Configuring MCP Server Support in OpManager

The OpManager MCP Server implements the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a standardized interface that enables AI agents and large language models to interact seamlessly with ManageEngine OpManager. It acts as a bridge, allowing MCP-compatible clients to access OpManager operational data by providing the required context to AI models through a unified interface.

Note: MCP Server support is available from version 12.8.719 and later.

This document explains how to configure the ITOM MCP Server to enable MCP-compatible clients to interact with ManageEngine OpManager.

Why MCP Server?
Docker-Based Setup
- Prerequisites
- Configuration Steps
Configuring Visual Studio Code (GitHub Copilot)
Configuring Claude Desktop
Configuring Cursor
How to generate an API key in OpManager?
Supported MCP Tool Categories

Why MCP Server?

The OpManager MCP Server enables MCP-compatible AI clients to interact with ManageEngine OpManager using a standardized MCP interface. It provides contextual access to OpManager data through authenticated API communication and supports integration with popular MCP hosts such as Visual Studio Code, Claude Desktop, and Cursor along with other MCP clients that support MCP server connections.

By acting as a middleware layer between AI agents and OpManager, the MCP Server eliminates the need for direct client-side integrations while enabling secure, API key-based access to operational data.

Enables MCP-compatible AI clients to interact with ManageEngine OpManager using a standardized MCP interface.
Provides contextual access to OpManager data through authenticated API communication.
Supports integration with popular MCP hosts such as Visual Studio Code, Claude Desktop, and Cursor.
Uses secure API key-based authentication for controlled access to OpManager resources.

Note: When integrating external MCP clients, OpManager data may be shared with the selected client and its LLM provider; data access, processing, and retention are governed by the respective client's terms and privacy policies. Users are responsible for reviewing and accepting them.

Docker-Based Setup

The OpManager MCP Server is supported using a Docker-based installation method. This approach provides isolation, portability, and compatibility across different MCP clients.

The ITOM MCP Server is distributed as a Docker image and runs locally to facilitate communication between MCP-compatible clients and an OpManager instance. The Docker container uses environment variables to authenticate and establish connectivity with OpManager.

Prerequisites

Ensure the following requirements are met before proceeding:

Docker is installed on the system (for example, Docker Desktop or Rancher Desktop).
Access to an OpManager build with MCP support.
An OpManagerMCP API key for authentication.
An MCP-compatible client, such as:

Configuration Steps

Step 1: Pull the MCP Server Docker image from Docker Hub

The official pre-built Docker image is available on Docker Hub and can be pulled directly to set up the ITOM MCP Server.

docker pull manageengineonpremises/itom-mcp-server:latest

Step 2: Configure the MCP Client

Configure your MCP-compatible client to connect to the ITOM MCP Server.

Configuring Visual Studio Code (GitHub Copilot)

To configure the ITOM MCP Server in Visual Studio Code:

Install Visual Studio Code and open your project workspace.
In your project, navigate to the .vscode folder and create or open mcp.json.
Add the following ITOM MCP Server configuration under "servers":

{
   "servers": {
     "ITOM_MCP_SERVER": {
       "type": "stdio",
       "command": "docker",
       "args": [
         "run",
         "-e", "OPMANAGER_API_URL=<OpManager_URL>",
         "-e", "OPMANAGER_MCP_API_KEY=<OpManager_APIKey>",
         "-e", "ITOM_MCP_REQUIRE_CONSENT=false",
         "--cap-drop=ALL",
         "--cap-add=NET_BIND_SERVICE",
         "-i",
         "--rm",
         "manageengineonpremises/itom-mcp-server:latest"
       ]
     }
   }
 }

Replace the placeholders:

<OpManager_URL> - URL of your OpManager instance (for example, https://your-server:8060)
<OpManager_APIKey> - Your OpManager MCP API key

Save the file after making the changes.

Configuring Claude Desktop

To configure the ITOM MCP Server in Claude Desktop:

Install and open Claude Desktop on your system.
Navigate to Settings → Developer.
Click Edit Config to open the claude_desktop_config.json file.
Add the following ITOM MCP Server configuration under "mcpServers":

{
   "mcpServers": {
     "ITOM_MCP_SERVER": {
       "type": "stdio",
       "command": "docker",
       "args": [
         "run",
         "-e", "OPMANAGER_API_URL=<OpManager_URL>",
         "-e", "OPMANAGER_MCP_API_KEY=<OpManager_APIKey>",
         "-e", "ITOM_MCP_REQUIRE_CONSENT=false",
         "--cap-drop=ALL",
         "--cap-add=NET_BIND_SERVICE",
         "-i",
         "--rm",
         "manageengineonpremises/itom-mcp-server:latest"
       ]
     }
   }
 }

Replace the placeholders:

<OpManager_URL> - URL of your OpManager instance (for example, https://your-server:8060)
<OpManager_APIKey> - Your OpManager MCP API key

Save the file.

Configuring Cursor

To configure the ITOM MCP Server in Cursor:

Open Cursor.
Navigate to Settings → Tools & MCP.
Click New MCP Server.
Add the ITOM MCP Server configuration in the mcp.json file.
Paste the following configuration:

{
   "mcpServers": {
     "ITOM_MCP_SERVER": {
       "type": "stdio",
       "command": "docker",
       "args": [
         "run",
         "-e", "OPMANAGER_API_URL=<OpManager_URL>",
         "-e", "OPMANAGER_MCP_API_KEY=<OpManager_APIKey>",
         "-e", "ITOM_MCP_REQUIRE_CONSENT=false",
         "--cap-drop=ALL",
         "--cap-add=NET_BIND_SERVICE",
         "-i",
         "--rm",
         "manageengineonpremises/itom-mcp-server:latest"
       ]
     }
   }
 }

Replace the placeholders:

<OpManager_URL> - URL of your OpManager instance (for example, https://your-server:8060)
<OpManager_APIKey> - Your OpManager MCP API key

Save the mcp.json file.

How to generate an API key in OpManager?

MCP Server API access must be enabled at both the product level and user level, and the API key must be generated before configuring an MCP client.

Step 1: Enable MCP Server API Access at the Product Level

This setting enables MCP Server support for the OpManager instance.

Navigate to General Settings → System Settings → Client Settings.
Locate MCP Server API Access.
Select Enable.
Click Save.

Enable MCP Server API Access at the Product Level

Step 2: Enable MCP Server API Access for a User

This setting allows a specific user to generate and use an MCP API key.

Go to Settings → User Management → Users.
Click Edit for the required user.
In the User Details section, enable Enable MCP Server API Access.
Click Next, configure the user scope if required, and click Save.

Enable MCP Server API Access for a User

Step 3: Generate the MCP Server API Key

For versions 12.8.721 and above, follow the steps below to generate the MCP API key, after enabling access.

Go to Quick Links → API Key Management.
Click Generate API Key.
In the Generate API Key page, fill in the required details and set the API Key Type to MCP.
The API key will be generated. Click the Copy & Close icon to copy the API key.
Use this key when configuring the MCP client.
To regenerate the key, go to the API Key Management page and click the refresh icon for the corresponding MCP API key to generate a new key.

Generate MCP API

For versions below 12.8.721, follow the steps below to generate the MCP API key, after enabling access.

Go to Quick Settings → API Access.
Locate Enable MCP Server API Access.
Enable the toggle if not already enabled.
Click the Copy icon to copy the API key.
Use this key when configuring the MCP client.
Click Regenerate Key if you want to generate a new key.

Generate the MCP Server API Key

Note: The MCP API key provides access to OpManager data based on the user’s permissions. Keep the key secure and regenerate it periodically.

Supported MCP Tool Categories

The OpManager MCP Server supports a range of tools grouped into categories based on what they help you accomplish. Use this section to understand what each category covers and when to use it.

The following categories of tools are available:

Alarm retrieval

Tools in this category help you fetch active alarms, incidents, alarm properties, related context, and incident metrics from OpManager.

Use cases

Summarize the most critical active alarms in the environment
Retrieve alarm details for a specific device or resource
Review alarm conditions before taking corrective action
Compare current alarms across monitored segments
Review response and resolution times for recent alarm incidents
Identify alarms with frequent flapping behavior
Compare how alarms are being handled across teams or sites
Analyze alarm trends during post-incident reviews

Mapped tools

GetAlarmsAndIncidents
GetAlarmDetails
GetAlarmIncidentMetrics

Alarm actions

Tools in this category let you perform alarm actions directly from the MCP session, including acknowledging, clearing, and adding notes to alarms. Some actions may require confirmation depending on your MCP server configuration.

Use cases

Acknowledge a set of alarms during incident triage
Clear resolved alarms after validation
Remove an acknowledgement when reassigning an alarm to another team
Execute alarm lifecycle actions from an AI-assisted workflow
Add troubleshooting findings to an active alarm
Review prior operator notes before continuing investigation
Update remediation status for shift handoffs
Keep a record of actions taken on an alarm for handoff or review

Mapped tools

AcknowledgeAlarms
UnacknowledgeAlarms
ClearAlarms
AddAlarmNotes
GetAlarmNotes
UpdateAlarmNotes

Device inventory, insights, and filtering

Tools in this category help you retrieve device inventories, detailed device summaries, and filter options from OpManager.

Use cases

List all devices in the monitored environment
Retrieve devices by type, such as switches, routers, or servers
Build inventory summaries for AI-assisted health reviews
Verify that all expected devices are being monitored
Get a summary for a specific monitored device
Identify available filters before querying a subset of devices
Build targeted queries for device groups
Summarize device health and operational status

Mapped tools

ListDevices
GetDeviceSummary
GetDeviceFilterOptions

Topology and relationship analysis

Tools in this category help you retrieve virtualization hierarchies and relationship data between monitored devices and infrastructure elements.

Use cases

Retrieve a vCenter -> Cluster -> Host -> VM hierarchy
Identify impacted virtual machines under a host or cluster issue
Review virtual infrastructure organization before remediation
Get a summary of how virtualized resources are organized and connected
Identify upstream and downstream dependencies for a network issue
Retrieve relationship data for impact analysis
Correlate affected devices during a network event
Identify related devices that may have contributed to an issue

Mapped tools

GetVirtualizationInfrastructureTopology
GetDeviceRelationshipData

Reporting and report discovery

Tools in this category help you discover available reports, retrieve report configuration options, and access preconfigured report data.

Use cases

List all available preconfigured reports
Discover valid filters before running a report
Retrieve historical report data for analysis
Generate AI-assisted summaries from existing OpManager reports

Mapped tools

GetReportConfigurationOptions
GetAvailableReportsList
GetReportData

Performance monitor discovery and metrics analysis

Tools in this category help you discover available performance monitors and retrieve performance metrics and KPI data for a device.

Use cases

Discover which performance monitors are available for a device
Identify valid metrics before building performance queries
Retrieve performance data to answer questions about device health
Retrieve KPI data to identify performance trends over time

Mapped tools

GetAvailablePerformanceMonitors
GetPerformanceMetricsAndKPIs

Enterprise probe management

Tools in this category help you retrieve probe details in distributed OpManager deployments where data needs to be reviewed or compared across multiple probes.

Use cases

List all probes configured in OpManager Central
Compare alarms or inventory across probes
Validate probe availability before multi-probe queries
Support enterprise-wide summaries in distributed deployments

Mapped tools

ListOpManagerProbes

Flow Analysis inventory

Tools in this category help you discover which devices, interfaces, and groups are available in Flow Analysis before running traffic queries.

Use cases

Discover which devices and interfaces are available in Flow Analysis
Check available interface groups and SSID groups before running traffic queries
Identify interfaces that are nearing full capacity

Mapped tools

ListFlowAnalysisDevices
ListFlowAnalysisInterfaces
ListFlowAnalysisIPGroups
ListFlowAnalysisInterfaceGroups
ListFlowAnalysisWLCControllers
ListFlowAnalysisAccessPoints
ListFlowAnalysisAccessPointGroups
ListFlowAnalysisSSIDGroups

Flow Analysis reports

Tools in this category help you retrieve traffic report data from Flow Analysis devices, including top talker data, application traffic, and conversation-level details.

Use cases

Retrieve top talker data for a specific device or interface
Fetch traffic data filtered by application, source, destination, or DSCP
Get conversation-level traffic details for a specific flow
Pull historical traffic data for AI-assisted summarization

Mapped tools

ListFlowAnalysisTopNData
GetFlowAnalysisTrafficData
GetFlowAnalysisApplicationData
GetFlowAnalysisSourceData
GetFlowAnalysisDestinationData
GetFlowAnalysisDSCPData
GetFlowAnalysisASData
GetFlowAnalysisASGroupData
GetFlowAnalysisConversationData
GetFlowAnalysisIndividualGraphData
GetFlowAnalysisSearchReport

Flow Analysis wireless reports

Tools in this category help you retrieve Flow Analysis data from wireless devices, including top talker data, SSID traffic, and wireless conversation details.

Use cases

Identify top talkers consuming wireless bandwidth
Investigate congested access points by SSID or traffic criteria
Pull wireless traffic history for AI-assisted reporting

Mapped tools

ListFlowAnalysisWLCTopNData
GetFlowAnalysisWirelessData
GetFlowAnalysisWirelessSearchReport