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Chapter 10 : Agent MCP Packs

What Are Agent MCP Packs​

Agent MCP Packs refer to group of below components as one logical unit:

  • AI Agents
  • MCP Server
  • Backend APIs
  • They can be run as separate components or in a docker container.
  • Agent MCP Pack Docker Containers combine the mentioned components in one container.

Note: For describing and giving instructions, we have selected/used REST API type for MCP and Backend.

Agent MCP Pack in EasyManage Builder​

Follow Menu Links: AI Agents → Configure Agents → Agent MCP Packs

Agent MCP Pack records in EasyManage Builder app are created to re-present Agent MCP Packs deployed.

  • Agent MCP Pack records in EasyManage Builder ← Agent MCP Pack docker containers | Or Agent MCP Packs separatly run.

agent-mcp-pack.png

Agent MCP Pack Security​

When selected security configuration like Basic Auth or OAuth2 , you need to combine MCP Server with Agent Server.

Combine MCP Server with Agent Server​

Combine MCP Server with Agent Server as one component.

How To Combine MCP Server with Agent Server​

Follow these guidelines:

  • MCP Server REST Combine with Agent Server
  • Packaging as jar so that Agent Server can use it as dependency.

Changes to MCP Server REST​

  • Locate Spring Java MCP Server REST project

    • mcp\spring-java\emmcp\app\mcprest

  • Edit pom.xml for mcprest

    • mcp\spring-java\emmcp\app\mcprest\pom.xml

Add packaging as jar:

    <groupId>com.example.emmcp</groupId>
    <artifactId>mcprest</artifactId>
    <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    <packaging>jar</packaging>
    <name>emmcp : app : mcprest</name>
    <description>MCP REST</description>

Remove dependency:

        <dependency> 
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId> 
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-security</artifactId> 
        </dependency>

Remove plugin:

    <build>
        <plugins>
            <plugin>
                <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
                <artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
            </plugin>
        </plugins>
    </build>
  • Remove/Delete Java Config File:
  • mcp\spring-java\emmcp\app\mcprest\src\main\java\com\example\emmcp\app\SpringSecurityConfigBasicAuth.java
  • Build and install project
cd mcp\spring-java\emmcp
mvn clean install

Changes to Agent Server​

  • Locate Spring Java Agent Server project

    • agent\spring-java\agentserver

  • Edit pom.xml

    • agent\spring-java\agentserver\pom.xml

Enable Combined MCP Server: Locate below block and un-comment/enable:

        <!-- withmcp

        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.example.emmcp</groupId>
            <artifactId>mcprest</artifactId>
            <version>${project.version}</version>
        </dependency>

        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.ai</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-ai-starter-mcp-server-webmvc</artifactId>
        </dependency>

        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-webflux</artifactId>
        </dependency>

        withmcp -->
  • Edit File AgentServerApp.java
    • agent\spring-java\agentserver\src\main\java\com\example\agentserver\AgentServerApp.java

Add scanBasePackages as below to @SpringBootApplication:

@SpringBootApplication(scanBasePackages = {"com.example.agentserver", "com.example.emmcp"})
  • Edit application.properties
    • agent\spring-java\agentserver\src\main\resources\application.properties

Enable Combined MCP Server: Locate below block and 

- comment out **EM MCP Client** section:
    - Keeping `# EM MCP Tool Properties` part
- Enable uncomment **EM MCP Server Combined** section (Replace "#withmcp")
- Edit `em.mcp.authType=None` , Set Basic or Bearer as applicable.
- Edit `em.mcp.authToken=` , Set Token value.
# -----------------------------------------------------------------
# EM MCP Client

# STDIO Mode
#spring.ai.mcp.client.stdio.servers-configuration=mcp.json

# If SSE MCP Server (deprecated)
#spring.ai.mcp.client.sse.connections.easymanage-mcp.url=http://localhost:9040

# Streamable HTTP transport Mode
spring.ai.mcp.client.streamable-http.connections.server1.url=http://localhost:9040
spring.ai.mcp.client.streamable-http.connections.server1.endpoint=/mcp
#spring.ai.mcp.client.streamable-http.connections.server2.url=http://otherserver:8081
#spring.ai.mcp.client.streamable-http.connections.server2.endpoint=/custom-sse

spring.ai.mcp.client.type=SYNC

logging.level.io.modelcontextprotocol.client=WARN
logging.level.io.modelcontextprotocol.spec=WARN

#spring.ai.mcp.client.enabled=true
#spring.ai.mcp.client.type=SYNC
#spring.ai.mcp.client.toolcallback.enabled=true
#spring.ai.mcp.client.initialized=true
#spring.ai.mcp.client.annotation-scanner.enabled=true


# EM MCP Tool Properties

em.mcptools.toolTypeExcl=create_|update_|delete_|get_table_data_all_

## MCP Tool Groups : Tool Groups Across Hybrid Databses

em.mcptools.mcpgroupsEnabled=
#em.mcptools.mcpgroupsEnabled=true

# e.g.
#em.mcptools.mcpgroup.accounts-grp=user_profile|lifetime_value|account_master
#em.mcptools.mcpgroup.inventory-grp=dailystock|warehouses

# -----------------------------------------------------------------

#withmcp# -----------------------------------------------------------------
#withmcp# EM MCP Server Combined
#withmcp
#withmcp# Server Transport
#withmcp# ----------------------------------
#withmcp# STREAMABLE (Streamable HTTP transport) 
#withmcp
#withmcpspring.ai.mcp.server.protocol=STREAMABLE
#withmcpspring.ai.mcp.server.type=SYNC
#withmcpspring.ai.mcp.server.instructions=This streamable server provides mcp tools
#withmcpspring.ai.mcp.server.tool-change-notification=true
#withmcpspring.ai.mcp.server.resource-change-notification=true
#withmcpspring.ai.mcp.server.prompt-change-notification=true
#withmcpspring.ai.mcp.server.streamable-http.mcp-endpoint=/mcp
#withmcpspring.ai.mcp.server.streamable-http.keep-alive-interval=60s
#withmcp
#withmcpspring.ai.mcp.server.name=mcprest
#withmcpspring.ai.mcp.server.version=0.0.1
#withmcp
#withmcp# Pass as arg when calling jar or define here
#withmcp# "args": ["-jar", "path/mcprest-1.0-SNAPSHOT.jar", "--em.mcp.apiUrl=restApiUrl" ]
#withmcp# e.g. em.mcp.apiUrl="http://127.0.0.1:9080/emdbrest"
#withmcpem.mcp.apiUrl=http://127.0.0.1:9080/emdbrest
#withmcpem.mcp.authType=None
#withmcpem.mcp.authToken=
#withmcp
#withmcp# -----------------------------------------------------------------
  • Add @Bean @Primary For MCP Tools to populate and get all tools listing in ToolCallbackProvider.
  • Add file: agent\spring-java\agentserver\src\main\java\com\example\agentserver\McpToolsConfig.java

See below sample file. Uses services @Service from package com.example.emmcp from MCP Server REST project.

Sample McpToolsConfig.java

package com.example.agentserver; 
 
import org.springframework.ai.tool.ToolCallbackProvider;
import org.springframework.ai.tool.method.MethodToolCallbackProvider;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean; 
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Primary;

import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinition;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultListableBeanFactory;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;

@Configuration 
public class McpToolsConfig {
    
    @Bean
    @Primary
    public ToolCallbackProvider buildToolsAllRest(ApplicationContext applicationContext) {

        List<Object> serviceInstances = new ArrayList<>();
        
        if (applicationContext.getAutowireCapableBeanFactory() instanceof DefaultListableBeanFactory beanFactory) {
            
            String[] beanNames = beanFactory.getBeanDefinitionNames();
            
            for (String beanName : beanNames) {
                BeanDefinition beanDef = beanFactory.getBeanDefinition(beanName);
                String beanClassName = beanDef.getBeanClassName();
                
                if (beanClassName != null && beanClassName.startsWith("com.example.emmcp")) {
                    try {
                        Class<?> beanClass = Class.forName(beanClassName);
                        if (beanClass.isAnnotationPresent(org.springframework.stereotype.Service.class)) {
                            //System.out.println("Safely loading package service: " + beanName + " -> " + beanClassName);
                            serviceInstances.add(applicationContext.getBean(beanName));
                        }
                    } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
                        // Class might be a configuration-generated bean or dynamic proxy, ignore or log
                    }
                }
            }
        }

        return MethodToolCallbackProvider.builder()
                .toolObjects(serviceInstances.toArray())
                .build();
    }

    // If custom selection needed
    /*
    @Bean
    @Primary
    public ToolCallbackProvider buildToolsAllRest(
        com.example.emmcp.app.EmMcpRestService emMcpRestService,
        com.example.emmcp.app.InventoryRestMcpService inventoryRestMcpService,
        com.example.emmcp.app.OrdersRestMcpService ordersRestMcpService,
        com.example.emmcp.app.ProductRestMcpService productRestMcpService
        ) {
        return MethodToolCallbackProvider.builder()
        .toolObjects(
            emMcpRestService,
            inventoryRestMcpService,
            ordersRestMcpService,
            productRestMcpService
            ).build();
    }
    */

}

  • Build and Run Agent Server
    • Follow Agent Server Setup
    • Note: Except You do not need to Build and Run MCP Server REST, as it is combined with Agent Server.

Agent MCP Pack Docker Container​

Generate and Build Docker Containers for Agent MCP Packs mapped to your data sources.

Run Agent MCP Pack In Docker Container​

To Build and Run In Docker Container, After code generate and Download,

Please follow steps given in README at e.g.:

  • Downloads\EmGenDir_MYTEMP01_WS_51247\WS_51247\README-Agent-MCP-Pack.md

e.g. Container created and run output:

EmGenDir_MYTEMP01_WS_51247\WS_51247>docker compose up -d
[+] up 4/4
 ✔ Network ws_51247_default         Created                                 0.0s
 ✔ Container ws_51247-emapi-1       Started                                 0.4s
 ✔ Container ws_51247-emmcp-1       Started                                 0.6s
 ✔ Container ws_51247-agentserver-1 Started                                 0.8s

Primary Agent MCP Pack​

If you have multiple MCP Servers mapped to various data sources, Make first Container's Agent MCP Pack as Primary. Add all your MCP Servers to its AgentServer configuration to get AI-Ready data from across all your data sources.

Use Primary Agent MCP Pack's Agent Server in EasyManage Builder : AI Agents : Agent Server Configuration.

Please see Readme mentioned README-Agent-MCP-Pack.md

- Container Setup Details : You can repeat these steps for next MCP containers.

MCP Tool Groups​

You can group tools from different MCP servers, across hybrid databses, into functional domain groups such as accounts-grp, inventory-grp.

Tool Groups Across Hybrid Databses​

For an e-commerce app, If you have database tables in Postgres and Snowflake, lets see how to formulate MCP Tool Groups.

Agents To MCP Visibility: Agents should get exposed to tools for a specific "Group", rather than all tools from Snowflake and Postgres MCP servers.

Define your groups in application properties to map which tables or tool patterns belong to which group.

  • Add to agent\spring-java\agentserver\src\main\resources\application.properties
## MCP Tool Groups : Tool Groups Across Hybrid Databases

em.mcptools.mcpgroupsEnabled=true

em.mcptools.mcpgroup.accounts-grp=user_profile|lifetime_value|account_master
em.mcptools.mcpgroup.inventory-grp=dailystock|warehouses

  • Optionally, Establish a Tool Naming Convention

    • Format: [group_name]_[db]_[tool]
    • Examples for accounts-grp:
      • accounts_psql_get_user_profile
      • accounts_snowflake_get_lifetime_value

  • Provision Agents with Specific Groups

    • Account Agent: Restrict to accounts-grp. It only sees the filtered list of tools from both databases.
    • Inventory Agent: Restrict to inventory-grp.

How to Use Tool Groups in Agents​

In Agent Project, Use it via Tool Name Incl property. It has dual role to include MCP Tool Groups and then also further filter tools within those groups.

  • Tool Name Incl: accounts-grp|inventory-grp
    • Add all tools from accounts-grp and inventory-grp
  • Tool Name Incl: accounts-grp|user_profile|lifetime_value
    • Add all tools from accounts-grp
    • Keep tools matching user_profile|lifetime_value only
  • Tool Name Incl: accounts-grp|user_profile|lifetime_value|inventory-grp|dailystock
    • Add all tools from accounts-grp
    • Keep tools matching user_profile|lifetime_value only
    • Add all tools from inventory-grp
    • Keep tools matching dailystock only
    • If you want to specify tool name matching, specify tool name conditions for all tool groups included.