Managed MCP Servers for OCI Database Services

Managed Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers enable MCP-compatible AI agents and applications to access supported information about OCI Database resources.

OCI Database Services supports managed MCP servers for Base Database Service, Oracle Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer, Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure, and Oracle Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure. A managed MCP server provides a standardized MCP interface to OCI Database control plane APIs. MCP-compatible clients can discover available operations as MCP tools and use these tools to retrieve information about OCI Database resources.

How Managed MCP Servers Work

A managed MCP server provides an interface between an MCP-compatible client and supported OCI Database control plane APIs.

When you create an MCP server, you associate the server with an identity domain and select the applicable database service and resource categories. OCI generates an MCP endpoint and MCP client configuration for the server. You can use this information to configure a compatible MCP client.

When you submit a natural-language request through an MCP-compatible AI agent or client, the client connects to the managed MCP server by using MCP over Streamable HTTP. The managed MCP server authenticates the client and authorizes access based on OCI Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies. If the request is authorized, the MCP server invokes the applicable supported OCI Database operation and returns information about the requested database resources to the client.

For example, you can ask an MCP-compatible AI agent to retrieve information about databases in a compartment. The agent can identify an appropriate MCP tool, invoke the tool, and use the information returned by OCI Database Services to respond to the request.

Using an MCP server doesn't change the permissions required to access OCI Database resources. The authenticated identity can access only the resources and operations permitted by the applicable IAM policies.

MCP Servers

An MCP server is an OCI resource that provides a remote endpoint for MCP-compatible clients.

You can create MCP servers for the following OCI Database services:

• Base Database Service
• Oracle Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer
• Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure
• Oracle Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure

You can create multiple MCP servers in a tenancy for different database services.

An MCP server configuration includes information such as the associated identity domain, database service, resource categories, and tags.

OCI provides a unique MCP endpoint for each MCP server. OCI also provides MCP JSON configuration that you can use to configure compatible MCP clients.

You can enable or disable an MCP server. Disabling an MCP server prevents clients from accessing the server without deleting its configuration. When you no longer require an MCP server, you can delete it.

MCP Tools

MCP tools are supported OCI Database operations that an MCP-compatible client can discover and invoke through an MCP server.

The MCP server makes supported read-only control plane operations available as MCP tools. An AI agent can determine which available tool is appropriate for a request and invoke that tool with the required parameters.

The tools available through an MCP server depend on the database service and resource categories configured for the server.

Supported resource categories can include:

• Database infrastructure
• Virtual machines
• Databases Backups
• Data Guard
• Related database operational metadata

The availability of an MCP tool doesn't grant permission to use the corresponding OCI Database operation. OCI IAM policies determine whether the authenticated identity can access the requested resource.

MCP Endpoint and Client Configuration

Each MCP server has an MCP endpoint that compatible clients use to connect to the server by using Streamable HTTP.

After creating an MCP server, you can obtain the generated endpoint from the MCP server details. You can also obtain the MCP JSON configuration required to configure a compatible MCP client.

After the client is configured and authenticated, it can connect to the endpoint and discover the MCP tools available through the server.

The way that you add an MCP server configuration to a client depends on the MCP client that you use.

Authentication

MCP servers use OAuth-based authentication through OCI Identity. When you create an MCP server, you associate it with an identity domain.

To access an MCP server, the MCP client authenticates with the associated identity domain and obtains an OAuth access token. The client uses the access token when connecting to the MCP server. The MCP server validates the token before allowing the client to access the supported MCP tools.

Authorization

OCI IAM controls access to OCI Database resources accessed through an MCP server.

IAM policies can control access based on users, groups, tenancies, compartments, and other supported OCI IAM constructs. The permissions of the authenticated identity determine which resources the identity can access through the MCP tools.

An MCP server doesn't provide additional permissions or bypass existing IAM policies. For example, if an identity has permission to view databases in one compartment but not another, the identity can retrieve information only for databases that the identity is authorized to view. Connecting through an MCP server doesn't extend that access to databases in other compartments.

Access through an MCP server is therefore subject to both the MCP server configuration and the permissions assigned to the authenticated identity.

Read-Only Operations

Managed MCP servers support approved read-only OCI Database control plane operations.

MCP-compatible AI agents can use these operations to retrieve supported information about database resources and their operational state. Operations that create, update, or delete OCI Database resources aren't available through the MCP server.

For example, an authorized agent can retrieve information about a database, database infrastructure, backup, or Data Guard configuration when a corresponding read-only MCP tool is available. The agent can't use the MCP server to modify those resources.

The read-only restriction applies to operations exposed through the managed MCP server and doesn't change the operations available through other OCI interfaces.

Using Multiple MCP Servers

You can create multiple MCP servers to support different access and configuration requirements.

For example, you can configure separate MCP servers for different database services or expose different resource categories through different servers. Each MCP server has its own configuration and endpoint.

The permissions of the authenticated identity continue to apply independently of the MCP server that the client uses.

MCP Server States

An MCP server can be enabled, disabled, or deleted.

• When an MCP server is enabled, clients can connect to the MCP endpoint and use the supported MCP tools, subject to authentication and authorization.
• When an MCP server is disabled, clients can't connect to the MCP endpoint or use the supported MCP tools. The MCP server configuration is retained, and you can enable the server again when access is required.
• When an MCP server is deleted, clients can no longer connect to the MCP endpoint or use the supported MCP tools, and the MCP server configuration is permanently removed.

Security Considerations

Consider the following when using managed MCP servers:

• Use IAM policies to grant only the permissions required by users and groups that access OCI Database resources through MCP.
• Use separate MCP servers when different services or organizational requirements require different configurations.
• Disable an MCP server when MCP access is temporarily not required.
• Delete MCP servers that are no longer required.
• Review the permissions assigned to identities that use MCP-compatible clients.

Managed MCP servers provide another interface to supported OCI Database control plane operations. Existing OCI authentication, authorization, tenancy, and compartment boundaries continue to apply when those operations are accessed through MCP.

• Create MCP Server
  Create an MCP server to provide MCP-compatible clients with access to supported OCI Database services.
• View the List of MCP Servers
  View the MCP servers that you have access to in a compartment.
• View the Details of an MCP Server
  View the configuration, endpoint, and other details of an MCP server.
• Enable or Disable an MCP Server
  Enable or disable an MCP server to control client access. Disabling an MCP server prevents clients from accessing the server without deleting its configuration.
• Move an MCP Server to Another Compartment
  Move an MCP server from its current compartment to another compartment.
• Delete an MCP Server
  Move an MCP server from its current compartment to another compartment.
• Edit the Details of an MCP Server
  Edit an MCP server to update its name or associated database services.