feat: Add LocalTransport/RemoteTransport with URL template variables (#570)

Co-authored with Claude Code, but I've closely reviewed/modified/vetted all changes; ready for final review. ## Summary This PR adds LocalTransport and RemoteTransport separation with URL template variable support for remote servers, enabling e.g. multi-tenant deployments with configurable endpoints. **Key additions:** - LocalTransport (for Packages) and RemoteTransport (for Remotes) - URL template variables for remote transports (e.g., `{tenant_id}` in URLs) - Pattern validation ensuring URLs are URL-like while allowing templates - Full test coverage via Go validator tests and documentation examples ## ⚠️ server.json Update This PR updates the `server.json` schema. A new schema version will be cut after this lands. ## Problem The current schema describes URL templating with `{curly_braces}` for transports but provides no mechanism for Remote contexts to define what those variables should resolve to, making the feature unusable for remote servers. Referenced issue: #394 - Users need multi-tenant remote servers with different endpoints per deployment - Each tenant/region has its own URL (e.g., `us-cell1.example.com`, `emea-cell1.example.com`) - Current schema doesn't support parameterized remote URLs ## Solution ### Schema Architecture **LocalTransport** (for Package context): ```typescript LocalTransport = StdioTransport | StreamableHttpTransport | SseTransport ``` - Used in Package context (non-breaking rename of existing behavior) - Variables in `{curly_braces}` reference parent Package arguments/environment variables - Supports all three transport types including stdio **RemoteTransport** (for Remote context): ```typescript RemoteTransport = (StreamableHttpTransport | SseTransport) + { variables: object } ``` - Extends StreamableHttp/Sse via `allOf` composition - no duplication! - Adds `variables` object for URL templating - Only supports streamable-http and sse (stdio not valid for remotes) ### Key Changes **1. Schema Updates** (`openapi.yaml`, `server.schema.json`): - Added `LocalTransport` union type for Package context - Added `RemoteTransport` with `allOf` composition extending base transports - Updated Package to reference `LocalTransport` - Updated remotes to reference `RemoteTransport` - Added URL pattern validation: `^https?://[^\\s]+$` to both StreamableHttp and SSE - Removed `format: uri` from SSE (was blocking template variables) **2. Go Types** (`pkg/model/types.go`): - Base `Transport` struct unchanged for Package context - `RemoteTransport` struct for remotes with `Variables` field - Both work with existing validation infrastructure **3. Validators** (`internal/validators/`): - `validateRemoteTransport()` validates Remote-specific constraints - `collectRemoteTransportVariables()` extracts available variables - `IsValidTemplatedURL()` validates template variables reference defined variables - `IsValidRemoteURL()` handles template variable substitution before localhost check - 6 new test cases for remote transport variable validation **4. Documentation Examples** (`generic-server-json.md`): - Remote Server with URL Templating (StreamableHttp with `{tenant_id}`) - SSE Remote with URL Templating (SSE with `{tenant_id}`) - Local Server with URL Templating (Package with `{port}`) - All examples validate via existing `validate-examples` tool ## Example: Remote Transport with Variables ```json { "remotes": [ { "type": "streamable-http", "url": "https://api.example.com/mcp/{tenant_id}/{region}", "variables": { "tenant_id": { "description": "Tenant identifier", "isRequired": true, "choices": ["us-cell1", "emea-cell1", "apac-cell1"] }, "region": { "description": "Deployment region", "isRequired": true } } } ] } ``` Clients configure the variables, and `{tenant_id}` and `{region}` get replaced to connect to tenant-specific endpoints like `https://api.example.com/mcp/us-cell1/east`. ## Architecture Details **Context-based variable resolution:** - **Package + LocalTransport**: `{port}` references `--port` argument or `PORT` env var from parent Package - **Remote + RemoteTransport**: `{tenant_id}` references `variables.tenant_id` defined in the transport itself - **Code reuse**: StreamableHttp/Sse definitions shared via `allOf`, not duplicated - **Validation**: Template variables validated against available variables for each context --- ## Follow-on Work Follow-on work will be done to adopt the feedback in https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/registry/pull/570#issuecomment-3367417636 regarding variable naming/prioritzation/scoping conventions, but should not have any impact on the shape being introduced here (just validations). --------- Co-authored-by: yuna0x0 <yuna@yuna0x0.com> Co-authored-by: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com> Co-authored-by: Connor Peet <connor@peet.io>
2025-12-11 09:17:32 -08:00 · 2025-12-11 09:17:32 -08:00 · b58836c48e
commit b58836c48e
parent bbbad1af1f
3 changed files with 350 additions and 52 deletions
--- a/docs/reference/api/openapi.yaml
+++ b/docs/reference/api/openapi.yaml
@ -440,10 +440,7 @@ components:
          description: A hint to help clients determine the appropriate runtime for the package. This field should be provided when `runtimeArguments` are present.
          examples: [npx, uvx, docker, dnx]
        transport:
-          anyOf:
-            - $ref: '#/components/schemas/StdioTransport'
-            - $ref: '#/components/schemas/StreamableHttpTransport'
-            - $ref: '#/components/schemas/SseTransport'
+          $ref: '#/components/schemas/LocalTransport'
          description: Transport protocol configuration for the package
        runtimeArguments:
          type: array
@ -599,8 +596,9 @@ components:
          example: "streamable-http"
        url:
          type: string
-          description: URL template for the streamable-http transport. Variables in {curly_braces} reference argument valueHints, argument names, or environment variable names. After variable substitution, this should produce a valid URI.
+          description: "URL template for the streamable-http transport. Variables in {curly_braces} are resolved based on context: In Package context, they reference argument valueHints, argument names, or environment variable names from the parent Package. In Remote context, they reference variables from the transport's 'variables' object. After variable substitution, this should produce a valid URI."
          example: "https://api.example.com/mcp"
+          pattern: "^https?://[^\\s]+$"
        headers:
          type: array
          description: HTTP headers to include
@ -620,15 +618,36 @@ components:
          example: "sse"
        url:
          type: string
-          format: uri
-          description: Server-Sent Events endpoint URL
+          description: "Server-Sent Events endpoint URL template. Variables in {curly_braces} are resolved based on context: In Package context, they reference argument valueHints, argument names, or environment variable names from the parent Package. In Remote context, they reference variables from the transport's 'variables' object. After variable substitution, this should produce a valid URI."
          example: "https://mcp-fs.example.com/sse"
+          pattern: "^https?://[^\\s]+$"
        headers:
          type: array
          description: HTTP headers to include
          items:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/KeyValueInput'

+    LocalTransport:
+      anyOf:
+        - $ref: '#/components/schemas/StdioTransport'
+        - $ref: '#/components/schemas/StreamableHttpTransport'
+        - $ref: '#/components/schemas/SseTransport'
+      description: Transport protocol configuration for local/package context
+
+    RemoteTransport:
+      allOf:
+        - anyOf:
+            - $ref: '#/components/schemas/StreamableHttpTransport'
+            - $ref: '#/components/schemas/SseTransport'
+        - type: object
+          properties:
+            variables:
+              type: object
+              description: "Configuration variables that can be referenced in URL template {curly_braces}. The key is the variable name, and the value defines the variable properties."
+              additionalProperties:
+                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Input'
+      description: Transport protocol configuration for remote context - extends StreamableHttpTransport or SseTransport with variables
+
    Icon:
      type: object
      description: An optionally-sized icon that can be displayed in a user interface.
@ -717,9 +736,7 @@ components:
        remotes:
          type: array
          items:
-            anyOf:
-              - $ref: '#/components/schemas/StreamableHttpTransport'
-              - $ref: '#/components/schemas/SseTransport'
+            $ref: '#/components/schemas/RemoteTransport'
        _meta:
          type: object
          description: "Extension metadata using reverse DNS namespacing for vendor-specific data"
--- a/docs/reference/server-json/generic-server-json.md
+++ b/docs/reference/server-json/generic-server-json.md
@ -688,3 +688,90 @@ For MCP servers that follow a custom installation path or are embedded in applic
 }
 ```

+
+### Remote Server with URL Templating
+
+This example demonstrates URL templating for remote servers, useful for multi-tenant deployments where each instance has its own endpoint. Unlike Package transports (which reference parent arguments/environment variables), Remote transports define their own variables:
+
+```json
+{
+  "$schema": "https://static.modelcontextprotocol.io/schemas/2025-10-17/server.schema.json",
+  "name": "io.modelcontextprotocol.anonymous/multi-tenant-server",
+  "description": "MCP server with configurable remote endpoint",
+  "title": "Multi-Tenant Server",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "remotes": [
+    {
+      "type": "streamable-http",
+      "url": "https://anonymous.modelcontextprotocol.io/mcp/{tenant_id}",
+      "variables": {
+        "tenant_id": {
+          "description": "Tenant identifier (e.g., 'us-cell1', 'emea-cell1')",
+          "isRequired": true
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+Clients configure the tenant identifier, and the `{tenant_id}` variable in the URL gets replaced with the provided variable value to connect to the appropriate tenant endpoint (e.g., `https://anonymous.modelcontextprotocol.io/mcp/us-cell1` or `https://anonymous.modelcontextprotocol.io/mcp/emea-cell1`).
+
+The same URL templating works with SSE transport:
+
+```json
+{
+  "$schema": "https://static.modelcontextprotocol.io/schemas/2025-10-17/server.schema.json",
+  "name": "io.modelcontextprotocol.anonymous/events-server",
+  "description": "MCP server using SSE with tenant-specific endpoints",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "remotes": [
+    {
+      "type": "sse",
+      "url": "https://events.anonymous.modelcontextprotocol.io/sse/{tenant_id}",
+      "variables": {
+        "tenant_id": {
+          "description": "Tenant identifier",
+          "isRequired": true
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+### Local Server with URL Templating
+
+This example demonstrates URL templating for local/package servers, where variables reference parent Package arguments or environment variables:
+
+```json
+{
+  "$schema": "https://static.modelcontextprotocol.io/schemas/2025-10-17/server.schema.json",
+  "name": "io.github.example/configurable-server",
+  "description": "Local MCP server with configurable port",
+  "title": "Configurable Server",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "packages": [
+    {
+      "registryType": "npm",
+      "registryBaseUrl": "https://registry.npmjs.org",
+      "identifier": "@example/mcp-server",
+      "version": "1.0.0",
+      "transport": {
+        "type": "streamable-http",
+        "url": "http://localhost:{--port}/mcp"
+      },
+      "packageArguments": [
+        {
+          "type": "named",
+          "name": "--port",
+          "description": "Port for the server to listen on",
+          "default": "3000"
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+The `{--port}` variable in the URL references the `--port` argument `name` from packageArguments. For positional arguments, an argument with the `valueHint` of `port` could similarly be referenced as `{port}`. When the package runs with `--port 8080`, the URL becomes `http://localhost:8080/mcp`.
--- a/docs/reference/server-json/server.schema.json
+++ b/docs/reference/server-json/server.schema.json
@ -156,6 +156,20 @@
        }
      ]
    },
+    "LocalTransport": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "$ref": "#/definitions/StdioTransport"
+        },
+        {
+          "$ref": "#/definitions/StreamableHttpTransport"
+        },
+        {
+          "$ref": "#/definitions/SseTransport"
+        }
+      ],
+      "description": "Transport protocol configuration for local/package context"
+    },
    "NamedArgument": {
      "allOf": [
        {
@ -262,17 +276,7 @@
          "type": "string"
        },
        "transport": {
-          "anyOf": [
-            {
-              "$ref": "#/definitions/StdioTransport"
-            },
-            {
-              "$ref": "#/definitions/StreamableHttpTransport"
-            },
-            {
-              "$ref": "#/definitions/SseTransport"
-            }
-          ],
+          "$ref": "#/definitions/LocalTransport",
          "description": "Transport protocol configuration for the package"
        },
        "version": {
@ -337,6 +341,33 @@
      ],
      "description": "A positional input is a value inserted verbatim into the command line."
    },
+    "RemoteTransport": {
+      "allOf": [
+        {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "$ref": "#/definitions/StreamableHttpTransport"
+            },
+            {
+              "$ref": "#/definitions/SseTransport"
+            }
+          ]
+        },
+        {
+          "properties": {
+            "variables": {
+              "additionalProperties": {
+                "$ref": "#/definitions/Input"
+              },
+              "description": "Configuration variables that can be referenced in URL template {curly_braces}. The key is the variable name, and the value defines the variable properties.",
+              "type": "object"
+            }
+          },
+          "type": "object"
+        }
+      ],
+      "description": "Transport protocol configuration for remote context - extends StreamableHttpTransport or SseTransport with variables"
+    },
    "Repository": {
      "description": "Repository metadata for the MCP server source code. Enables users and security experts to inspect the code, improving transparency.",
      "properties": {
@ -427,14 +458,7 @@
        },
        "remotes": {
          "items": {
-            "anyOf": [
-              {
-                "$ref": "#/definitions/StreamableHttpTransport"
-              },
-              {
-                "$ref": "#/definitions/SseTransport"
-              }
-            ]
+            "$ref": "#/definitions/RemoteTransport"
          },
          "type": "array"
        },
@ -487,9 +511,9 @@
          "type": "string"
        },
        "url": {
-          "description": "Server-Sent Events endpoint URL",
+          "description": "Server-Sent Events endpoint URL template. Variables in {curly_braces} are resolved based on context: In Package context, they reference argument valueHints, argument names, or environment variable names from the parent Package. In Remote context, they reference variables from the transport's 'variables' object. After variable substitution, this should produce a valid URI.",
          "example": "https://mcp-fs.example.com/sse",
-          "format": "uri",
+          "pattern": "^https?://[^\\s]+$",
          "type": "string"
        }
      },
@ -533,8 +557,9 @@
          "type": "string"
        },
        "url": {
-          "description": "URL template for the streamable-http transport. Variables in {curly_braces} reference argument valueHints, argument names, or environment variable names. After variable substitution, this should produce a valid URI.",
+          "description": "URL template for the streamable-http transport. Variables in {curly_braces} are resolved based on context: In Package context, they reference argument valueHints, argument names, or environment variable names from the parent Package. In Remote context, they reference variables from the transport's 'variables' object. After variable substitution, this should produce a valid URI.",
          "example": "https://api.example.com/mcp",
+          "pattern": "^https?://[^\\s]+$",
          "type": "string"
        }
      },