mcp-cisco-support

# Claude Desktop Skill Implementation Plan # Cisco Support MCP Server **Created:** 2025-10-27 **Status:** Planning Phase **Purpose:** Create a Claude Desktop skill for enhanced Cisco Support workflows --- ## Overview This document outlines the implementation plan for creating a Claude Desktop skill that provides specialized workflows and expertise for using the Cisco Support MCP Server effectively. ### Skill Benefits - **Guided Workflows**: Step-by-step assistance for common Cisco support tasks - **Best Practices**: Built-in knowledge of optimal tool usage patterns - **Context-Aware**: Automatically activates when users mention Cisco support tasks - **Progressive Enhancement**: Loads additional resources only when needed --- ## Skill Structure ### Storage Location **Project Skill** (recommended): `.claude/skills/cisco-support/` - Shared with team via git - Project-specific workflows - Maintains team consistency **Alternative - Personal Skill**: `~/.claude/skills/cisco-support/` - Individual use only - Testing and experimentation ### File Structure ``` .claude/skills/cisco-support/ ├── SKILL.md # Main skill manifest (REQUIRED) ├── reference.md # API reference and tool documentation ├── examples.md # Common usage examples ├── workflows/ │ ├── bug-investigation.md │ ├── upgrade-planning.md │ ├── security-audit.md │ └── incident-response.md └── templates/ ├── bug-report-summary.md └── upgrade-analysis-report.md ``` --- ## Key Use Cases & Workflows ### 1. Bug Investigation Workflow **Trigger:** User mentions investigating bugs, troubleshooting, or specific symptoms **Steps:** 1. Identify product and version from user description 2. Use appropriate search strategy (keyword, product ID, or series) 3. Apply multi-severity search for comprehensive results 4. Analyze results and recommend next steps 5. Provide bug IDs for detailed investigation **Tools Used:** - `search_bugs_by_keyword` - `multi_severity_search` - `get_bug_details` - `resolve_product_name` (if sampling enabled) --- ### 2. Software Upgrade Planning **Trigger:** User asks about upgrades, migration, or version comparison **Steps:** 1. Confirm current and target versions 2. Use `compare_software_versions` to analyze differences 3. Check EoX status for both versions 4. Review security advisories for target version 5. Generate upgrade risk assessment 6. Provide upgrade recommendations **Tools Used:** - `compare_software_versions` - `get_eox_by_software_release` - `get_security_advisories_by_year` - `analyze_upgrade_risk_with_ai` (if sampling enabled) --- ### 3. Security Audit Workflow **Trigger:** User mentions security review, vulnerability scan, or compliance **Steps:** 1. Identify products and versions in scope 2. Search for critical/high severity security advisories 3. Check for known CVEs affecting the products 4. Review bug database for security-related issues 5. Generate comprehensive security report 6. Provide remediation recommendations **Tools Used:** - `get_latest_security_advisories` - `get_security_advisories_by_severity` - `get_security_advisory_by_cve` - `comprehensive_analysis` --- ### 4. Incident Response **Trigger:** User reports outage, crash, or production issue **Steps:** 1. Gather product, version, and symptom information 2. Perform rapid bug search with high-priority filters 3. Check for known critical issues 4. Search for related security advisories 5. Identify workarounds or fixes 6. Provide immediate action items **Tools Used:** - `progressive_bug_search` - `multi_severity_search` (max_severity: 2) - `get_latest_security_advisories` - `categorize_bug` (if sampling enabled) --- ### 5. Product Research **Trigger:** User asks about product capabilities, specifications, or lifecycle **Steps:** 1. Resolve product name/ID from description 2. Retrieve product information and specifications 3. Check EoX status and support timeline 4. Review software suggestions 5. Check for known issues 6. Provide comprehensive product assessment **Tools Used:** - `get_product_info_by_product_ids` - `get_eox_by_product_id` - `get_software_suggestions_by_product_ids` - `product_name_resolver` --- ### 6. Case Management **Trigger:** User mentions support cases, tickets, or case tracking **Steps:** 1. Identify case IDs or search criteria 2. Retrieve case summaries or details 3. Search cases by contract or user 4. Track case status and updates 5. Provide case analysis and recommendations **Tools Used:** - `get_case_summary` - `get_case_details` - `search_cases_by_contract` - `search_cases_by_user` --- ## SKILL.md Design ### Frontmatter Configuration ```yaml --- name: cisco-support description: | Expert guidance for Cisco Support tasks including bug investigation, software upgrade planning, security audits, and incident response. Activates when users mention Cisco products, bugs, upgrades, security advisories, CVEs, CallManager, ISR, ASA, Catalyst, or support cases. Uses the Cisco Support MCP Server tools efficiently. allowed-tools: - Read - Write - Grep - Glob - mcp__cisco-support__* --- ``` ### Content Sections 1. **Introduction**: What the skill does and when it activates 2. **Available Workflows**: List of specialized workflows with brief descriptions 3. **Best Practices**: Tips for effective tool usage 4. **Common Patterns**: Frequently used tool combinations 5. **Troubleshooting**: Common issues and solutions --- ## Supporting Documentation ### reference.md **Purpose:** Comprehensive API reference for all 61 tools **Structure:** - Tool categories (Bug, Case, EoX, PSIRT, Product, Software, Serial, RMA, Sampling) - Parameter descriptions - Return value formats - Usage notes and limitations - Links to wiki documentation ### examples.md **Purpose:** Real-world usage examples for common scenarios **Structure:** - Before/after examples showing skill activation - Step-by-step workflow demonstrations - Multi-tool combinations - Handling edge cases and errors ### Workflow Files **Purpose:** Detailed step-by-step guides for complex workflows **Contents per workflow:** - Objective and use case - Prerequisites and required information - Step-by-step tool sequence - Decision trees for different scenarios - Expected outputs and next steps - Troubleshooting specific to workflow --- ## Tool Restrictions Strategy ### Recommended `allowed-tools`: ```yaml allowed-tools: - Read # Read documentation and templates - Write # Generate reports and summaries - Grep # Search through documentation - Glob # Find template files - mcp__cisco-support__* # All Cisco Support MCP tools ``` **Rationale:** - Read-only for documentation ensures safety - Write enabled for report generation - Full access to all MCP Cisco Support tools - No Bash to prevent unintended system changes --- ## Activation Triggers ### Keywords that should activate the skill: **Products:** - Cisco, CallManager, CUCM, Unity Connection, ISR, ASR, Catalyst, Nexus, ASA, Firepower, FTD **Actions:** - Bug investigation, troubleshooting, upgrade planning, security audit, vulnerability scan, incident response, case management **Entities:** - Bug ID (CSCvi*), CVE (CVE-*), advisory (cisco-sa-*), case number, product ID, serial number **Phrases:** - "Compare versions", "check for bugs", "security issues", "EoL status", "software recommendations" --- ## Testing Strategy ### Phase 1: Basic Activation - Test skill loads correctly - Verify frontmatter parsing - Confirm tool restrictions work ### Phase 2: Workflow Testing - Test each workflow independently - Verify correct tool selection - Validate output quality ### Phase 3: Integration Testing - Test skill with sampling enabled/disabled - Test with different API configurations - Test with partial tool access ### Phase 4: Edge Cases - Test with ambiguous requests - Test with missing information - Test with invalid product IDs - Test error handling --- ## Implementation Steps ### Step 1: Create Directory Structure ```bash mkdir -p .claude/skills/cisco-support/{workflows,templates} ``` ### Step 2: Write SKILL.md - Draft frontmatter with name, description, allowed-tools - Write skill introduction and overview - Document available workflows - Add best practices section - Include troubleshooting guide ### Step 3: Create reference.md - Document all 61 tools - Organize by API category - Include parameter details - Add usage examples per tool ### Step 4: Write examples.md - Create 20+ practical examples - Cover all major workflows - Include multi-tool combinations - Show error handling ### Step 5: Build Workflow Files - Create detailed workflow guides - Add decision trees - Include templates - Add troubleshooting per workflow ### Step 6: Create Templates - Bug report summary template - Upgrade analysis report template - Security audit report template - Case management report template ### Step 7: Testing - Test basic activation - Test each workflow - Test error cases - Gather feedback ### Step 8: Documentation - Update main README - Add wiki page for skill - Create usage video/guide - Add to project documentation --- ## Success Criteria ### Activation Success - ✅ Skill activates for 95%+ of relevant queries - ✅ No false positives on unrelated tasks - ✅ Loads within 2 seconds ### Workflow Success - ✅ All 6 workflows complete successfully - ✅ Correct tool selection in 90%+ of cases - ✅ Helpful error messages and recovery ### User Experience - ✅ Users prefer skill-guided workflows over manual tool selection - ✅ Reduces time to complete common tasks by 30%+ - ✅ Clear, actionable recommendations ### Quality - ✅ No tool restrictions violations - ✅ Accurate product/version identification - ✅ Comprehensive bug/security analysis --- ## Maintenance Plan ### Monthly Reviews - Review activation logs - Update trigger keywords based on usage - Add new workflows based on user requests - Update tool references for new features ### Quarterly Updates - Align with MCP server version updates - Update examples with new tools - Refresh best practices - Update documentation links ### Version Alignment - Match skill version to MCP server version - Document compatibility requirements - Update skill when new APIs added --- ## Future Enhancements ### Phase 2 Features (Post-Launch) 1. **Interactive Workflows**: Multi-turn conversations for complex tasks 2. **Progress Tracking**: Show workflow completion status 3. **Report Templates**: More sophisticated output formatting 4. **Integration Templates**: N8n, Slack, ServiceNow templates 5. **Learning Mode**: Teach users about available tools ### Advanced Features 1. **Workflow Chaining**: Connect multiple workflows automatically 2. **Smart Recommendations**: ML-based tool suggestion 3. **Custom Workflows**: User-defined workflow templates 4. **Collaboration Features**: Multi-user workflow coordination 5. **Analytics Dashboard**: Usage metrics and insights --- ## Security Considerations ### Data Handling - Never expose API credentials in skill output - Sanitize product IDs and serial numbers if sensitive - Avoid logging user-specific information - Clear guidance on public vs. private data ### Access Control - Tool restrictions prevent unintended file modifications - Read-only access to system documentation - No bash access to prevent system changes - MCP tools only access Cisco APIs ### Best Practices - Document sensitive data handling in skill - Provide data classification guidance - Include security warnings in workflows - Regular security reviews of skill content --- ## Distribution Strategy ### Internal Distribution (Phase 1) - Include in `.claude/skills/` directory - Commit to main repository - Document in README - Add setup instructions ### Plugin Distribution (Phase 2) - Package as Claude Code plugin - Publish to plugin marketplace - Maintain separate versioning - Automated updates ### Community Sharing - Publish skill template on GitHub - Create tutorial video - Write blog post about implementation - Share on social media / forums --- ## Metrics & Analytics ### Track These Metrics - Skill activation count - Workflow completion rate - Tool usage distribution - Error rate per workflow - Time saved vs. manual tool selection - User satisfaction scores ### Success Indicators - 80%+ workflow completion rate - 30%+ time savings on common tasks - 90%+ user satisfaction - <5% error rate - 100+ activations per week (after adoption) --- ## Resource Requirements ### Development Time - SKILL.md creation: 4 hours - reference.md: 6 hours - examples.md: 4 hours - Workflow files (6): 12 hours (2 hours each) - Templates (4): 4 hours (1 hour each) - Testing: 8 hours - Documentation: 4 hours **Total:** ~42 hours ### Ongoing Maintenance - Monthly review: 2 hours/month - Quarterly updates: 4 hours/quarter - Version alignment: 2 hours per MCP server release --- ## Dependencies ### Required - Claude Desktop with skill support - Cisco Support MCP Server (v1.14.0+) - Valid Cisco API credentials - Git for version control ### Optional - MCP Sampling enabled for AI-powered features - Progress notifications support - Full API access (SUPPORT_API=all) --- ## Risk Mitigation ### Risk: Skill doesn't activate **Mitigation:** Comprehensive trigger keyword list, clear description, testing ### Risk: Wrong tool selection **Mitigation:** Detailed tool descriptions in reference.md, workflow validation ### Risk: Tool restrictions too limiting **Mitigation:** Iterative testing, user feedback, allow necessary tools ### Risk: Poor user adoption **Mitigation:** Clear documentation, training materials, example videos ### Risk: Maintenance burden **Mitigation:** Modular design, automation where possible, regular schedules --- ## Timeline ### Week 1: Setup & Core Development - Day 1-2: Create directory structure, draft SKILL.md - Day 3-4: Write reference.md with all tool documentation - Day 5: Create examples.md with 20+ examples ### Week 2: Workflows & Templates - Day 1-2: Build bug investigation and upgrade planning workflows - Day 3: Build security audit and incident response workflows - Day 4: Build product research and case management workflows - Day 5: Create all report templates ### Week 3: Testing & Refinement - Day 1-2: Basic activation and workflow testing - Day 3: Integration testing with different configurations - Day 4: Edge case testing and bug fixes - Day 5: User acceptance testing ### Week 4: Documentation & Launch - Day 1-2: Write comprehensive documentation - Day 3: Create usage guide and video - Day 4: Update project README and wiki - Day 5: Launch and monitor initial usage --- ## Success Story **Vision:** A network engineer types: "Help me investigate CallManager crashes happening after upgrade to 14.0" **Skill Activates and:** 1. Recognizes this is a bug investigation workflow 2. Identifies product: Cisco Unified Communications Manager 3. Identifies version: 14.0 4. Searches for crash-related bugs in CUCM 14.0 5. Applies multi-severity search for comprehensive results 6. Analyzes top critical/high severity bugs 7. Provides formatted summary with bug IDs, descriptions, and workarounds 8. Recommends specific actions based on findings 9. Offers to generate detailed bug report **Result:** Engineer has actionable information in <2 minutes instead of 15+ minutes of manual searching. --- ## Conclusion This skill will transform how users interact with the Cisco Support MCP Server by: - Reducing cognitive load (skill knows best practices) - Accelerating common workflows (guided step-by-step) - Improving tool usage (optimal tool selection) - Enhancing output quality (structured reports and summaries) The modular design ensures maintainability, while comprehensive testing guarantees reliability. --- ## Next Steps 1. ✅ Review and approve this implementation plan 2. Create `.claude/skills/cisco-support/` directory 3. Begin SKILL.md development 4. Implement reference.md and examples.md 5. Build workflow files 6. Create templates 7. Test thoroughly 8. Document and launch --- **Document Version:** 1.0 **Created By:** Claude Code **Last Updated:** 2025-10-27 **Status:** Awaiting approval to begin implementation