deploy¶

Deploy MCP server templates with comprehensive configuration options and deployment strategies.

Synopsis¶

mcp-template deploy TEMPLATE [OPTIONS]

Description¶

The deploy command is the core functionality of MCP Templates, allowing you to deploy MCP server templates with extensive configuration options. It supports multiple configuration sources, deployment backends, and provides zero-configuration deployment for quick starts.

Arguments¶

Argument	Description
`TEMPLATE`	Name of the template to deploy (required)

Options¶

Basic Options¶

Option	Description	Default
`--name NAME`	Custom deployment name	Auto-generated
`--data-dir PATH`	Custom data directory for persistent storage	Template default
`--config-dir PATH`	Custom configuration directory	Template default
`--no-pull`	Skip pulling Docker image (use local)	Pull latest

Configuration Options¶

Option	Description	Format
`--config KEY=VALUE`	Set configuration value (for config_schema properties)	`--config debug=true`
`--override KEY=VALUE`	Override template data (supports double underscore notation, type conversion)	`--override metadata__version=2.0.0`
`--config-file PATH`	Load configuration from file	JSON/YAML supported
`--env KEY=VALUE`	Set environment variable	`--env MCP_DEBUG=1`
`--show-config`	Display configuration options and exit	Boolean flag

Advanced Options¶

Option	Description
`--backend {docker,k8s,mock}`	Deployment backend to use
`--transport {stdio,http}`	MCP transport protocol
`--port PORT`	Port for HTTP transport

Configuration Precedence¶

Configuration values are resolved in the following order (highest to lowest priority):

Environment Variables (--env or system)
CLI Options (--config, --override)
Configuration File (--config-file)
Template Defaults

Examples¶

Basic Deployment¶

# Deploy with defaults
mcp-template deploy demo

# Deploy with custom name
mcp-template deploy demo --name my-demo-server

Configuration Examples¶

# Using CLI configuration (config_schema properties)
mcp-template deploy file-server \
  --config read_only_mode=true \
  --config max_file_size=100 \
  --config log_level=debug

# Using double-underscore notation for nested config
mcp-template deploy file-server \
  --config security__read_only=true \
  --config security__max_file_size=100 \
  --config logging__level=debug

# Using template-prefixed configuration
mcp-template deploy file-server \
  --config file-server__security__read_only=true \
  --config file-server__logging__level=debug

# Using template data overrides (modifies template.json structure)
mcp-template deploy file-server \
  --override "metadata__version=2.0.0" \
  --override "metadata__author=Your Name" \
  --override "tools__0__enabled=false" \
  --override "config__custom_setting=value"

# Advanced: Array and nested overrides with type conversion
mcp-template deploy demo \
  --override "tools__0__enabled=false" \
  --override "tools__1__timeout=30.5" \
  --override "metadata__tags=[\"custom\",\"modified\"]" \
  --override "config__database__connection__host=localhost" \
  --override "config__database__connection__port=5432" \
  --override "config__security__enabled=true"

Configuration File¶

# Using JSON configuration file
mcp-template deploy file-server --config-file config.json

# Using YAML configuration file
mcp-template deploy file-server --config-file config.yml

config.json example:

{
  "security": {
    "read_only": false,
    "allowed_dirs": ["/data", "/workspace"],
    "max_file_size": 100
  },
  "logging": {
    "level": "info",
    "enable_audit": true
  },
  "performance": {
    "max_concurrent_operations": 10,
    "timeout_ms": 30000
  }
}

Environment Variables¶

# Using environment variables
mcp-template deploy file-server \
  --env MCP_READ_ONLY=true \
  --env MCP_MAX_FILE_SIZE=50 \
  --env MCP_LOG_LEVEL=debug

# Mixed configuration (env variables override CLI)
mcp-template deploy file-server \
  --config-file base-config.json \
  --config log_level=warning \
  --env MCP_READ_ONLY=true

Advanced Deployment¶

# Deploy with custom backend and transport
mcp-template deploy demo \
  --backend docker \
  --transport http \
  --port 8080 \
  --name prod-demo

# Deploy without pulling image (development)
mcp-template deploy demo \
  --no-pull \
  --config debug=true \
  --data-dir ./local-data

Configuration Discovery¶

Use the --show-config flag to see all available configuration options:

mcp-template deploy file-server --show-config

This displays a comprehensive table showing: - Property names and types - CLI options (including double-underscore notation) - Environment variable mappings - Default values - Required vs optional parameters - Usage examples

Template-Specific Configurations¶

Each template has its own configuration schema. Common patterns include:

File Server Template¶

mcp-template deploy file-server \
  --config security__allowed_dirs='["/data", "/workspace"]' \
  --config security__read_only=false \
  --config security__max_file_size=100 \
  --config logging__level=info \
  --config performance__max_concurrent=10

Demo Template¶

mcp-template deploy demo \
  --config hello_from="Custom Server" \
  --config debug=true \
  --config port=8080

PostgreSQL Server Template¶

mcp-template deploy postgres-server \
  --config database__host=localhost \
  --config database__port=5432 \
  --config database__name=mydb \
  --env POSTGRES_PASSWORD=secret

Deployment Lifecycle¶

The deploy command follows this lifecycle:

Template Discovery: Locate and validate template
Configuration Resolution: Merge configuration sources
Backend Initialization: Prepare deployment backend
Image Management: Pull or validate Docker images
Container Creation: Create and configure containers
Health Checks: Verify deployment success
Registration: Register deployment for management

Monitoring Deployment¶

After deployment, monitor your server:

# Check deployment status
mcp-template status demo

# View logs
mcp-template logs demo --follow

# Access container shell
mcp-template shell demo

Error Handling¶

Common deployment errors and solutions:

Template Not Found¶

❌ Template 'mytemplate' not found
Available templates: demo, file-server, postgres-server

Solution: Use mcp-template list to see available templates.

Configuration Error¶

❌ Invalid configuration: security.max_file_size must be a number
   Given: "unlimited"
   Expected: integer

Solution: Check configuration types using --show-config.

Port Already in Use¶

❌ Port 8080 is already in use

Solution: Use --port to specify a different port or stop conflicting services.

Docker Not Available¶

❌ Docker daemon not available
   Please ensure Docker is installed and running

Solution: Start Docker daemon or use --backend mock for testing.