azure-mcp-inspector

name	azure-mcp-inspector
description	Deploy MCP Inspector to Azure Container Apps using an nginx same-origin proxy so UI and proxy work behind a single ingress port.

MCP Inspector on Azure Container Apps

Azure Container Apps exposes one ingress port. MCP Inspector uses UI + proxy ports, so deploy with nginx same-origin routing.

When to use

• Deploy Inspector to Azure Container Apps
• Preconfigure transport/server URL for users
• Avoid direct :6277 proxy connectivity issues

Required pattern

1. Build a custom image with:
   • Inspector
   • nginx
   • entrypoint script
2. Expose port 80 only.
3. Route:
   • /config, /mcp, /stdio, /sse, /message, /health → Inspector proxy
   • / → Inspector UI
4. Set MCP_SERVER_URL to DAB /mcp endpoint.

Minimal container contract

Environment variables:

• HOST=0.0.0.0
• MCP_AUTO_OPEN_ENABLED=false
• DANGEROUSLY_OMIT_AUTH=true
• MCP_SERVER_URL=https://<dab-fqdn>/mcp

Why this works

• Single public origin for browser + proxy requests
• No browser attempt to hit non-exposed :6277
• /config can prefill transport and server URL

Bicep essentials

• Container app ingress external: true, targetPort: 80
• ACR-backed image
• Env vars wired in container spec
• Scale can be low (minReplicas: 0, maxReplicas: 1) for admin tooling

Troubleshooting

• UI loads, connect fails: check nginx routes for /mcp and /config.
• Defaults not prefilled: MCP_SERVER_URL missing or entrypoint not passing args.
• 502 at startup: short warm-up race; retry after container is ready.
• Timeout to backend: verify DAB URL and health endpoint accessibility.

Route syntax for streaming endpoints

location /mcp {
   proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:6277;
   proxy_http_version 1.1;
   proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
   proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
   proxy_buffering off;
}

Required env var syntax

HOST=0.0.0.0
MCP_AUTO_OPEN_ENABLED=false
DANGEROUSLY_OMIT_AUTH=true
MCP_SERVER_URL=https://<dab-fqdn>/mcp

Completion checks

• Inspector URL opens with plain origin URL
• Transport is streamable-http
• Connect works against DAB MCP endpoint
• Tool list is visible in UI

Related

• Local inspector setup: aspire-mcp-inspector
• Azure DAB deployment: azure-data-api-builder