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MCPs (Model Context Protocol)

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that lets AI applications use external data sources and tools in a consistent way. In Wanclouds AI, MCP is used to connect external MCP servers (monitoring, logging, custom tools) to the platform, expose their capabilities to the AI Assistant or directly to Chat, and use one protocol for both built-in integrations (e.g. AWS CloudWatch, SolarWinds) and custom MCP servers you host yourself.

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Once added and enabled, MCPs can be used with an AI Assistant (as part of the assistant's environment or in MCP Only mode) or standalone in Chat (interacting directly with one or more MCP servers without an assistant).

What is MCP?​

MCP lets you:

  • Connect external MCP servers – Monitoring, logging, or custom tools
  • Expose their capabilities – Tools and resources become available to the AI Assistant or to chat
  • Use a single protocol – The same integration approach for built-in services (e.g. AWS CloudWatch, SolarWinds) and custom MCP servers you host

MCP Use Cases​

Use MCP when you need to:

  • Extend your AI Assistant's capabilities – Connect built-in MCPs (CloudWatch, SolarWinds) or custom MCP servers to bring external tools and data into the AI Assistant or Chat
  • Use "MCP Only" mode for an assistant – Build an assistant that relies only on external MCP servers (no on-prem or cloud infrastructure). The assistant's behavior is driven by the tools and resources exposed by the selected MCPs
  • Chat directly with MCP tools – Skip the assistant and interact directly with one or more MCP servers. Useful for running tools, querying data, or automating tasks without configuring an agent
  • Add custom or third-party MCP servers – Connect any MCP-compatible server (your own or from the ecosystem) via Custom MCP using SSE/HTTP or Stdio
MCPs interface

MCP Types​

TypeSummary
AWS CloudWatchCloudWatch monitoring, metrics, alarms, and log queries. Requires AWS credentials and region.
SolarWindsSolarWinds Observability monitoring data. Requires an API token.
Custom MCPAny MCP-compatible server you host (SSE/HTTP or Stdio).
  • Built-in (catalogue): Predefined MCPs (e.g. CloudWatch, SolarWinds) that Wanclouds AI provides out of the box.
  • External: Custom MCPs or any server you add by URL/command; configured via Custom MCP.

Next steps​