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Find Alternative Facilities

find_alternatives
Read-onlyIdempotent

Use when a user likes ONE specific facility and wants similar nearby options to consider instead ("what else looks like this?"). Example: "Find alternatives to the Ashburn QTS campus for about 50MW." — find_alternatives facility_id=. Params: facility_id or name (the target, required); optional capacity_mw, radius_km, limit. Returns: ranked alternatives, each with similarity_score, match_reasons, and key_differences versus the target. Do NOT use to score one site (use score_facility or analyze_site) or to compare a known short-list head-to-head (use compare_sites); this DISCOVERS candidates from a single seed facility.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
limitNoMax results to return (1-500; default varies by tool)
match_onNoOptional similarity dimension to weight, e.g. capacity, operator, fiber, market
radius_kmNoSearch radius in km for candidate alternatives around the seed facility
facility_idYesThe seed facility id/slug (required) to find alternatives to, from a prior search result — there is no `name` param; an undeclared key is silently stripped
exclude_operatorNoIf true, exclude facilities from the same operator as the seed

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
quotaNoCaller quota state (remaining calls, tier).
_entityNoPayload class (facility|market|iso_grid|queue_results|deal|report|response); branch on it.
citationNoHow to attribute DC Hub: {source, url, license, cite_as, retrieved_at}, or the attribution line as a string.
provenanceNoSource, method, as_of, verification_counts, license, cite_as; quote it when citing.
_front_doorNoFirst-tool hint: plan_query(intent) returns the ordered plan.
_return_loopNoNext-session delta call (get_changes).
site_evaluation_handoffNoFollow-up calls [{tool, parameters, why}] when the payload carries coordinates.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Added
  2. Removed
  3. Changed2 schema fields changed
    • changedInput schema / properties / facility_id / description
      Previous value: -"The seed facility id/slug (or use name) to find alternatives to, from a prior search result"New value: +"The seed facility id/slug (required) to find alternatives to, from a prior search result — there is no `name` param; an undeclared key is silently stripped"
    • addedInput schema / required
      Added value: +[
+  "facility_id"
+]
  4. Changed2 schema fields changed
    • removedInput schema / $schema
      Removed value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
    • removedOutput schema / $schema
      Removed value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
  5. Changed5 schema fields changed
    • removedOutput schema / properties / citation / additionalProperties
      Removed value: -{}
    • addedOutput schema / properties / citation / anyOf
      Added value: +[
+  {
+    "additionalProperties": {},
+    "properties": {},
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "string"
+  }
+]
    • changedOutput schema / properties / citation / description
      Previous value: -"Machine-readable citation: how to attribute DC Hub (dchub.cloud) for this payload."New value: +"Machine-readable citation: how to attribute DC Hub (dchub.cloud) for this payload. Normally an OBJECT {source, url, license, cite_as, retrieved_at}; a bare string is accepted and carries the attribution line itself."
    • removedOutput schema / properties / citation / properties
      Removed value: -{}
    • removedOutput schema / properties / citation / type
      Removed value: -"object"
  6. Changed1 schema field changed
    • addedOutput schema / properties / _front_door
      Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "description": "In-band front-door hint (first workflow-entry tool of a session): call plan_query(intent) first for the ordered multi-step plan.",
+  "properties": {},
+  "type": "object"
+}
  7. Changed5 schema fields changed
    • removedOutput schema / properties / site_evaluation_handoff / additionalProperties
      Removed value: -{}
    • addedOutput schema / properties / site_evaluation_handoff / anyOf
      Added value: +[
+  {
+    "items": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "properties": {},
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "type": "array"
+  },
+  {
+    "additionalProperties": {},
+    "properties": {},
+    "type": "object"
+  }
+]
    • changedOutput schema / properties / site_evaluation_handoff / description
      Previous value: -"Pre-built follow-up call (analyze_site / get_water_risk args) when the payload carries coordinates."New value: +"Pre-built follow-up calls (analyze_site / get_water_risk args) when the payload carries coordinates — an array of {tool, parameters, why} entries."
    • removedOutput schema / properties / site_evaluation_handoff / properties
      Removed value: -{}
    • removedOutput schema / properties / site_evaluation_handoff / type
      Removed value: -"object"
  8. Changed1 schema field changed
    • changedOutput schema / (root)
      Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "description": "DC Hub envelope: structuredContent mirrors the JSON payload in content[0].text — tool-specific data fields ride at the top level alongside these envelope keys.",
+  "properties": {
+    "_entity": {
+      "description": "Payload class discriminator (e.g. facility|market|iso_grid|queue_results|deal|report|response) — branch on this before parsing the rest.",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "_return_loop": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "description": "Suggested next-session delta call (get_changes since=24h) so you pull only what changed.",
+      "properties": {},
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "citation": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "description": "Machine-readable citation: how to attribute DC Hub (dchub.cloud) for this payload.",
+      "properties": {},
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "provenance": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "description": "Collection-level provenance block: {source, method, as_of, verification_counts, cite_url_template, license, cite_as}. Quote the verification level when citing.",
+      "properties": {},
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "quota": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "description": "Caller quota state (remaining calls, tier) when available.",
+      "properties": {},
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "site_evaluation_handoff": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "description": "Pre-built follow-up call (analyze_site / get_water_risk args) when the payload carries coordinates.",
+      "properties": {},
+      "type": "object"
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}
  9. Changed7 schema fields changed
    • addedInput schema / properties / exclude_operator / description
      Added value: +"If true, exclude facilities from the same operator as the seed"
    • addedInput schema / properties / facility_id / description
      Added value: +"The seed facility id/slug (or use name) to find alternatives to, from a prior search result"
    • addedInput schema / properties / limit / description
      Added value: +"Max results to return (1-500; default varies by tool)"
    • changedInput schema / properties / limit / maximum
      Previous value: -9007199254740991New value: +500
    • changedInput schema / properties / limit / minimum
      Previous value: --9007199254740991New value: +1
    • addedInput schema / properties / match_on / description
      Added value: +"Optional similarity dimension to weight, e.g. capacity, operator, fiber, market"
    • addedInput schema / properties / radius_km / description
      Added value: +"Search radius in km for candidate alternatives around the seed facility"
  10. Added

TDQS

A4.2/5.0
Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnly/idempotent/non-destructive/closed-world, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds genuinely useful behavioral context beyond that: this is a discovery operation seeded from one facility, and results are ranked with similarity_score, match_reasons and key_differences. It omits any mention of rate limits, cost, or what happens when no candidates fall inside radius_km.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Well front-loaded: trigger condition first, example second, invocation and params third, return shape fourth, exclusions last. Mostly earns its length, though the explicit 'Returns:' enumeration is partly redundant given a declared output schema, and the parameter sentence is both long and incorrect.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Covers the decision-relevant surface for a single-seed discovery tool: trigger, example, alternatives to avoid, and result semantics (and an output schema exists, so return values need not be spelled out). The one substantive gap is accuracy rather than omission — the phantom `name` parameter makes the calling contract incomplete/incorrect relative to the schema.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters2/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so baseline would be 3, but the description actively misleads: it says 'Params: facility_id or name (the target, required)' while the schema's facility_id description states 'there is no `name` param; an undeclared key is silently stripped.' An agent following the description would pass `name` and get it silently dropped, producing a wrong or failed call. The example's '50MW' does loosely illustrate capacity_mw, but that does not offset the false parameter claim.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb (find alternatives) plus the exact seed-resource it operates on, and names the sibling tools it is not (score_facility, analyze_site, compare_sites). The parenthetical framing ('what else looks like this?') makes the intent unmistakable against a large sibling list.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicit when-to-use trigger ('a user likes ONE specific facility'), a worked example with concrete inputs, and an explicit when-NOT-to-use clause routing to three named alternatives. It even states the selection rule (single seed → discover candidates) that distinguishes it from compare_sites.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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