+++ title = 'MCP' weight = 2 cpu_total = '3 CPU cores' memory_total = '5 GiB' +++
The MCP overlay extends the core stack with the StreamsHub MCP server, giving AI assistants (Claude Code, VS Code Copilot, etc.) read-only access to the Strimzi-managed Kafka cluster.
curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/streamshub/developer-quickstart/main/install.sh | OVERLAY=mcp bashIf you prefer step-by-step control, the MCP overlay uses overlays/mcp instead of overlays/core:
# Phase 1 — Operators and CRDs
kubectl apply --server-side --force-conflicts -k 'https://github.com/streamshub/developer-quickstart//overlays/mcp/base?ref=main'
# Optionally, wait for the operators to be ready
kubectl wait --for=condition=Available deployment/strimzi-cluster-operator -n strimzi --timeout=120s
kubectl wait --for=condition=Available deployment/apicurio-registry-operator -n apicurio-registry --timeout=120s
kubectl wait --for=condition=Available deployment/streamshub-console-operator -n streamshub-console --timeout=120s
# Phase 2 — Operands and MCP server
kubectl apply -k 'https://github.com/streamshub/developer-quickstart//overlays/mcp/stack?ref=main'curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/streamshub/developer-quickstart/main/uninstall.sh | OVERLAY=mcp bashOn top of the components provided by the core overlay, the MCP overlay adds:
| Component | Namespace | Description |
|---|---|---|
| StreamsHub MCP server | streamshub-mcp |
MCP server for AI-assisted Kafka cluster management |
| Sensitive Role | kafka |
Grants access to TLS certificates and pod metrics |
The MCP server provides read-only tools for inspecting and troubleshooting Strimzi-managed Kafka clusters via the Model Context Protocol.
The MCP overlay requires at least {{< param cpu_total >}} and {{< param memory_total >}} of allocatable cluster resources. This includes the resources for the core stack plus the MCP server listed above.
Port-forward to the MCP server:
kubectl port-forward -n streamshub-mcp svc/streamshub-strimzi-mcp 8085:8080The MCP endpoint is available at http://localhost:8085/mcp.
Confirm the MCP server is running:
kubectl get deployment -n streamshub-mcp streamshub-strimzi-mcpThe deployment should show 1/1 ready replicas. Check the health endpoint:
kubectl port-forward -n streamshub-mcp svc/streamshub-strimzi-mcp 8085:8080 &
curl -s http://localhost:8085/q/health/readyIf the MCP server deployment is not becoming ready:
# Check pod status
kubectl get pods -n streamshub-mcp
# Check logs
kubectl logs -n streamshub-mcp deployment/streamshub-strimzi-mcp
# Verify Strimzi CRDs are installed
kubectl get crd kafkas.kafka.strimzi.ioCommon causes:
- Strimzi operator not installed — the MCP server requires Strimzi CRDs to exist
- Insufficient cluster resources — check node resource availability
- Image pull errors — verify the cluster can pull from
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