mcp-server-installation

name	mcp-server-installation
version	1.0.0
description	Install and configure Happy Platform MCP for ServiceNow, including npm/source setup, single or multi-instance credentials, agent connection, and smoke testing
author	Happy Technologies LLC
tags	["development","mcp","installation","servicenow","happy-platform-mcp","claude-desktop","agents","configuration","authentication"]
platforms	["claude-code","claude-desktop","cursor","any"]
tools	{"cli":["npx happy-platform-mcp","npm install","npm install -g happy-platform-mcp","git clone","curl"],"native":["Bash","Read","Write"]}
complexity	intermediate
estimated_time	10-30 minutes

Happy Platform MCP Installation

Overview

This skill installs and connects Happy Platform MCP, the ServiceNow Model Context Protocol server used by Happy Platform Skills.

Use it when a user asks to:

• Install happy-platform-mcp
• Configure ServiceNow MCP credentials
• Add Happy Platform MCP to Claude Desktop or another MCP-capable agent
• Set up single-instance or multi-instance ServiceNow access
• Verify MCP tools such as SN-Query-Table, SN-NL-Search, or SN-Execute-Background-Script
• Migrate from the older servicenow-mcp-server package name

For designing or building a custom MCP server inside ServiceNow, use development/mcp-server instead. For ServiceNow metadata-as-code with NowSDK Fluent, use development/fluent-sdk.

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18 or newer
• One or more ServiceNow instances with REST API access
• A ServiceNow user or OAuth client with the roles needed for the intended tools
• An MCP-capable client, such as Claude Desktop or an agent runtime that supports stdio MCP servers
• Permission to edit the local agent MCP configuration

Procedure

Step 1: Choose Install Mode

Use npm for most users:

npx -y happy-platform-mcp

Use a global install when the user wants a pinned local command:

npm install -g happy-platform-mcp
happy-platform-mcp

Use source install when developing or debugging the server:

git clone https://github.com/Happy-Technologies-LLC/happy-platform-mcp.git
cd happy-platform-mcp
npm install

If the user has the old package installed, migrate it:

npm uninstall -g servicenow-mcp-server
npm install -g happy-platform-mcp

Step 2: Configure ServiceNow Credentials

For a single instance, configure environment variables in the MCP client config:

{
  "SERVICENOW_INSTANCE_URL": "https://your-instance.service-now.com",
  "SERVICENOW_USERNAME": "your-username",
  "SERVICENOW_PASSWORD": "your-password"
}

For OAuth, add the auth type and client credentials:

{
  "SERVICENOW_INSTANCE_URL": "https://your-instance.service-now.com",
  "SERVICENOW_AUTH_TYPE": "oauth",
  "SERVICENOW_CLIENT_ID": "your-client-id",
  "SERVICENOW_CLIENT_SECRET": "your-client-secret"
}

For multi-instance routing from a source install, copy and edit the instance config:

cp config/servicenow-instances.json.example config/servicenow-instances.json

Use this shape:

{
  "instances": [
    {
      "name": "dev",
      "url": "https://dev123456.service-now.com",
      "username": "admin",
      "password": "your-password",
      "default": true
    },
    {
      "name": "prod",
      "url": "https://prod789012.service-now.com",
      "authType": "oauth",
      "grantType": "client_credentials",
      "clientId": "your-oauth-client-id",
      "clientSecret": "your-oauth-client-secret"
    }
  ]
}

Never commit real credentials. Keep .env, servicenow-instances.json, and local agent config files out of shared repositories unless they are sanitized examples.

Step 3: Connect Claude Desktop

Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS.

For npm-based stdio:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "happy-platform-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "happy-platform-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "SERVICENOW_INSTANCE_URL": "https://your-instance.service-now.com",
        "SERVICENOW_USERNAME": "your-username",
        "SERVICENOW_PASSWORD": "your-password"
      }
    }
  }
}

For source-based stdio:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "happy-platform-mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/happy-platform-mcp/src/stdio-server.js"],
      "cwd": "/absolute/path/to/happy-platform-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop after editing the file.

Step 4: Connect Other Agents

Use stdio transport unless the client explicitly asks for HTTP/SSE:

{
  "command": "npx",
  "args": ["-y", "happy-platform-mcp"],
  "env": {
    "SERVICENOW_INSTANCE_URL": "https://your-instance.service-now.com",
    "SERVICENOW_USERNAME": "your-username",
    "SERVICENOW_PASSWORD": "your-password"
  }
}

If configuring Codex, Cursor, or another client, inspect that client's current MCP config format first and preserve existing servers. Do not overwrite unrelated MCP entries.

Step 5: Verify the Server

For source installs using HTTP/SSE transport:

npm run dev
curl http://localhost:3000/health
curl http://localhost:3000/instances

For stdio agent installs, restart the agent and confirm ServiceNow tools are listed. Then run a read-only smoke test:

{
  "tool": "SN-Query-Table",
  "arguments": {
    "table_name": "incident",
    "query": "active=true",
    "fields": "number,short_description,state",
    "limit": 1
  }
}

For multi-instance configurations, test explicit routing:

{
  "tool": "SN-Query-Table",
  "arguments": {
    "instance": "dev",
    "table_name": "sys_user",
    "query": "active=true",
    "fields": "user_name,name",
    "limit": 1
  }
}

Step 6: Confirm Skill Integration

After the MCP server is working, use these skills with the live tools:

• itsm/incident-triage for incident routing
• admin/script-execution for background scripts and fix scripts
• admin/update-set-management for update set operations
• development/fluent-sdk for hybrid NowSDK plus MCP development

Best Practices

• Start with a read-only user or a non-production instance, then expand roles as needed.
• Prefer OAuth client credentials for shared production integrations.
• Use clear instance names such as dev, test, uat, and prod.
• Keep destructive tools restricted to trusted users and non-production defaults.
• Validate with SN-Query-Table before testing create, update, script, or update set tools.
• Keep the MCP package current unless a deployment requires a pinned version.

Troubleshooting

Package Command Fails

Symptom: npx happy-platform-mcp cannot find or start the package.

Cause: Node.js is missing, too old, or npm cannot fetch the package.

Solution: Verify node --version is 18 or newer, then retry with npx -y happy-platform-mcp. If needed, install globally with npm install -g happy-platform-mcp.

Agent Does Not Show Tools

Symptom: The MCP server appears configured, but no SN-* tools are available.

Cause: The agent was not restarted, the config JSON is invalid, or the command path is wrong.

Solution: Validate the JSON, restart the agent, and use absolute paths for source installs.

Authentication Fails

Symptom: Tools return 401 or invalid credentials errors.

Cause: Incorrect username/password, OAuth client details, grant type, or ServiceNow roles.

Solution: Verify credentials against the instance URL, confirm the OAuth Application Registry values, and test with a low-risk read query.

Multi-Instance Routing Fails

Symptom: Passing "instance": "prod" does not route to the expected instance.

Cause: The instance name is missing, misspelled, or the config file is not being loaded from the server working directory.

Solution: Check config/servicenow-instances.json, ensure exactly one default instance, and set cwd to the source repo when using source-based stdio.

Related Skills

• development/mcp-server - Design or build MCP server capabilities
• development/fluent-sdk - Use NowSDK Fluent with MCP runtime verification
• admin/instance-management - Work across multiple ServiceNow instances
• admin/script-execution - Execute server-side scripts through MCP