MCP Server Catalog

The MCP (Model Context Protocol) Server Catalog is DeployStack's comprehensive system for discovering, managing, and deploying MCP servers. It provides a centralized repository where you can find pre-configured MCP servers, contribute your own, and manage deployments across your teams.

What is the MCP Catalog?

The MCP Catalog serves as a marketplace and management system for MCP servers, offering:

Server Discovery: Browse available MCP servers by category, language, and functionality
Team-Based Management: Organize servers within your teams with proper access control
Version Management: Track different versions of MCP servers with changelog support
GitHub Integration: Automatic synchronization with GitHub repositories
Global and Team Servers: Support for both community-wide and team-specific servers

Catalog Structure

Server Visibility Levels

The catalog supports two types of servers:

Global Servers

Visibility: Available to all users across the platform
Management: Only Global Administrators can create, edit, and delete
Purpose: Community-contributed servers, official integrations, popular tools
Examples: Official OpenAI MCP server, popular GitHub integrations, common utilities

Team Servers

Visibility: Only visible to team members
Management: Team administrators can create, edit, and delete within their teams
Purpose: Custom integrations, private tools, team-specific configurations
Examples: Internal API integrations, custom business logic, proprietary tools

User Permissions

Access to the MCP catalog is controlled by your role and team membership:

Permission Matrix

Role	Global Servers	Team Servers	Can Create	Can Edit	Can Delete	Categories
global_admin	✅ View/Manage All	✅ View All Teams	✅ Global only	✅ Global only	✅ Global only	✅ Full CRUD
team_admin	✅ View only	✅ View/Manage own team	✅ Team only	✅ Team only	✅ Team only	❌ View only
team_user	✅ View only	✅ View team servers	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No	❌ View only
global_user	✅ View only	❌ No access	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No	❌ View only
unauthenticated	❌ No access	❌ No access	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No access

Note: Authentication is required for all MCP catalog access. Unauthenticated users cannot access any servers or catalog features.

Detailed Permissions

Global Administrator

Global Servers: Full management capabilities - create, edit, delete, and feature servers
Team Servers: Read-only access to all team servers across the platform for administrative oversight
Categories: Complete category management - create, edit, delete, and organize categories
Special Privileges: Can mark servers as "featured" and manage server visibility

Team Administrator

Global Servers: Can browse and view all global servers but cannot modify them
Team Servers: Full management within their own teams - create, edit, delete team-specific servers
Server Creation: Can create new servers that are automatically scoped to their team
Team Scope: All created servers are marked with team visibility and ownership

Team User

Global Servers: Can browse and view all global servers
Team Servers: Can view servers within their teams but cannot modify them
Read-Only Access: Cannot create, edit, or delete any servers
Discovery: Can search and filter servers for deployment purposes

Global User

Global Servers: Can browse and view all global servers
Team Servers: No access to any team-specific servers
Limited Scope: Most restricted authenticated access level for catalog browsing

Unauthenticated Users

No Access: Cannot access any MCP catalog features
Authentication Required: Must log in to view any servers
Security: All MCP endpoints require valid authentication

Server Management

Creating Servers

Global Servers (Global Admin Only)

Navigate to Catalog: Access the MCP catalog from your admin dashboard
Create Global Server: Click "Create Global Server" button
Server Details: Fill in comprehensive server information:
- Basic Info: Name, description, category
- Technical Details: Language, runtime, minimum version requirements
- Installation: Supported installation methods (npm, pip, docker, etc.)
- Capabilities: Tools, resources, and prompts provided
- Repository: GitHub URL for automatic synchronization
- Metadata: Author information, license, organization
Visibility Settings: Configure as global server
Featured Status: Optionally mark as featured for prominence

Team Servers (Team Admin)

Team Context: Navigate to your team's MCP catalog section
Create Team Server: Click "Create Server" within your team
Server Configuration: Same detailed form as global servers
Team Scope: Server is automatically assigned to your team
Team Visibility: Only your team members can see and use this server

Server Information

Each server in the catalog includes comprehensive metadata:

Basic Information

Name & Description: Clear identification and purpose
Category: Organizational classification
Tags: Searchable keywords and labels
Status: Active, deprecated, or maintenance mode

Technical Specifications

Language: Programming language (Node.js, Python, etc.)
Runtime: Specific runtime requirements
Minimum Version: Required runtime version
Dependencies: External dependencies and requirements

Capabilities

Tools: Available MCP tools and their functions
Resources: Data sources and resource types
Prompts: Pre-configured prompts and templates
Configuration: Default settings and environment variables

Repository Integration

GitHub URL: Source code repository
Branch: Target branch for synchronization
Last Sync: When repository was last synchronized
Version Tracking: Automatic version detection from repository

Version Management

The catalog supports comprehensive version tracking:

Version Information

Version Numbers: Semantic versioning (e.g., 1.2.3)
Git Commits: Linked to specific repository commits
Changelog: Detailed change descriptions
Stability: Stable vs. beta/alpha versions
Latest Flag: Automatic latest version detection

Version Operations

Create Version: Add new versions manually or via GitHub sync
Update Version: Modify version information and changelog
Version History: Complete timeline of all versions
Rollback Support: Deploy specific versions as needed

GitHub Integration

Integration with GitHub repositories for automatic synchronization and metadata extraction. For complete details on setting up and using GitHub integration, see the GitHub App Integration Guide.

Key Features:

Automatic Repository Sync: Pull server metadata from GitHub repositories
Version Detection: Automatic version tracking from repository tags
Metadata Extraction: Import descriptions, licenses, and topics
Manual and Scheduled Sync: Flexible synchronization options

Browsing and Discovery

Catalog Interface

The catalog provides multiple ways to discover servers:

Browse by Category

Category Navigation: Organized browsing by functional categories
Category Descriptions: Clear explanations of each category's purpose
Server Counts: Number of servers in each category

Search and Filtering

Text Search: Search by name, description, and tags
Language Filter: Filter by programming language
Runtime Filter: Filter by runtime environment
Status Filter: Show only active, deprecated, or maintenance servers
Featured Filter: Highlight featured and recommended servers

Server Listings

Grid View: Visual cards showing server information
List View: Detailed table with comprehensive information
Sorting Options: Sort by name, popularity, recent updates, or featured status
Pagination: Efficient browsing of large server collections

Server Details

Detailed server pages provide comprehensive information:

Overview Section

Server Description: Detailed explanation of functionality
Quick Stats: Language, runtime, last update, version count
Installation Preview: Quick installation commands
Author Information: Creator and maintainer details

Technical Details

Capabilities Breakdown: Detailed tool, resource, and prompt listings
Configuration Options: Available settings and customizations
Environment Variables: Required and optional environment settings
Dependencies: External requirements and compatibility

Version History

Version Timeline: Chronological list of all versions
Changelog Details: Comprehensive change descriptions
Download/Deploy Options: Direct deployment links
Stability Indicators: Version stability and recommendation status

Team Integration

Team-Scoped Servers

Team servers provide private server management:

Team Server Benefits

Privacy: Servers visible only to team members
Customization: Team-specific configurations and settings
Control: Full management by team administrators
Integration: Seamless integration with team deployments

Team Server Management

Team Dashboard: Dedicated section for team's MCP servers
Member Access: All team members can view team servers
Admin Control: Team administrators manage server lifecycle
Deployment Integration: Direct deployment to team environments

Cross-Team Visibility

Global Admin Oversight

Administrative View: Global admins can see all team servers
Read-Only Access: Cannot modify team servers, only view for support
System Monitoring: Track server usage and adoption across teams
Support Capabilities: Assist teams with server-related issues

Team Isolation

Secure Boundaries: Teams cannot see other teams' servers
Data Protection: Team server configurations remain private
Access Control: Strict enforcement of team-based permissions

Server Deployment

From Catalog to Deployment

The catalog integrates seamlessly with DeployStack's deployment system:

Deployment Process

Server Selection: Choose server from catalog
Version Selection: Pick specific version to deploy
Configuration: Customize settings and environment variables
Team Context: Deploy within appropriate team context
Cloud Provider: Select target deployment platform
Launch: Deploy server to chosen environment

Deployment Options

Quick Deploy: One-click deployment with default settings
Custom Deploy: Full configuration customization
Template Deploy: Use pre-configured deployment templates
Batch Deploy: Deploy multiple servers simultaneously

Configuration Management

Default Configurations

Server Defaults: Pre-configured settings from catalog
Team Overrides: Team-specific configuration templates
Environment Variables: Secure handling of sensitive configuration
Validation: Configuration validation before deployment

Custom Configurations

Parameter Customization: Modify server parameters
Environment Setup: Configure runtime environment
Resource Allocation: Set memory, CPU, and storage requirements
Network Configuration: Configure ports, domains, and routing

Best Practices

For Server Contributors

Creating Quality Servers

Clear Documentation: Comprehensive README and documentation
Semantic Versioning: Follow proper version numbering
Changelog Maintenance: Keep detailed change logs
Testing: Ensure servers work across different environments
Security: Follow security best practices for MCP servers

Repository Management

Clean Structure: Organize repository with clear structure
Configuration Files: Include proper MCP configuration
Examples: Provide usage examples and tutorials
License: Include appropriate open-source license
Maintenance: Regular updates and issue resolution

For Server Users

Server Selection

Requirements Analysis: Understand your specific needs
Version Consideration: Choose stable versions for production
Documentation Review: Read server documentation thoroughly
Testing: Test servers in development before production deployment
Updates: Keep servers updated to latest stable versions

Team Management

Server Organization: Organize team servers logically
Access Control: Manage team member access appropriately
Documentation: Document team-specific server configurations
Monitoring: Monitor server performance and usage

For Administrators

Catalog Management

Category Organization: Maintain clear category structure
Quality Control: Review and curate global servers
Featured Servers: Highlight high-quality, popular servers
Community Engagement: Encourage community contributions
Performance Monitoring: Monitor catalog performance and usage

User Support

Documentation: Maintain comprehensive user documentation
Training: Provide training on catalog usage
Support Channels: Establish clear support processes
Feedback Collection: Gather user feedback for improvements

Security Considerations

Access Control

Role-Based Permissions: Strict enforcement of role-based access
Team Isolation: Secure boundaries between teams
Admin Oversight: Appropriate administrative visibility
Audit Logging: Track all catalog operations (future feature)

Server Security

Source Verification: Verify server sources and authenticity
Security Scanning: Scan servers for security vulnerabilities (future feature)
Safe Defaults: Secure default configurations
Update Notifications: Alert users to security updates

Data Protection

Configuration Security: Secure handling of server configurations
Environment Variables: Encrypted storage of sensitive settings
Repository Access: Secure GitHub integration
Privacy Controls: Respect team privacy and data boundaries

Future Enhancements

Planned Features

Server Ratings: Community rating and review system
Usage Analytics: Server usage statistics and trends
Automated Testing: Continuous integration for server validation
Marketplace: Enhanced discovery and recommendation engine
API Integration: Programmatic catalog access

Community Features

Contribution Guidelines: Streamlined server contribution process
Community Voting: Community-driven server curation
Discussion Forums: Server-specific discussion and support
Contributor Recognition: Acknowledge active contributors

The MCP Server Catalog transforms how you discover, manage, and deploy MCP servers, providing a comprehensive platform for both individual users and teams to leverage the power of the Model Context Protocol ecosystem.

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