MCP SSE Server (mcp-ectors)

The MCP SSE Server, or mcp-ectors for short, is an enterprise-ready, high-performance server designed to enable seamless integration and interaction between large language models (LLMs) and various tools, resources, and workflow prompts. This powerful server acts as the bridge, much like a USB interface, for LLMs to gain access to multiple capabilities, enabling agents and agentic AI. Built using Rust and actors, it is optimized for performance and scalability, making it a great fit for enterprise environments.

Note: The name mcp-ectors comes from "MCP Enterprise Actors Server", and has nothing to do with the creator's last name, despite how it might sound 😉

Key Features

• High Performance: Built with actors and Rust, the server ensures high scalability and concurrency.
• MCP as the USB for LLMs: Enables access to tools, resources, and workflow prompts through a clean API.
• Reuse Connections: Unlike other MCP servers, mcp-ectors allows multiple routers to be deployed on the same connection, simplifying architecture and resource management.
• Multiple Routers: Register multiple routers and utilize them dynamically through the Router Service Manager.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

To get started with mcp-ectors, make sure you have the following installed:

• Rust (via rust-lang)
• Cargo (comes with Rust)
• Cargo run for running the application.

Running the Server

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/mcp-ectors.git
   cd mcp-ectors
   

2. Run the server: After cloning the repository, navigate to the project folder and run the server with:

   cargo run
   

   The server will start on http://localhost:8080/sse.

3. Start with the Goose Desktop: In Goose Desktop (a companion tool), you can add extensions, choose SSE as the transport, and use the following URL:

   http://localhost:8080/sse
   

Using the Counter Example

1. After running the server, in the Goose Desktop application you can ask to increment the counter or get the current value.

2. Try also Hello World greet.

Create New MCP Routers

MCP-ectors enables you to create and register new routers through the Router Trait. To add a new router, implement the Router trait for your new router, following the examples of the existing CounterRouter or HelloWorldRouter.

Example:

use mcp_ectors::router::Router;

pub struct MyNewRouter;

impl Router for MyNewRouter {
    fn handle_request(&self, request: Request) -> Response {
        // Implement your router's logic here
    }
}

Registering Routers

In MCP, tools, resources, and prompts are registered as routerid_tool, routerid_prompt, and routerid_resource to keep everything well-organized. The Router Service Manager allows these elements to be dynamically added.

Example Registration:

let counterid = "counter".to_string();
let counter_router = Box::new(CounterRouter::new());
router_manager.register_router::<CounterRouter>(counterid, counter_router).await.expect("router could not be registered");

let hwid = "helloworld".to_string();
let hw_router = Box::new(HelloWorldRouter::new());
router_manager.register_router::<HelloWorldRouter>(hwid, hw_router).await.expect("router could not be registered");

Architecture Overview

1. Server Builder:

   • The server_builder determines the transport layer. Currently, SSE is supported. Future versions will include stdio and wasi transport.
   • For now, the server supports SSE for communication between the client and the server.

2. Router Service Manager:

   • The RouterServiceManager is responsible for registering multiple routers and ensuring that each router can handle requests without the need for new connections.
   • This architecture allows you to deploy several routers with the same connection, making the system highly efficient and scalable.

3. Log Configuration:

   • The server can be configured to store logs in specific directories and set custom log levels for monitoring and debugging.
   • The configuration can be customized using the LogConfig struct.

4. Transport Actor:
   Any transport used in the MCP server needs to implement the transport actor. The TransportActorTrait ensures that transports handle requests and messages correctly:

   • TransportRequest: Allows new JsonRPCMessages to be sent to the client. It is used for communication between the server and the client through the transport layer.
   • StartTransport: This message starts the transport, initializing any necessary background tasks, such as setting up connections or waiting for incoming messages.
   • StopTransport: This message stops the transport, gracefully shutting down any active connections or tasks tied to the transport layer.

5. Router:
   The Router is a trait that any router needs to implement, closely linked to the MCP standard. The RouterServiceManager uses the RouterRegistry to register new routes. New routes are embedded inside a RouterActor, which manages the communication for specific functionality. For instance, when a tools/call request is made, the actor holding the router will respond with the appropriate action. This setup allows the server to dynamically respond to a variety of requests by leveraging multiple routers.

6. Standard Actors:
   MCP has a set of standard actors that implement basic functions such as initialization and managing tools, prompts, and resources. These standard actors are responsible for handling initialization requests and responding to list requests for tools, prompts, and resources. This makes it easier to interact with these essential components, providing a uniform and standardized method of retrieving and managing the core assets across different routers.

Example Log Configuration:

let log_config = LogConfig {
    log_dir: "logs".to_string(),
    log_file: "server.log".to_string(),
    level: Level::INFO,
};

Future Development

• MCP Protocol: The basics have been implemented but notifications are still missing. Also oAuth, secrets management,... are on the roadmap.
• Transport Extensions: Currently, the server supports SSE transport, with plans to add stdio and wasi in the future.
• Help Wanted: Contributions are welcome! If you have expertise in other transports like WASI or stdio, feel free to submit a PR.

Conclusion

The MCP SSE Server (mcp-ectors) is built for high performance, scalability, and ease of use. With actors, Rust, and a clean architecture for managing multiple routers, it makes working with LLMs, tools, and resources effortless. Whether you're a researcher, developer, or AI enthusiast, mcp-ectors will help you integrate LLMs with the tools and resources you need for advanced agentic AI workflows.

Feel free to contribute, test, and expand the system for your enterprise use cases. You can rely on mcp-ectors to power your next-generation AI applications. If your company wants to create custom routers or partner, please reach out to Maarten Ectors.