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MCP server installations are how your team actually uses MCP servers from the catalog. Think of the MCP catalog as a “store” where you browse available servers, and installations as the “purchased items” that your team can actually use with your own configurations. Installations represent the team layer in DeployStack’s three-tier configuration system, where teams configure shared settings that all team members use. For complete details about how arguments, environment variables, and credentials work, see the MCP Configuration System documentation.

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Understanding the Connection

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The Three-Layer System

DeployStack uses a three-layer system to manage MCP servers:
  1. Global MCP Catalog: A centralized library of all available MCP servers (including both official registry servers synced from registry.modelcontextprotocol.io and manually created custom integrations)
  2. Team Access: Your team can browse and select servers you have permission to use
  3. Team Installations: Your team’s actual configured instances of MCP servers

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How It Works

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MCP Server Installation Scope

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Team-Centered Installations

Every MCP server installation belongs to a specific team. This is a fundamental principle of DeployStack:
  • Team Ownership: Each installation is owned by one team and isolated from other teams
  • Team Configuration: Teams manage the shared configuration layer that all team members inherit
  • Team Privacy: Other teams cannot see or access your installations
For detailed information about how team configurations work within the three-tier system, see MCP Configuration System.

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Why Team-Scoped?

This design provides several important benefits:

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Security Isolation

  • Configuration Separation: Your team’s settings and credentials are completely separate from other teams
  • Access Control: Only your team members can use your team’s installations
  • Data Privacy: No cross-team access to configurations or usage data

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Flexibility

  • Custom Names: Give installations meaningful names for your team context
  • Team-Specific Settings: Configure shared team settings while allowing individual member customization
  • Independent Updates: Update or modify installations without affecting other teams

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Organization

  • Clear Ownership: Every installation has a clear team owner
  • Team Management: Team administrators control all installations
  • Workspace Isolation: Each team has its own complete workspace

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Team Workspace Context

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How Installations Fit in Your Team

Your team’s MCP server installations are part of your complete team workspace:

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Team Resources

  • MCP Installations: Configured MCP servers ready to use
  • Shared Configuration: Team-level settings that all members inherit
  • Team Members: Users who can access these resources and create personal configurations

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Workspace Benefits

  • Unified Management: All team resources in one place
  • Consistent Access: Same permissions across all installations
  • Configuration Hierarchy: Team settings combined with personal user settings
  • Team Collaboration: All team members work with shared team configurations

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Database Storage

Behind the scenes, your team’s installations are stored securely:

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Team-Level Storage

  • Team Workspace: All installations belong to your team’s workspace
  • Secure Configuration: Team settings and credentials are encrypted at rest
  • Access Control: Only your team members can access the data
  • Audit Trail: Complete history of installation changes

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Data Isolation

  • Team Boundaries: Your data is completely separate from other teams
  • Secure Access: Only authorized team members can view or modify installations
  • Privacy Protection: No cross-team data sharing or access

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Installation Types

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Local Installations

Local MCP servers run on your team’s infrastructure:
  • Your Environment: Runs in your team’s deployment environment
  • Direct Control: Full control over the server instance
  • Multiple Sources: Install servers from the official MCP Registry or use custom manually-created servers
  • Flexible Configuration: Team-level and user-level configuration options
  • Secure Setup: Uses DeployStack’s three-tier configuration system

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Cloud Installations (Future)

Cloud MCP servers will run on managed infrastructure:
  • Managed Service: DeployStack handles the infrastructure
  • Simplified Setup: Easier installation and maintenance
  • Automatic Updates: Managed updates and scaling
  • Team Isolation: Still team-scoped with the same configuration hierarchy

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Security Considerations

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Configuration Security

Your team’s installation configurations are protected through multiple layers:
  • Encryption at Rest: All team configurations and credentials are encrypted in the database
  • Access Control: Only team members can access team configurations
  • Secure Transmission: All configuration data is encrypted during transmission
  • Audit Logging: All configuration access is logged for security

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Team Boundaries

The team-scoped installation system provides strong security boundaries:
  • Complete Isolation: Teams cannot access each other’s installations
  • Separate Configuration: Each team uses completely separate settings and credentials
  • Independent Setup: No shared configuration between teams
  • Secure Defaults: Installations use secure default settings
For comprehensive details about DeployStack’s security model for configurations, see MCP Configuration System. MCP server installations provide the bridge between the global catalog of available servers and your team’s actual working environment. They represent the team layer in DeployStack’s three-tier configuration system, managing shared settings that all team members inherit while allowing individual customization. For complete understanding of how installations fit into the broader configuration architecture, see the MCP Configuration System documentation.