mcp-server-development

# MCP Server Development Skill ## Purpose Guide the development and configuration of Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers for the CIA platform, enabling AI-powered tooling integration with GitHub Copilot and other MCP-compatible clients. ## When to Use - ✅ Creating new MCP server tools for political data access - ✅ Configuring `.github/copilot-mcp-config.json` for new integrations - ✅ Designing tool schemas for structured data retrieval - ✅ Implementing MCP transports (stdio, SSE, HTTP) - ✅ Integrating GitHub MCP tools with CI/CD workflows Do NOT use for: - ❌ Standard REST API development (use api-integration skill) - ❌ UI component development (use vaadin-component-design skill) ## MCP Architecture Overview ``` ┌─────────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ │ MCP Client │────▶│ MCP Server │────▶│ Data Sources │ │ (Copilot/IDE) │◀────│ (Tools) │◀────│ (Riksdag API) │ └─────────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ │ │ │ JSON-RPC 2.0 │ Tool Definitions │ over stdio/SSE │ Input/Output Schemas ``` ## MCP Configuration Best Practices ### GitHub Copilot MCP Config ```json { "mcpServers": { "cia-political-data": { "type": "stdio", "command": "node", "args": ["dist/mcp-server.js"], "env": { "CIA_DATA_DIR": "${workspaceFolder}/data" } } } } ``` ### Key Configuration Rules 1. **Never embed secrets** in `copilot-mcp-config.json` — use environment references 2. **Scope tools narrowly** — each tool should do one thing well 3. **Validate all inputs** against JSON Schema before processing 4. **Return structured data** — prefer typed objects over free-form strings 5. **Include error details** in tool responses for debugging ## MCP Tool Design Patterns ### Tool Definition Schema ```typescript interface McpToolDefinition { name: string; // e.g., "get_politician_votes" description: string; // Clear, concise purpose inputSchema: { type: "object"; properties: Record<string, JsonSchema>; required: string[]; }; } ``` ### CIA-Specific Tool Examples ```typescript // Politician lookup tool const getPoliticianTool = { name: "get_politician_profile", description: "Retrieve profile and voting record for a Swedish Parliament member", inputSchema: { type: "object", properties: { personId: { type: "string", description: "Riksdagen person ID" }, includeVotes: { type: "boolean", default: false } }, required: ["personId"] } }; // Document search tool const searchDocumentsTool = { name: "search_riksdag_documents", description: "Search Swedish Parliament documents by keyword, type, and date range", inputSchema: { type: "object", properties: { query: { type: "string" }, docType: { type: "string", enum: ["motion", "proposition", "betankande"] }, fromDate: { type: "string", format: "date" }, toDate: { type: "string", format: "date" } }, required: ["query"] } }; ``` ### Error Handling Pattern ```typescript async function handleToolCall(name: string, args: unknown): Promise<McpResult> { try { const validated = validateInput(name, args); const result = await executeQuery(validated); return { content: [{ type: "text", text: JSON.stringify(result) }] }; } catch (error) { return { content: [{ type: "text", text: `Error: ${error.message}` }], isError: true }; } } ``` ## GitHub MCP Integration ### Available GitHub MCP Tools The CIA project uses GitHub MCP server for: - **Repository management** — branches, commits, file operations - **Issue tracking** — create, update, search issues - **Pull request workflows** — reviews, comments, merges - **Actions integration** — trigger workflows, check status - **Security scanning** — code scanning alerts, Dependabot ### Best Practices for GitHub MCP 1. **Use specific queries** — avoid broad searches that return too many results 2. **Paginate results** — always handle pagination for large result sets 3. **Cache responses** — reduce API calls for frequently accessed data 4. **Handle rate limits** — implement exponential backoff ## Security Considerations - **Input validation** — sanitize all tool inputs before processing - **Authentication** — use token-based auth, never hardcode credentials - **Authorization** — scope tool access to minimum required permissions - **Logging** — log tool invocations for audit trails, never log sensitive data - **Transport security** — use encrypted transports for remote MCP servers ## ISMS Alignment | Control | Requirement | |---------|-------------| | ISO 27001 A.8.9 | Configuration management for MCP servers | | NIST CSF PR.DS-2 | Data-in-transit protection for MCP transport | | CIS Control 16 | Application software security for MCP tools |