JakartaMigration

# MCP Server Hosting Platform Analysis ## Executive Summary After researching hosting options for the Jakarta Migration MCP Server, **Apify is NOT the ideal platform** for hosting a standalone MCP server. Apify's MCP server (`mcp.apify.com`) is designed to expose Apify platform tools (Actors, storage, docs), not to host arbitrary MCP servers. ## Current Situation ### What We Have - **Jakarta Migration MCP Server**: A Spring Boot Java application that exposes MCP tools via: - STDIO transport (for local use) - SSE transport (HTTP-based, deprecated) - Streamable HTTP transport (HTTP-based, recommended) ### What We Need - A hosting platform that can: 1. Run a Java 21+ Spring Boot application 2. Expose HTTP endpoints (for Streamable HTTP/SSE) 3. Handle MCP protocol requests 4. Scale automatically 5. Provide authentication/authorization 6. Support billing/monetization (optional) ## Apify Analysis ### ✅ What Apify IS Good For - **Web Scraping & Automation**: Apify's core strength is web scraping and automation tasks - **Actor Marketplace**: Great for publishing and monetizing automation scripts - **Apify MCP Server**: Provides tools to interact with Apify platform (search actors, call actors, etc.) ### ❌ What Apify IS NOT Good For - **Hosting Standalone MCP Servers**: Apify's MCP server is a gateway to Apify platform, not a hosting service for arbitrary MCP servers - **Java Application Hosting**: Apify is optimized for Node.js/Python Actors, not Java Spring Boot applications - **Direct MCP Tool Exposure**: The Jakarta Migration tools aren't directly exposed; they'd need to be wrapped as an Actor ### Current Apify Setup Issues 1. **Tool Exposure Problem**: When connecting to `https://mcp.apify.com`, you get Apify platform tools (search-actors, call-actor), not Jakarta migration tools 2. **Architecture Mismatch**: Our MCP server is a Spring Boot app, but Apify expects Actors (Node.js/Python scripts) 3. **Deployment Complexity**: We'd need to wrap our Java app as an Actor, adding unnecessary complexity ## Alternative Hosting Platforms ### Option 1: Railway ⭐ (Recommended) **Pros:** - ✅ Excellent Java/Spring Boot support - ✅ Simple deployment (GitHub integration) - ✅ Automatic HTTPS/SSL - ✅ Built-in environment variables - ✅ Free tier available ($5/month credit) - ✅ Easy scaling - ✅ Custom domains - ✅ Good documentation **Cons:** - ❌ No built-in MCP marketplace - ❌ Need to handle billing separately **Pricing:** - Free tier: $5/month credit - Hobby: $5/month + usage - Pro: $20/month + usage **Best For:** Simple, straightforward hosting of Spring Boot MCP servers **Deployment:** ```bash # Railway CLI railway init railway up ``` **URL Format:** ``` https://jakarta-migration-mcp.railway.app/mcp/streamable-http ``` --- ### Option 2: Render ⭐ (Recommended) **Pros:** - ✅ Excellent Java/Spring Boot support - ✅ Free tier (with limitations) - ✅ Automatic HTTPS/SSL - ✅ GitHub integration - ✅ Easy deployment - ✅ Custom domains - ✅ Good documentation **Cons:** - ❌ Free tier spins down after inactivity - ❌ No built-in MCP marketplace **Pricing:** - Free tier: Available (with limitations) - Starter: $7/month - Professional: $25/month **Best For:** Free/low-cost hosting with good Java support **Deployment:** ```yaml # render.yaml services: - type: web name: jakarta-migration-mcp env: java buildCommand: ./gradlew bootJar startCommand: java -jar build/libs/jakarta-migration-mcp-1.0.0-SNAPSHOT.jar --spring.profiles.active=mcp-streamable-http ``` **URL Format:** ``` https://jakarta-migration-mcp.onrender.com/mcp/streamable-http ``` --- ### Option 3: Fly.io ⭐ (Recommended) **Pros:** - ✅ Excellent Java support - ✅ Global edge deployment - ✅ Free tier available - ✅ Docker-based (flexible) - ✅ Good performance - ✅ Custom domains **Cons:** - ❌ Slightly more complex setup - ❌ No built-in MCP marketplace **Pricing:** - Free tier: 3 shared VMs - Paid: $1.94/month per VM **Best For:** Global deployment with edge locations **Deployment:** ```dockerfile # Dockerfile FROM eclipse-temurin:21-jre COPY build/libs/*.jar app.jar ENTRYPOINT ["java", "-jar", "app.jar", "--spring.profiles.active=mcp-streamable-http"] ``` **URL Format:** ``` https://jakarta-migration-mcp.fly.dev/mcp/streamable-http ``` --- ### Option 4: AWS/GCP/Azure **Pros:** - ✅ Enterprise-grade infrastructure - ✅ Highly scalable - ✅ Many services available - ✅ Good for enterprise customers **Cons:** - ❌ Complex setup - ❌ Higher costs - ❌ Steeper learning curve - ❌ Overkill for MCP servers **Best For:** Enterprise deployments with specific requirements --- ### Option 5: Heroku **Pros:** - ✅ Simple deployment - ✅ Good Java support - ✅ Add-ons ecosystem **Cons:** - ❌ Expensive ($7/month minimum) - ❌ No free tier anymore - ❌ Limited free tier features **Best For:** Legacy deployments (not recommended for new projects) --- ### Option 6: Self-Hosted (VPS) **Pros:** - ✅ Full control - ✅ No platform limitations - ✅ Can be cost-effective at scale **Cons:** - ❌ Need to manage infrastructure - ❌ SSL/HTTPS setup required - ❌ Scaling is manual - ❌ Security maintenance **Best For:** Enterprise deployments with dedicated DevOps --- ## Comparison Matrix | Platform | Java Support | Free Tier | Ease of Setup | Cost | MCP Marketplace | Recommendation | |----------|-------------|-----------|---------------|------|-----------------|----------------| | **Glama** | ⚠️ Via Docker | ⚠️ Unknown | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Unknown | ✅ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (needs verification) | | **Railway** | ✅ Excellent | ✅ $5/mo credit | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Low | ❌ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | | **Render** | ✅ Excellent | ✅ Limited | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Low | ❌ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | | **Fly.io** | ✅ Excellent | ✅ 3 VMs | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Low | ❌ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | | **Apify** | ⚠️ Via Actor | ✅ Limited | ⭐⭐ | Medium | ✅ | ⭐⭐ | | **AWS/GCP** | ✅ Excellent | ⚠️ Complex | ⭐⭐ | High | ❌ | ⭐⭐⭐ | | **Heroku** | ✅ Good | ❌ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | High | ❌ | ⭐⭐ | ## Recommendation ### Primary Recommendation: **Railway** or **Render** **Why:** 1. **Perfect Fit**: Designed for hosting web applications (including Spring Boot) 2. **Easy Deployment**: GitHub integration, automatic deployments 3. **Cost-Effective**: Free tier or low-cost options 4. **Java Native**: Built-in Java support, no workarounds needed 5. **HTTPS Included**: Automatic SSL certificates 6. **Simple Configuration**: Just point to your GitHub repo ### Secondary Recommendation: **Fly.io** **Why:** - Good for global edge deployment - Docker-based (more flexible) - Good performance ### Not Recommended: **Apify** **Why:** 1. **Wrong Use Case**: Apify is for web scraping/automation, not hosting MCP servers 2. **Architecture Mismatch**: Our Spring Boot app doesn't fit Apify's Actor model 3. **Complexity**: Would need to wrap Java app as Actor 4. **Tool Exposure**: Tools aren't directly exposed as MCP tools ## Migration Path from Apify If we decide to migrate from Apify: ### Step 1: Choose Platform - **Railway** (recommended) or **Render** ### Step 2: Deploy ```bash # Railway railway init railway link railway up # Or Render # Connect GitHub repo via Render dashboard ``` ### Step 3: Configure Environment - Set environment variables (license keys, etc.) - Configure domain (optional) - Set up monitoring ### Step 4: Update Documentation - Update README with new URL - Update MCP client configurations - Update pricing/billing information ### Step 5: Test - Test MCP client connections - Verify all tools work - Test authentication ## Glama Analysis ⭐ (NEW - Needs Verification) ### What We Know About Glama **Features:** - ✅ **MCP Marketplace**: Built-in directory for discovering MCP servers - ✅ **Docker Support**: `glama.json` supports Docker image configuration - ✅ **Ownership Management**: Claim ownership via `glama.json` file - ✅ **Usage Reports**: Access to server usage analytics - ✅ **Review System**: Users can review MCP servers **Key Question: Does Glama Actually Host MCP Servers?** Based on research, Glama appears to support: - Docker image configuration in `glama.json` - Infrastructure for running MCP servers - Marketplace for discovery and distribution **However, this needs verification:** - Does Glama provide hosting infrastructure, or just a directory? - What are the hosting costs/pricing? - How does Docker deployment work on Glama? ### Glama Configuration Your `glama.json` already supports Docker: ```json { "$schema": "https://glama.ai/mcp/schemas/server.json", "maintainers": ["adrianmikula"], "docker": { "image": "your-docker-image" } } ``` **Next Steps to Verify:** 1. Check Glama documentation for hosting details 2. Verify if Glama provides infrastructure or just marketplace 3. Compare pricing with Railway/Render if hosting is available ## MCP Marketplace Alternatives ### Option 1: Glama ⭐ (Potential Hosting + Marketplace) - **Purpose**: MCP server directory/marketplace + potentially hosting - **Use Case**: List your MCP server for discovery, possibly host it - **Hosting**: ⚠️ **Needs verification** - may provide hosting infrastructure - **Setup**: Add `glama.json` to your repo (✅ already done) - **Docker**: Supports Docker image configuration ### Option 2: MCP Hub / Smithery - Similar to Glama - Directory for MCP servers - You host separately ### Option 3: Self-Promotion - GitHub README - MCP community forums - Social media ## Conclusion **Apify is NOT the right platform** for hosting the Jakarta Migration MCP Server because: 1. It's designed for web scraping/automation, not hosting MCP servers 2. Our Spring Boot app doesn't fit Apify's Actor model 3. Tools aren't directly exposed as MCP tools 4. More complex than necessary **Recommended Path:** **Option A: If Glama Provides Hosting** ⭐ (Needs Verification) 1. **Host on Glama** (if hosting is available - includes marketplace) 2. **Configure Docker image** in `glama.json` 3. **Leverage built-in marketplace** for discovery **Option B: If Glama is Directory Only** (Current Assumption) 1. **Host on Railway or Render** (simple, cost-effective, perfect fit) 2. **List on Glama** (for discovery - already set up with `glama.json`) 3. **Keep Apify for other use cases** (if needed for web scraping/automation) **Next Step: Verify Glama's hosting capabilities** ## Next Steps 1. ✅ Research complete 2. ⏳ Choose hosting platform (Railway or Render recommended) 3. ⏳ Set up deployment 4. ⏳ Test MCP client connections 5. ⏳ Update documentation 6. ⏳ Migrate from Apify (if currently deployed there) ## References - [Railway Documentation](https://docs.railway.app/) - [Render Documentation](https://render.com/docs) - [Fly.io Documentation](https://fly.io/docs/) - [Apify MCP Server Docs](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp) - [Glama MCP Directory](https://glama.ai) - [MCP Specification](https://modelcontextprotocol.io)