DeployStack runs MCP servers on remote satellite infrastructure - not on your local machine. This architecture provides zero-installation convenience but means some MCP servers won’t work on global satellites.
This page helps you understand what works, what doesn’t, and your alternatives.
How Satellites Work
When you install an MCP server from the DeployStack catalog, the satellite:
- Spawns the MCP server process on remote infrastructure
- Executes tool calls on the satellite, not your machine
- Returns results back to your AI client
This means the MCP server has access to the satellite’s environment, not yours.
What Doesn’t Work on Global Satellites
Local File Access
MCP servers that need to read or write files on your machine won’t work:
| MCP Server | Why It Doesn’t Work |
|---|
| SQLite MCP | Cannot access your local .db files |
| Filesystem MCP | Cannot browse your local directories |
| Obsidian MCP | Cannot access your local vault |
| Desktop Commander | Cannot control your local desktop |
Any MCP server that reads ~/Documents, /home/user/, or similar local paths will only see the satellite’s filesystem - not yours.
Local Network Resources
MCP servers that connect to localhost or internal network services:
| Resource | Example |
|---|
| Local databases | localhost:5432 (PostgreSQL), localhost:3306 (MySQL) |
| Local APIs | http://localhost:8080/api |
| Internal services | http://internal.company.com (behind firewall) |
| Development servers | Your local dev environment |
Desktop & GUI Applications
MCP servers requiring graphical interfaces or desktop integration:
| MCP Server | Limitation |
|---|
| Playwright (headed mode) | No display server on satellites |
| Puppeteer (headed mode) | Same issue - no visible browser |
| Screenshot tools | No desktop to capture |
| Clipboard MCP | No access to your clipboard |
Playwright and Puppeteer can work in headless mode, but require browser binaries pre-installed on the satellite. This is not available on global satellites by default.
Hardware Access
MCP servers that interact with physical devices:
- USB devices
- Printers
- Cameras and microphones
- Serial ports
- Bluetooth devices
Your Alternatives
Option 1: Run Locally
For MCP servers that need local resources, run them on your machine i.e.:
{
"mcpServers": {
"sqlite": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@anthropic/mcp-sqlite", "/path/to/your/database.db"]
}
}
}
Option 2: Deploy a Team Satellite
For internal network access, deploy a Team Satellite inside your infrastructure:
- Runs within your corporate network
- Can access internal databases and APIs
- You control what’s installed (including browser binaries)
- Full process isolation with nsjail
Team satellites connect to your DeployStack control plane but run on your hardware.
Option 3: Use Cloud-Accessible Resources
Instead of local resources, use cloud alternatives:
| Local Resource | Cloud Alternative |
|---|
| Local SQLite | Turso, PlanetScale, Supabase |
| Local files | S3, Google Drive, Dropbox |
| Local PostgreSQL | Neon, Supabase, RDS |
| Internal APIs | Expose via tunnel (Cloudflare, ngrok) |
What Works Well on Global Satellites
Global satellites excel at MCP servers that:
- Call external APIs - GitHub, Slack, Notion, Linear, etc.
- Process data - Text manipulation, calculations, transformations
- Search the web - Brave Search, Exa, web scraping (headless)
- Interact with SaaS - Any service with a public API
- Generate content - Image generation, text processing
These MCP servers only need internet access and API credentials - both available on satellites.
Quick Reference
| MCP Server Type | Global Satellite | Team Satellite | Local |
|---|
| GitHub, Slack, Notion | | | |
| External APIs | | | |
| Web scraping (headless) | � Requires setup | | |
| Local SQLite files | L | L | |
| Local filesystem | L | L | |
| Internal databases | L | | |
| Internal APIs | L | | |
| Desktop automation | L | L | |
| Hardware access | L | L | |
Team Satellites bridge the gap between convenience and local access. They run on your infrastructure but integrate with DeployStack’s control plane for credential management and team governance.
Need help deciding? Join our Discord community and we’ll help you figure out what works best for your use case. 
