Cisco Support MCP Server

A production-ready TypeScript MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for Cisco Support APIs with comprehensive security and dual transport support. This extensible server provides access to multiple Cisco Support APIs including Bug Search, Case Management, and End-of-Life information.

🚀 Current Features

• Multi-API Support: 8 Cisco Support APIs fully implemented (46 total tools)

• OAuth 2.1 Server: ✨ Production-grade authentication with fine-grained scope-based access control

• ElicitationRequest Support: Dynamic user interaction for gathering missing parameters

• Triple Auth Modes: stdio (no auth), Bearer token (simple), OAuth 2.1 (production)

• Configurable API Access: Enable only the Cisco Support APIs you have access to

• Specialized Prompts: 9 workflow prompts for guided Cisco support scenarios

• Dual Transport: stdio (local MCP clients) and HTTP (remote server with auth)

• OAuth2 Authentication: Automatic token management with Cisco API

• Real-time Updates: Server-Sent Events for HTTP mode

• TypeScript: Full type safety and MCP SDK integration

• Production Security: Helmet, CORS, input validation, PKCE, scope validation

• Docker Support: Containerized deployment with OAuth config volume mounts

• Comprehensive Logging: Structured logging with timestamps

📊 Supported Cisco APIs

The server supports the following Cisco Support APIs (configurable via SUPPORT_API environment variable):

Implementation Status: 8/8 Core APIs complete (100%) with 46 total tools + 1 experimental API (8 tools)

Configuration Examples:

• SUPPORT_API=enhanced_analysis - Enhanced analysis tools only (6 tools) ← RECOMMENDED for most users

• SUPPORT_API=bug - All Bug API tools including enhanced analysis (14 tools)

• SUPPORT_API=bug,case,eox,psirt - Core support APIs (28 tools)

• SUPPORT_API=bug,case,eox,psirt,product,software - All implemented APIs (39 tools)

• SUPPORT_API=all - All available APIs (includes 2 placeholder APIs)

Quick Start

NPX Installation (Recommended)

Start in stdio mode for Claude Desktop:

Start HTTP server with authentication:

Generate Bearer token for HTTP mode:

Get help and see all options:

Environment Setup

1. Generate authentication token (for HTTP mode):

   npx mcp-cisco-support --generate-token export MCP_BEARER_TOKEN=<generated_token>

2. Set Cisco API credentials:

   export CISCO_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id_here export CISCO_CLIENT_SECRET=your_client_secret_here export SUPPORT_API=bug,case,eox,psirt,product,software # All implemented APIs (recommended)

3. Start the server:

   # For Claude Desktop (stdio mode) npx mcp-cisco-support # For HTTP access (with authentication) npx mcp-cisco-support --http

Local Development

Claude Desktop Integration

Prerequisites

1. Get Cisco API Credentials:

   • Visit Cisco API Console

   • Create an application and get your Client ID and Secret

   • Ensure the application has access to the Bug API

2. Install Claude Desktop:

   • Download from Claude.ai

   • Make sure you're using a recent version that supports MCP

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Locate Claude Desktop Config File:

   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

2. Create or Edit the Config File:

   { "mcpServers": { "cisco-support": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "mcp-cisco-support"], "env": { "CISCO_CLIENT_ID": "your_client_id_here", "CISCO_CLIENT_SECRET": "your_client_secret_here", "SUPPORT_API": "bug,product" } } } }

   Note: The -y flag automatically accepts package installation, which is required for Claude Desktop since it runs in the background without user interaction.

   Optional Environment Variables:

   Configure which APIs to enable with SUPPORT_API:

   • "enhanced_analysis" - Enhanced analysis tools only (recommended for most users)

   • "bug" - Bug API only (default)

   • "bug,product" - Bug + Product APIs (enables product autocomplete)

   • "all" - All available APIs

   • "bug,case,eox" - Multiple specific APIs

   Product Autocomplete (optional, requires SUPPORT_API to include product):

   "env": { "CISCO_CLIENT_ID": "your_client_id_here", "CISCO_CLIENT_SECRET": "your_client_secret_here", "SUPPORT_API": "bug,product", "CISCO_WEB_COOKIE": "JSESSIONID=...; OptanonConsent=..." }

   See the Product Autocomplete section for setup instructions.

3. Replace Your Credentials:

   • Replace your_client_id_here with your actual Cisco Client ID

   • Replace your_client_secret_here with your actual Cisco Client Secret

4. Restart Claude Desktop:

   • Close Claude Desktop completely

   • Reopen the application

   • The MCP server will be automatically loaded

Verification

After setup, you should be able to:

1. Ask Claude about Cisco bugs:

   "Search for bugs related to memory leaks in Cisco switches"

2. Get specific bug details:

   "Get details for Cisco bug CSCab12345"

3. Search by product:

   "Find bugs affecting Cisco Catalyst 3560 switches"

Example Usage in Claude Desktop

Once configured, you can ask Claude questions like:

• Basic Bug Search:

  • "Search for recent bugs related to 'crash' in Cisco products"

  • "Find open bugs with severity 1 or 2"

  • "Show me bugs modified in the last 30 days"

• Product-Specific Searches:

  • "Find bugs for product ID C9200-24P"

  • "Search for bugs in Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series affecting release 17.5.1"

  • "Show bugs fixed in software release 17.5.2"

• Bug Details:

  • "Get full details for bug CSCab12345"

  • "Show me information about bugs CSCab12345,CSCcd67890"

• Advanced Filtering:

  • "Find resolved bugs with severity 3 modified after 2023-01-01"

  • "Search for bugs in 'Cisco ASR 9000 Series' sorted by severity"

  • "Can you show me all the cisco bugs in the last 30 days for the product Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CallManager)?" (uses keyword search)

  • "Find bugs for Cisco Unified Communications Manager affecting releases 14.0 and 15.0" (uses product series search)

Claude will use the appropriate MCP tools to fetch real-time data from Cisco's Bug API and provide comprehensive responses with the latest information.

MCP Prompts

The server includes 10+ specialized prompts for guided Cisco support workflows:

• 🔍 cisco-high-severity-search - Search high-severity bugs by product or serial number

• 🚨 cisco-incident-investigation - Investigate symptoms and errors

• 🔄 cisco-upgrade-planning - Research issues before upgrades

• 🔧 cisco-maintenance-prep - Prepare for maintenance windows

• 🔒 cisco-security-advisory - Research security vulnerabilities

• ⚠️ cisco-known-issues - Check for software release issues

• 📋 cisco-case-investigation - Investigate support cases

• ⏰ cisco-lifecycle-planning - End-of-life planning

• 🎯 cisco-smart-search - Intelligent search with automatic refinement

• ✨ cisco-interactive-search - Interactive search with elicitation

Serial Number Support: Most prompts now accept either a product name OR a serial number. When you provide a serial number (e.g., "SAL09232Q0Z"), the server automatically looks up the product details and uses them for the search. This makes it easy to investigate issues when you have a device serial number but don't know the exact product model.

Each prompt provides structured investigation plans and expert recommendations.

Interactive Search with Elicitation

The cisco-interactive-search prompt demonstrates MCP's elicitation feature, allowing the server to dynamically request additional information from users during tool execution. This makes searches more natural and helps gather missing parameters without restarting requests.

Example Usage:

See examples/elicitation-example.md for detailed usage examples and ⚡ MCP Prompts for complete prompt documentation.

🔍 MCP Resources - Product Autocomplete

The server exposes Cisco data as MCP Resources for direct client access. This includes a new Product Autocomplete feature that lets you search Cisco's internal product catalog using your browser session cookie.

Available Product Resources

When SUPPORT_API includes product, the following resources are available:

Resource Templates (dynamic URIs):

• cisco://products/{product_id} - Get product details by ID (e.g., C9300-24P, ISR4431)

• cisco://products/autocomplete/{search_term} - ✨ NEW: Search product catalog by name or model

Static Resources:

• cisco://products/catalog - Product catalog overview

• cisco://products/autocomplete-help - ✨ NEW: Setup instructions for product autocomplete

Product Autocomplete Setup

The product autocomplete feature requires your Cisco.com session cookie to access Cisco's internal API.

Quick Setup:

1. Log in to Cisco:

   • Visit https://bst.cloudapps.cisco.com/

   • Log in with your Cisco account

2. Extract Your Cookie:

   • Open browser DevTools (F12)

   • Go to Application/Storage > Cookies

   • Select https://bst.cloudapps.cisco.com

   • Copy all cookie values

3. Set Environment Variable:

   export CISCO_WEB_COOKIE="JSESSIONID=...; OptanonConsent=...; ..."

4. Query Products:

   cisco://products/autocomplete/4431 cisco://products/autocomplete/catalyst cisco://products/autocomplete/ASA

Cookie Lifecycle:

• Typical Validity: 24 hours

• Recommended Refresh: Daily before heavy use

• Expiration Signs: 401/403 errors, "Cookie expired" messages

For detailed setup instructions, query the help resource:

Example Response

Query: cisco://products/autocomplete/4431

Security Best Practices

• ✅ Never commit cookies - they're like passwords

• ✅ Use .env file - already in .gitignore

• ✅ Refresh regularly - cookies expire after ~24 hours

• ✅ Monitor activity - check your Cisco account

• ✅ Use dedicated account - not your primary login

Usage in Claude Desktop

Ask Claude:

• "Show me the help for product autocomplete"

• "Search for Cisco product 4431 using autocomplete"

• "What is the full name of product ISR4431?"

• "Find products matching 'catalyst switch'"

See docs/PRODUCT_AUTOCOMPLETE_SOLUTIONS.md for implementation details and docs/CISCO_COOKIE_ANALYSIS.md for cookie lifecycle information.

⚠️ Smart Bonding Customer API (EXPERIMENTAL/UNTESTED)

The server includes experimental support for Cisco's Smart Bonding Customer API for ticket management and problem code classification. This feature is UNTESTED and requires special credentials obtained through your Cisco Account Manager.

Smart Bonding Features

Available Tools (8 total):

• get_smart_bonding_tsp_codes - Retrieve TSP (Technology, Sub-Technology, Problem Code) details for ticket classification

• pull_smart_bonding_tickets - Retrieve ticket updates from Cisco that haven't been pulled yet

• create_smart_bonding_ticket - Create a new support ticket (returns upload credentials in response)

• update_smart_bonding_ticket - Add work notes and update ticket status

• upload_file_to_smart_bonding_ticket - Upload files using credentials from ticket creation (HTTPS PUT to cxd.cisco.com)

• escalate_smart_bonding_ticket - Escalate critical issues to Cisco

• resolve_smart_bonding_ticket - Mark tickets as resolved with resolution notes

• close_smart_bonding_ticket - Close completed tickets with diagnosis and solution

File Upload Process

Smart Bonding uses a separate upload mechanism from the REST API:

1. Create ticket → Response includes upload credentials (Field80-82)

2. Save credentials → Cannot be retrieved later!

3. Upload files → Use upload_file_to_smart_bonding_ticket tool or curl

4. 72-day expiration → Token expires 72 days after creation

Upload credentials provided in ticket creation response:

• Field80: Upload domain (e.g., cxd.cisco.com)

• Field81: Authentication token (password)

• Field82: Token expiration timestamp

Files cannot be modified after upload - submit new files for corrections.

Authentication Differences

Smart Bonding API uses a different authentication system than standard Cisco Support APIs:

Configuration

1. Obtain Credentials - Contact your Cisco Account Manager to request Smart Bonding API access

2. Set Environment Variables:

   export SMART_BONDING_CLIENT_ID=your_smart_bonding_client_id export SMART_BONDING_CLIENT_SECRET=your_smart_bonding_client_secret export SMART_BONDING_ENV=production # or 'staging' for test environment export SUPPORT_API=smart_bonding # Enable Smart Bonding API

3. Use Smart Bonding Tools:

   • Get TSP codes for ticket classification

   • Pull new ticket updates

   • Create/update tickets with standardized problem categorization

Important Notes

• ⚠️ EXPERIMENTAL/UNTESTED - This implementation has not been tested with live Smart Bonding credentials

• ⚠️ Separate Credentials Required - Smart Bonding uses different OAuth2 credentials than standard Support APIs

• ⚠️ Not Included in - Must be explicitly enabled with SUPPORT_API=smart_bonding

• ⚠️ Special Access Required - Contact Cisco Account Manager for credential provisioning

• Base URLs differ for staging vs production environments

• Supports correlation IDs for end-to-end request traceability

Example Usage

For complete implementation details and API architecture, see SMART_BONDING_IMPLEMENTATION.md.

Screenshots

Claude Desktop Integration

Claude Desktop successfully connected to the Cisco Support MCP server, demonstrating the bug search functionality with real-time responses from Cisco's Bug API.

MCP Inspector

MCP Inspector v0.14.0+ showing the available tools and server connectivity testing capabilities.

Alternative Installation Methods

Global Installation

If you prefer to install globally instead of using npx:

Then use this config:

Local Installation

For development or custom setups:

Then use this config:

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. "Command not found" errors:

   • Ensure Node.js 18+ is installed

   • Try global installation: npm install -g mcp-cisco-support

   • Verify the path in your config file

2. Authentication failures:

   • Double-check your Client ID and Secret

   • Ensure your Cisco API app has Bug API access

   • Check for typos in the config file

3. MCP server not loading:

   • Restart Claude Desktop completely

   • Check the config file syntax with a JSON validator

   • Look for Claude Desktop logs/error messages

4. Permission errors:

   • Ensure the config file is readable

   • On macOS/Linux, check file permissions: chmod 644 claude_desktop_config.json

Debugging

1. Test the server manually:

   npx mcp-cisco-support

   This should start the server in stdio mode without errors.

2. Validate your config: Use a JSON validator to ensure your config file is properly formatted.

3. Check Claude Desktop logs:

   • Look for MCP-related error messages in Claude Desktop

   • The app usually shows connection status for MCP servers

   Monitor logs in real-time (macOS):

   # Follow logs in real-time tail -n 20 -F ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log

   On Windows:

   # Check logs directory %APPDATA%\Claude\logs\

Getting Help

• Issues: GitHub Issues

• Cisco API: Cisco Developer Documentation

• MCP Protocol: Model Context Protocol

Docker Deployment

🔐 Security

• stdio mode: No authentication (Claude Desktop, local clients)

• HTTP mode: Bearer token authentication required

See 🔒 Security Guide for complete security documentation.

Configuration

Environment Variables

Create a .env file with your configuration:

OAuth 2.1 Authentication (Advanced)

For production-grade authentication with fine-grained access control, use OAuth 2.1 mode:

Quick Start

Configuration Files

config/oauth-clients.json - Client configuration (can be version controlled):

config/oauth-secrets.json - Client secrets (gitignored, never commit):

OAuth Scopes

Control API access with fine-grained scopes:

Best Practice: Grant only the scopes each application needs (principle of least privilege).

Environment Variables

Point to custom config file locations:

OAuth Endpoints

When running in OAuth 2.1 mode, the server provides:

• GET /.well-known/oauth-authorization-server - OAuth discovery metadata

• GET /authorize - Authorization endpoint (displays consent page)

• POST /authorize/approve - Authorization approval

• POST /token - Token endpoint (PKCE required)

• POST /register - Dynamic client registration (if enabled)

See docs/OAUTH_CLIENTS_CONFIG.md for complete OAuth 2.1 documentation.

Claude Desktop Integration

Complete configuration for Claude Desktop:

Docker Configuration

Option 1: Bearer Token Authentication

Option 2: OAuth 2.1 Authentication (Production)

Option 3: Without Authentication (Development Only)

Docker Compose with OAuth 2.1:

API Endpoints

📚 Documentation

For detailed information, see our comprehensive GitHub Wiki:

• 📋 Available Tools - Complete reference for all 46 MCP tools across 8 APIs

• 🔧 Advanced Configuration - Environment variables and deployment options

• 🔒 Security Guide - Authentication, tokens, and security best practices

• 🚀 Docker Deployment - Containerized deployment and production setup

• 🌐 SSE Integration - Server-Sent Events and real-time communication

• 🧪 Testing Framework - Comprehensive testing and validation

• 🔧 Development Guide - Contributing, architecture, and API development

• 🚨 Troubleshooting Guide - Common issues and debugging

• ⚡ MCP Prompts - Guided workflows for Cisco support scenarios

Usage Examples

cURL Examples

JavaScript Client Example

Health Monitoring

The server provides a comprehensive health check endpoint:

Response includes:

• Server status

• OAuth2 token status

• Memory usage

• Uptime

• Active SSE connections

Security Features

• Helmet: Security headers

• CORS: Cross-origin resource sharing

• Input Validation: Schema-based validation

• Non-root Execution: Docker security

• Environment Variables: Secure credential storage

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. OAuth2 Authentication Failed

   • Verify CISCO_CLIENT_ID and CISCO_CLIENT_SECRET

   • Check network connectivity to https://id.cisco.com

2. API Calls Failing

   • Check token validity at /health

   • Verify network access to https://apix.cisco.com

3. Docker Issues

   • Ensure environment variables are set

   • Check Docker logs: docker-compose logs

Logs

Structured JSON logs include:

• Timestamp

• Log level (info, error, warn)

• Message

• Additional context data

Testing

Running Tests

Test Structure

The test suite includes:

• Authentication Tests (tests/auth.test.js): OAuth2 authentication, token management, error handling

• MCP Tools Tests (tests/mcp-tools.test.js): All 8 MCP tools, error handling, pagination

• Setup (tests/setup.js): Test environment configuration

Recent Test Fixes

The following issues were identified and resolved in the test suite:

✅ Fixed Issues

1. Token Refresh Logic

   • Problem: Token expiry calculation was incorrect in getValidToken()

   • Solution: Fixed condition to properly check if token is within refresh margin

   • Impact: Proper token caching and refresh behavior

2. Multiple Bug IDs Handling

   • Problem: State leakage between tests causing mock sequence mismatches

   • Solution: Implemented resetServerState() function for proper cleanup

   • Impact: Consistent test results across multiple runs

3. Search Tools Implementation

   • Problem: Same state management issue affecting keyword search and other tools

   • Solution: Proper server state reset between tests

   • Impact: All 8 MCP tools now work correctly

4. Error Handling

   • Problem: API errors and network timeouts not properly converted to MCP error responses

   • Solution: Enhanced error handling in handleMCPMessage() function

   • Impact: Proper error responses for client applications

5. Authentication Failure Scenarios

   • Problem: Health endpoint returning 200 instead of 503 on auth failures

   • Solution: Module cache clearing and proper state isolation

   • Impact: Correct health status reporting

6. Test State Management

   • Problem: Module-level variables persisting between tests

   • Solution: Added resetServerState() export and proper module cache clearing

   • Impact: True test isolation and reliable test results

Test Configuration

• Jest: Using Jest with --forceExit flag for main test runs

• State Reset: Each test gets a fresh server instance with clean state

• Mock Management: Proper fetch mocking with correct sequence handling

• Test Isolation: Module cache clearing prevents state leakage

Key Implementation Details

• Native fetch: Uses Node.js native fetch instead of external libraries

• Token Management: 12-hour token validity with 30-minute refresh margin

• Error Handling: Comprehensive error handling with proper MCP error responses

• Security: Helmet security headers, CORS support, input validation

• Logging: Structured JSON logging with timestamps

Development

Project Structure

Development Commands

Performance Considerations

• Token caching reduces API calls

• Pagination limits results to 10 per page

• SSE heartbeat every 30 seconds keeps connections alive

• Request timeout set to 30 seconds

Security Notes

• Never commit .env file to version control

• Use environment variables for all secrets

• Review Cisco API usage limits and terms

• Monitor logs for suspicious activity

API Reference

Authentication

• OAuth2 URL: https://id.cisco.com/oauth2/default/v1/token

• Grant Type: client_credentials

• Token Validity: 12 hours

• Auto-refresh: 30 minutes before expiry

Bug API Base URL

• Base URL: https://apix.cisco.com/bug/v2.0

MCP Protocol

The server implements the Model Context Protocol with these methods:

• initialize: Initialize MCP connection

• tools/list: List available tools

• tools/call: Execute a tool

Example MCP message:

Health Monitoring

The server provides a comprehensive health check endpoint:

Response includes server status, OAuth2 token status, memory usage, uptime, and active connections.

Testing

Comprehensive Jest-based testing framework with:

• ✅ 46/46 tools tested - All MCP tools across 8 APIs

• ✅ Mock & Real API testing - Unit tests with mocks + integration tests with live APIs

• ✅ Individual tool testing - Standalone test runner for development

See 🧪 Testing Framework for complete testing documentation.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository

2. Create a feature branch

3. Make your changes

4. Add tests for new functionality

5. Ensure all tests pass: npm test

6. Submit a pull request

Support

Resources

• 📖 Complete Documentation - Comprehensive project documentation

• 📚 Wiki - Detailed guides and troubleshooting

• 🐛 Issues - Report bugs and request features

External Resources

• 🔧 Cisco Developer Documentation - Official API documentation

• 🔒 Cisco PSIRT Documentation - Security vulnerability API documentation

• 💬 Cisco Services Discussions - Community support and API discussions

• 🌐 MCP Protocol - Model Context Protocol specification