"
    - name: tool_name
      value: "data_analyzer"
    - name: tool_inputs
      value: |
        {
          "data_source": "{{steps.input_data.result.file_url}}",
          "analysis_type": "statistical_summary",
          "output_format": "json",
          "include_charts": true
        }

- id: save_analysis_results
  name: save_analysis_results
  tool: OUTPUT_FILE
  input:
    - name: content
      value: "{{steps.execute_remote_analysis.result.output}}"
    - name: filename
      value: "mcp_analysis_results_{{date | format('YYYY-MM-DD')}}.json"
    - name: fileType
      value: "json"

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Example: Multi-Tool MCP Workflow

- id: setup_mcp_environment
  name: setup_mcp_environment
  tool: PYTHON_SANDBOX_RUN
  input:
    - name: code
      value: |
        # Define MCP workflow configuration
        mcp_workflow = {
            "server_config": {
                "local_server": "/opt/mcp-tools/server",
                "remote_server": "https://api.mcp-cloud.example.com",
                "timeout": 60,
                "retry_attempts": 3
            },
            "tools_to_execute": [
                {
                    "name": "document_parser",
                    "type": "local",
                    "inputs": {
                        "document_url": "{{input.document_url}}",
                        "extract_images": True,
                        "extract_tables": True
                    }
                },
                {
                    "name": "content_analyzer", 
                    "type": "remote",
                    "inputs": {
                        "content_type": "document",
                        "analysis_depth": "comprehensive"
                    }
                },
                {
                    "name": "report_generator",
                    "type": "remote",
                    "inputs": {
                        "template": "standard_report",
                        "include_summary": True
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
        
        import json
        print(json.dumps(mcp_workflow, indent=2))

- id: parse_document_local
  name: parse_document_local
  tool: MCP_LOCAL_RUN
  input:
    - name: server_config
      value: |
        {
          "server_path": "/opt/mcp-tools/server",
          "timeout": 60
        }
    - name: tool_name
      value: "document_parser"
    - name: tool_inputs
      value: |
        {
          "document_url": "{{input.document_url}}",
          "extract_images": true,
          "extract_tables": true,
          "output_format": "structured_json"
        }

- id: analyze_content_remote
  name: analyze_content_remote
  tool: MCP_REMOTE_RUN
  input:
    - name: server_url
      value: "https://api.mcp-cloud.example.com"
    - name: auth_token
      value: "{{secrets.MCP_CLOUD_TOKEN}}"
    - name: tool_name
      value: "content_analyzer"
    - name: tool_inputs
      value: |
        {
          "parsed_content": {{steps.parse_document_local.result.output}},
          "analysis_type": "comprehensive",
          "include_sentiment": true,
          "include_entities": true,
          "include_summary": true
        }

- id: generate_final_report
  name: generate_final_report
  tool: MCP_REMOTE_RUN
  input:
    - name: server_url
      value: "https://api.mcp-cloud.example.com"
    - name: auth_token
      value: "{{secrets.MCP_CLOUD_TOKEN}}"
    - name: tool_name
      value: "report_generator"
    - name: tool_inputs
      value: |
        {
          "analysis_results": {{steps.analyze_content_remote.result.output}},
          "template": "executive_summary",
          "format": "markdown",
          "include_charts": true,
          "include_recommendations": true
        }

- id: save_comprehensive_report
  name: save_comprehensive_report
  tool: OUTPUT_FILE
  input:
    - name: content
      value: "{{steps.generate_final_report.result.output}}"
    - name: filename
      value: "comprehensive_analysis_report.md"
    - name: fileType
      value: "txt"

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Example: Custom MCP Tool Development

- id: deploy_custom_mcp_tool
  name: deploy_custom_mcp_tool
  tool: MCP_LOCAL_RUN
  input:
    - name: server_config
      value: |
        {
          "server_path": "/usr/local/bin/custom-mcp-server",
          "server_args": ["--plugin-dir", "/home/user/mcp-plugins"],
          "environment": {
            "MCP_DEBUG": "true",
            "MCP_LOG_LEVEL": "info"
          }
        }
    - name: tool_name
      value: "custom_data_processor"
    - name: tool_inputs
      value: |
        {
          "input_data": {{steps.prepare_data.result.processed_data}},
          "processing_rules": {
            "remove_duplicates": true,
            "normalize_dates": true,
            "validate_emails": true,
            "standardize_phone_numbers": true
          },
          "output_options": {
            "format": "json",
            "include_metadata": true,
            "include_statistics": true
          }
        }

- id: validate_mcp_output
  name: validate_mcp_output
  tool: PYTHON_SANDBOX_RUN
  input:
    - name: code
      value: |
        import json
        
        # Validate MCP tool output
        try:
            mcp_output = json.loads('''{{steps.deploy_custom_mcp_tool.result.output}}''')
            
            print("MCP Tool Validation Results:")
            print("=" * 35)
            
            # Check for required fields
            required_fields = ['processed_data', 'metadata', 'statistics']
            missing_fields = [field for field in required_fields if field not in mcp_output]
            
            if missing_fields:
                print(f"❌ Missing required fields: {', '.join(missing_fields)}")
            else:
                print("✅ All required fields present")
            
            # Validate data structure
            if 'processed_data' in mcp_output:
                data_count = len(mcp_output['processed_data'])
                print(f"📊 Processed {data_count} records")
            
            if 'statistics' in mcp_output:
                stats = mcp_output['statistics']
                print(f"📈 Processing Statistics:")
                for key, value in stats.items():
                    print(f"   {key}: {value}")
            
            print("✅ MCP tool executed successfully")
            
        except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
            print(f"❌ Invalid JSON output from MCP tool: {e}")
        except Exception as e:
            print(f"❌ Error validating MCP output: {e}")

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MCP Server Configuration

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Local Server Setup

{
  "server_path": "/path/to/mcp-server",
  "server_args": ["--config", "/path/to/config.json"],
  "environment": {
    "MCP_LOG_LEVEL": "info",
    "MCP_TIMEOUT": "30"
  },
  "timeout": 60,
  "retry_attempts": 3
}

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Remote Server Setup

{
  "server_url": "https://mcp-server.example.com/api",
  "auth_method": "bearer_token",
  "auth_token": "your-auth-token",
  "timeout": 30,
  "stream_response": true
}

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Tool Discovery

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List Available Tools

- id: discover_tools
  name: discover_tools  
  tool: MCP_LOCAL_RUN
  input:
    - name: action
      value: "list_tools"
    - name: server_config
      value: '{"server_path": "/path/to/mcp-server"}'

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Get Tool Schema

- id: get_tool_info
  name: get_tool_info
  tool: MCP_REMOTE_RUN
  input:
    - name: action
      value: "describe_tool"
    - name: tool_name
      value: "data_processor"
    - name: server_url
      value: "https://mcp-server.example.com/api"

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Error Handling

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Common Error Types

  • Connection errors: Server unreachable or authentication failed
  • Tool not found: Specified tool doesn’t exist on server
  • Input validation: Invalid inputs for tool execution
  • Timeout errors: Tool execution exceeded time limit
  • Server errors: Internal server errors during execution

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Error Response Format

{
  "error": {
    "type": "tool_execution_error",
    "message": "Tool execution failed",
    "details": {
      "tool_name": "data_processor",
      "error_code": "INPUT_VALIDATION_FAILED",
      "timestamp": "2024-01-15T14:30:00Z"
    }
  }
}

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Use Cases

  • Data Processing: Advanced data transformation and analysis
  • Document Processing: Complex document parsing and extraction
  • AI/ML Integration: Machine learning model execution
  • Custom Workflows: Domain-specific business logic execution
  • External API Integration: Wrapper for external services
  • Batch Processing: Large-scale data processing operations
  • Specialized Tools: Industry-specific processing tools
  • Research Tools: Academic and scientific computing tools

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Best Practices

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Performance Optimization

  • Use local servers for frequent operations
  • Use remote servers for compute-intensive tasks
  • Implement proper timeout handling
  • Cache tool discovery results

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Security Considerations

  • Secure authentication tokens
  • Validate all inputs and outputs
  • Use HTTPS for remote connections
  • Implement proper error handling

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Development Guidelines

  • Document custom MCP tools thoroughly
  • Implement proper logging and monitoring
  • Use consistent input/output schemas
  • Test tools thoroughly before deployment