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
📌 Quick Links
Overview & Goals
ContextForge is a gateway, registry, and proxy that sits in front of any Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, A2A server or REST API-exposing a unified endpoint for all your AI clients. See the project roadmap for more details.
It currently supports:
Federation across multiple MCP and REST services
A2A (Agent-to-Agent) integration for external AI agents (OpenAI, Anthropic, custom)
gRPC-to-MCP translation via automatic reflection-based service discovery
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 (with airgapped deployment support)
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 Roadmap
Sits in front of any MCP server or REST API
Lets you choose your MCP protocol version (e.g., 2025-06-18)
Exposes a single, unified interface for diverse backends
Wraps non-MCP services as virtual MCP servers
Registers tools, prompts, and resources with minimal configuration
gRPC-to-MCP translation via server reflection protocol
Automatic service discovery and method introspection
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
See Observability Documentation for setup guides with Phoenix, Jaeger, and other backends.
Quick Start - PyPI
ContextForge 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
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"
# Note: Basic auth for API is disabled by default (API_ALLOW_BASIC_AUTH=false)
$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
# 1️⃣ Isolated env + install from PyPI using uv
mkdir mcpgateway ; cd mcpgateway
uv venv
.\.venv\Scripts\activate
uv pip install mcp-contextforge-gateway
# Continue with steps 2️⃣-4️⃣ above...
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 (replace docker with podman if needed)
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:8003/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 '{"server":{"name":"time_server","description":"Fast time tools","associated_tools":[<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 '{"server":{"name":"time_server","description":"Fast time tools","associated_tools":["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 HTTP endpoint. Inspect it interactively with the MCP Inspector CLI (or use any MCP client)
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/inspector
# Transport Type: Streamable HTTP, URL: http://localhost:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1/mcp, 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.
Please note: Currently, arm64 is not supported on production. If you are e.g. running on MacOS with Apple Silicon chips (M1, M2, etc), you can run the containers using Rosetta or install via PyPi instead.
🚀 Quick Start - Docker Compose
Get a full stack running with MariaDB and Redis in under 30 seconds:
# Clone and start the stack
git clone https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge.git
cd mcp-context-forge
# Start with MariaDB (recommended for production)
docker compose up -d
# Or start with PostgreSQL
# Uncomment postgres in docker-compose.yml and comment mariadb section
# docker compose up -d
# Check status
docker compose ps
# View logs
docker compose logs -f gateway
# Access Admin UI: http://localhost:4444/admin (login with PLATFORM_ADMIN_EMAIL/PASSWORD)
# Generate API token
docker compose exec gateway python3 -m mcpgateway.utils.create_jwt_token \
--username admin@example.com --exp 10080 --secret my-test-key
What you get:
🗄️ MariaDB 10.6 - Production-ready database with 36+ tables
🚀 MCP Gateway - Full-featured gateway with Admin UI
📊 Redis - High-performance caching and session storage
🔧 Admin Tools - pgAdmin, Redis Insight for database management
🌐 Nginx Proxy - Caching reverse proxy (optional)
Enable HTTPS (optional):
# Start with TLS enabled (auto-generates self-signed certs)
make compose-tls
# Access via HTTPS: https://localhost:8443/admin
# Or bring your own certificates:
# Unencrypted key:
mkdir -p certs
cp your-cert.pem certs/cert.pem && cp your-key.pem certs/key.pem
make compose-tls
# Passphrase-protected key:
mkdir -p certs
cp your-cert.pem certs/cert.pem && cp your-encrypted-key.pem certs/key-encrypted.pem
echo "KEY_FILE_PASSWORD=your-passphrase" >> .env
make compose-tls
☸️ Quick Start - Helm (Kubernetes)
Deploy to Kubernetes with enterprise-grade features:
# Add Helm repository (when available)
# helm repo add mcp-context-forge https://ibm.github.io/mcp-context-forge
# helm repo update
# For now, use local chart
git clone https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge.git
cd mcp-context-forge/charts/mcp-stack
# Install with MariaDB
helm install mcp-gateway . \
--set mcpContextForge.secret.PLATFORM_ADMIN_EMAIL=admin@yourcompany.com \
--set mcpContextForge.secret.PLATFORM_ADMIN_PASSWORD=changeme \
--set mcpContextForge.secret.JWT_SECRET_KEY=your-secret-key \
--set postgres.enabled=false \
--set mariadb.enabled=true
# Or install with PostgreSQL (default)
helm install mcp-gateway . \
--set mcpContextForge.secret.PLATFORM_ADMIN_EMAIL=admin@yourcompany.com \
--set mcpContextForge.secret.PLATFORM_ADMIN_PASSWORD=changeme \
--set mcpContextForge.secret.JWT_SECRET_KEY=your-secret-key
# Check deployment status
kubectl get pods -l app.kubernetes.io/name=mcp-context-forge
# Port forward to access Admin UI
kubectl port-forward svc/mcp-gateway-mcp-context-forge 4444:80
# Access: http://localhost:4444/admin
# Generate API token
kubectl exec deployment/mcp-gateway-mcp-context-forge -- \
python3 -m mcpgateway.utils.create_jwt_token \
--username admin@yourcompany.com --exp 10080 --secret your-secret-key
Enterprise Features:
🔄 Auto-scaling - HPA with CPU/memory targets
🗄️ Database Choice - PostgreSQL, MariaDB, or MySQL
📊 Observability - Prometheus metrics, OpenTelemetry tracing
🔒 Security - RBAC, network policies, secret management
🚀 High Availability - Multi-replica deployments with Redis clustering
📈 Monitoring - Built-in Grafana dashboards and alerting
🐳 Docker (Single Container)
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 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 \
-e SECURE_COOKIES=false \
ghcr.io/ibm/mcp-context-forge:1.0.0-BETA-2
# Tail logs and generate API key
docker logs -f mcpgateway
docker run --rm -it ghcr.io/ibm/mcp-context-forge:1.0.0-BETA-2 \
python3 -m mcpgateway.utils.create_jwt_token --username admin@example.com --exp 10080 --secret my-test-key
Browse to http://localhost:4444/admin and login with PLATFORM_ADMIN_EMAIL / PLATFORM_ADMIN_PASSWORD.
Persist SQLite database:
mkdir -p $(pwd)/data && touch $(pwd)/data/mcp.db && chmod 777 $(pwd)/data
docker run -d --name mcpgateway --restart unless-stopped \
-p 4444:4444 -v $(pwd)/data:/data \
-e DATABASE_URL=sqlite:////data/mcp.db \
-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 PLATFORM_ADMIN_EMAIL=admin@example.com -e PLATFORM_ADMIN_PASSWORD=changeme \
ghcr.io/ibm/mcp-context-forge:1.0.0-BETA-2
Host networking (access local MCP servers):
docker run -d --name mcpgateway --network=host \
-v $(pwd)/data:/data -e DATABASE_URL=sqlite:////data/mcp.db \
-e MCPGATEWAY_UI_ENABLED=true -e HOST=0.0.0.0 -e PORT=4444 \
ghcr.io/ibm/mcp-context-forge:1.0.0-BETA-2
Airgapped deployment (no internet):
docker build -f Containerfile.lite -t mcpgateway:airgapped .
docker run -d --name mcpgateway -p 4444:4444 \
-e MCPGATEWAY_UI_AIRGAPPED=true -e MCPGATEWAY_UI_ENABLED=true \
-e HOST=0.0.0.0 -e JWT_SECRET_KEY=my-test-key \
mcpgateway:airgapped
🦭 Podman (rootless-friendly)
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:1.0.0-BETA-2
Persist SQLite:
mkdir -p $(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:1.0.0-BETA-2
Host networking:
podman run -d --name mcpgateway --network=host \
-v $(pwd)/data:/data -e DATABASE_URL=sqlite:////data/mcp.db \
ghcr.io/ibm/mcp-context-forge:1.0.0-BETA-2
.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. 1.0.0-BETA-2) instead of latest for 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:/data mount; 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:1.0.0-BETA-2 \
python3 -m mcpgateway.wrapper
Quick Start: VS Code Dev Container
Clone the repo and open in VS Code—it will detect .devcontainer and prompt to "Reopen in Container". The container includes Python 3.11, Docker CLI, and all project dependencies.
For detailed setup, workflows, and GitHub Codespaces instructions, see Developer Onboarding.
Installation
make venv install # create .venv + install deps
make serve # gunicorn on :4444
# UV (faster)
uv venv && source .venv/bin/activate
uv pip install -e '.[dev]'
# pip
python3 -m venv .venv && source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -e ".[dev]"
Install the psycopg driver for PostgreSQL:
# Install system dependencies first
# Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install libpq-dev
# macOS: brew install libpq
uv pip install 'psycopg[binary]' # dev (pre-built wheels)
# or: uv pip install 'psycopg[c]' # production (requires compiler)
Connection URL format:
DATABASE_URL=postgresql+psycopg://user:password@localhost:5432/mcp
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
Upgrading
For upgrade instructions, migration guides, and rollback procedures, see:
Configuration
⚠️ If any required .env variable is missing or invalid, the gateway will fail fast at startup with a validation error via Pydantic.
Copy the provided .env.example to .env and update the security-sensitive values below.
🔐 Required: Change Before Use
These variables have insecure defaults and must be changed before production deployment:
Variable | Description | Default | Action Required |
JWT_SECRET_KEY
| Secret key for signing JWT tokens (32+ chars) | my-test-key
| Generate with openssl rand -hex 32 |
AUTH_ENCRYPTION_SECRET
| Passphrase for encrypting stored credentials | my-test-salt
| Generate with openssl rand -hex 32 |
BASIC_AUTH_USER
| Username for HTTP Basic auth | admin
| Change for production |
BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD
| Password for HTTP Basic auth | changeme
| Set a strong password |
PLATFORM_ADMIN_EMAIL
| Email for bootstrap admin user | admin@example.com
| Use real admin email |
PLATFORM_ADMIN_PASSWORD
| Password for bootstrap admin user | changeme
| Set a strong password |
PLATFORM_ADMIN_FULL_NAME
| Display name for bootstrap admin | Admin User
| Set admin name |
🔒 Security Defaults (Secure by Default)
These settings are enabled by default for security—only disable for backward compatibility:
Variable | Description | Default |
REQUIRE_JTI
| Require JTI claim in tokens for revocation support | true
|
REQUIRE_TOKEN_EXPIRATION
| Require exp claim in tokens | true
|
PUBLIC_REGISTRATION_ENABLED
| Allow public user self-registration | false
|
⚙️ Project Defaults (Dev Setup)
These values differ from code defaults to provide a working local/dev setup:
Variable | Description | Default |
HOST
| Bind address | 0.0.0.0
|
MCPGATEWAY_UI_ENABLED
| Enable Admin UI dashboard | true
|
MCPGATEWAY_ADMIN_API_ENABLED
| Enable Admin API endpoints | true
|
DATABASE_URL
| SQLAlchemy connection URL | sqlite:///./mcp.db
|
SECURE_COOKIES
| Set false for HTTP (non-HTTPS) dev | true
|
📚 Full Configuration Reference
For the complete list of 300+ environment variables organized by category (authentication, caching, SSO, observability, etc.), see the Configuration Reference.
Running
Quick Reference
Command | Server | Port | Database | Use Case |
make dev
| Uvicorn | 8000 | SQLite | Development (single instance, auto-reload) |
make serve
| Gunicorn | 4444 | SQLite | Production single-node (multi-worker) |
make serve-ssl
| Gunicorn | 4444 | SQLite | Production single-node with HTTPS |
make compose-up
| Docker Compose + Nginx | 8080 | PostgreSQL + Redis | Full stack (3 replicas, load-balanced) |
make testing-up
| Docker Compose + Nginx | 8080 | PostgreSQL + Redis | Testing environment |
Development Server (Uvicorn)
make dev # Uvicorn on :8000 with auto-reload and SQLite
# or
./run.sh --reload --log debug --workers 2
run.sh is a wrapper around uvicorn that 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
|
Production Server (Gunicorn)
make serve # Gunicorn on :4444 with multiple workers
make serve-ssl # Gunicorn behind HTTPS on :4444 (uses ./certs)
Docker Compose (Full Stack)
make compose-up # Start full stack: PostgreSQL, Redis, 3 gateway replicas, Nginx on :8080
make compose-logs # Tail logs from all services
make compose-down # Stop the stack
Manual (Uvicorn)
uvicorn mcpgateway.main:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 4444 --workers 4
Cloud Deployment
MCP Gateway can be deployed to any major cloud platform:
For comprehensive deployment guides, see Deployment Documentation.
API Reference
Interactive API documentation is available when the server is running:
Quick Authentication:
# Generate a JWT token
export TOKEN=$(python3 -m mcpgateway.utils.create_jwt_token \
--username admin@example.com --exp 10080 --secret my-test-key)
# Test API access
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" http://localhost:4444/health
For comprehensive curl examples covering all endpoints, see the API Usage Guide.
Testing
make test # Run unit tests
make lint # Run all linters
make doctest # Run doctests
make coverage # Generate coverage report
See Doctest Coverage Guide for documentation testing details.
Project Structure
mcpgateway/ # Core FastAPI application
├── main.py # Entry point
├── config.py # Pydantic Settings configuration
├── db.py # SQLAlchemy ORM models
├── schemas.py # Pydantic validation schemas
├── services/ # Business logic layer (50+ services)
├── routers/ # HTTP endpoint definitions
├── middleware/ # Cross-cutting concerns
└── transports/ # SSE, WebSocket, stdio, streamable HTTP
tests/ # Test suite (400+ tests)
docs/docs/ # Full documentation (MkDocs)
charts/ # Kubernetes/Helm charts
plugins/ # Plugin framework and implementations
For complete structure, see CONTRIBUTING.md or run tree -L 2.
Development
make dev # Dev server with auto-reload (:8000)
make test # Run test suite
make lint # Run all linters
make coverage # Generate coverage report
Run make to see all 75+ available targets.
For development workflows, see:
Troubleshooting
Common issues and solutions:
Issue | Quick Fix |
SQLite "disk I/O error" on macOS | Avoid iCloud-synced directories; use ~/mcp-context-forge/data |
Port 4444 not accessible on WSL2 | Configure WSL integration in Docker Desktop |
Gateway exits immediately | Copy .env.example to .env and configure required vars |
ModuleNotFoundError
| Run make install-dev |
For detailed troubleshooting guides, see Troubleshooting Documentation.
Contributing
Fork the repo, create a feature branch.
Run make lint and fix any issues.
Keep make test green.
Open a PR with signed commits (git commit -s).
See CONTRIBUTING.md for full guidelines and Issue Guide #2502 for how to file bugs, request features, and find issues to work on.
Changelog
A complete changelog can be found here: CHANGELOG.md
License
Licensed under the Apache License 2.0 - see LICENSE
Core Authors and Maintainers
Special thanks to our contributors for helping us improve ContextForge:
Star History and Project Activity
