Ara Records MCP Server

A custom Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for integrating with the Ara Records API, enabling Ansible playbook execution monitoring through Claude Code.

Overview

This MCP server provides programmatic access to Ara Records (Ansible Run Analysis) API endpoints, allowing Claude Code to query and analyze Ansible playbook execution data.

Setup

Prerequisites

• Node.js >= 18.0.0
• Ara API running locally (default: http://localhost:8000)

Installation

Install via npx (Recommended)

The easiest way to install is using claude mcp add with npx:

# Local installation (project-specific, default)
claude mcp add ara-api -- npx -y @ultroncore/ara-records-mcp

# User installation (available globally for your user)
claude mcp add --scope user ara-api -- npx -y @ultroncore/ara-records-mcp

With custom ARA server:

claude mcp add --scope user ara-api -- npx -y @ultroncore/ara-records-mcp --api-server http://ara.example.com:8080

With authentication:

claude mcp add --scope user ara-api -- npx -y @ultroncore/ara-records-mcp --api-server https://ara.example.com --username admin --password secret

Scope options:

• local (default): Project-specific installation
• user: Available globally for your user account
• project: Project-specific (same as local)

You can also run it directly without installation:

npx @ultroncore/ara-records-mcp --help

Install Globally via npm

For global installation (allows running ara-records-mcp from anywhere):

npm install -g @ultroncore/ara-records-mcp

Then run directly:

ara-records-mcp --help
ara-records-mcp --api-server http://localhost:8000

Install from GitHub

Install directly from the GitHub repository:

npm install git+https://github.com/syndr/ara-records-mcp.git

This will automatically:

• Clone the repository
• Install the @modelcontextprotocol/sdk dependency
• Make the MCP server ready to use

Install from Local Clone

If you've cloned the repository locally:

# Quick setup (recommended)
./setup.sh

# Manual setup
npm install

The setup script will:

• Verify Node.js >= 18.0.0 is installed
• Install @modelcontextprotocol/sdk and dependencies
• Validate the installation was successful

Common Setup Scenarios

• Initial repository clone
• Merging feature branches
• Switching between worktrees
• After running git clean -fdx

Features

Resources (Read-Only Access)

The server exposes the following resources via the ara:// URI scheme:

• ara://playbooks - List of recorded Ansible playbooks
• ara://plays - List of recorded Ansible plays
• ara://tasks - List of recorded Ansible tasks
• ara://hosts - List of recorded Ansible hosts
• ara://results - List of recorded task results
• ara://latesthosts - Latest playbook result for each host
• ara://running - Currently executing Ansible playbooks (for real-time monitoring)

Tools

• ara_query - Query arbitrary Ara API endpoints with GET/POST support and automatic pagination
• watch_playbook - Monitor a specific playbook execution with detailed progress tracking, task completion status, and execution timeline
• get_playbook_status - Get a quick summary of playbook execution status without detailed task information

Technical Details

Project Structure

ara-records-mcp/
├── ara-server.js    # Main MCP server implementation
├── package.json     # Node.js dependencies
├── package-lock.json # Locked dependency versions
├── setup.sh         # Automated setup script
├── .gitignore       # Git ignore rules
└── README.md        # This documentation

Configuration

Configure the server in your Claude Code .mcp.json file:

After Installing from GitHub

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ara-api": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["node_modules/ara-records-mcp/ara-server.js"],
      "env": {
        "ARA_API_SERVER": "http://localhost:8000"
      }
    }
  }
}

After Local Clone/Development

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ara-api": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["ara-server.js"],
      "env": {
        "ARA_API_SERVER": "http://localhost:8000"
      }
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables and CLI Arguments

Configuration can be provided via environment variables or CLI arguments. CLI arguments take precedence over environment variables.

CLI Argument	Environment Variable	Description	Default	Required
--api-server <url>	ARA_API_SERVER	Base URL of the Ara API server	http://localhost:8000	No
--username <user>	ARA_USERNAME	Username for HTTP Basic Authentication	None	No
--password <pass>	ARA_PASSWORD	Password for HTTP Basic Authentication	None	No

Priority: CLI arguments > Environment variables > Defaults

Authentication Support

The server currently supports HTTP Basic Authentication for scenarios where the Ara API is behind a reverse proxy (nginx, Apache, etc.) that implements authentication.

Additional authentication methods (API tokens, OAuth, etc.) may be added in future releases.

Example with Basic Auth (Environment Variables):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ara-api": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["node_modules/ara-records-mcp/ara-server.js"],
      "env": {
        "ARA_API_SERVER": "https://ara.example.com",
        "ARA_USERNAME": "your-username",
        "ARA_PASSWORD": "your-password"
      }
    }
  }
}

Example with Basic Auth (CLI Arguments via npx):

claude mcp add ara-api -- npx -y @ultroncore/ara-records-mcp --api-server https://ara.example.com --username your-username --password your-password

Note: Both ARA_USERNAME and ARA_PASSWORD (or --username and --password) must be set for authentication to be enabled. If only one is provided, no authentication will be used.

API Endpoints

The server connects to Ara's REST API v1 endpoints:

• Base URL: http://localhost:8000 (configurable via ARA_API_SERVER environment variable or --api-server CLI argument)
• API Path: /api/v1 (hardcoded for consistency)
• Full endpoints: /api/v1/playbooks, /api/v1/plays, etc.

Automatic Pagination

All requests include automatic pagination to prevent token overflow:

• Default Limit: 10 results per request (if not specified)
• Smart Ordering: Automatically applies order=-started to chronological endpoints (playbooks, plays, tasks, results)
• Token Efficiency: Prevents MCP tool responses from exceeding token limits
• Backward Compatibility: Respects explicit query parameters when provided

Requirements

• Ara API must be running and accessible (default: http://localhost:8000)
• Claude Code restart required after installation to load the MCP server
• Supports GET/POST operations only

Development

Running Tests

The project includes a comprehensive test suite using Node.js built-in test runner (no dependencies required).

Run all tests:

npm test

Run tests in watch mode (Node 19+):

node --test --watch

Test Coverage

Tests cover:

• CLI Argument Parsing: Validates --api-server, --username, --password flags and defaults
• Authentication Headers: Tests Basic auth header generation and base64 encoding
• Pagination Logic: Validates automatic limit/order defaults and parameter preservation
• MCP Schema Validation: Tests resources, tools, URI mappings, and response formats

Publishing Releases

The project uses automated GitHub Actions workflows for releases:

Setup npm Token (One-time)

1. Create an npm access token at https://www.npmjs.com/settings/your-username/tokens
2. Add the token as a GitHub repository secret:
   • Go to repository Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions
   • Click "New repository secret"
   • Name: NPM_TOKEN
   • Value: Your npm token

Releasing a New Version

1. Update version in package.json (following semver):

   # For bug fixes
   npm version patch
   
   # For new features (backward compatible)
   npm version minor
   
   # For breaking changes
   npm version major
   

2. Commit and push to main branch:

   git add package.json
   git commit -m "Bump version to X.Y.Z"
   git push origin main
   

3. The Release workflow automatically:

   • Detects version change
   • Creates git tag (e.g., v1.1.0)
   • Creates GitHub release with auto-generated notes
   • Publishes package to npm

You can also trigger releases manually via workflow_dispatch in the GitHub Actions tab.

Testing the MCP Server

Verify Ara API is Running

curl -s http://localhost:8000/api/v1/ | jq

Test MCP Server Startup

timeout 2 node ara-server.js 2>&1

Expected output: *whirring* Ara MCP server activated. Testing chamber operational.

Verification Steps

1. Ara API Check: Ensure Ara is running and responding at http://localhost:8000/api/v1/
2. MCP Server Test: Run the server directly to confirm no startup errors
3. Claude Code Integration: Restart Claude Code and verify MCP resources are available
4. Resource Access: Test accessing ara://playbooks and other resources

Usage Examples

Default Query with Automatic Pagination

mcp__ara-api__ara_query({ endpoint: "/api/v1/playbooks" })
// Automatically applies: limit=10&order=-started

Explicit Pagination

mcp__ara-api__ara_query({ endpoint: "/api/v1/playbooks?limit=10&offset=20" })
// Respects user-provided parameters

Specific Resource Lookup

mcp__ara-api__ara_query({ endpoint: "/api/v1/playbooks/2273" })
// No pagination applied for specific resource IDs

Real-Time Playbook Monitoring

Monitor a playbook execution as it runs:

// Get detailed progress with task information
mcp__ara-api__watch_playbook({
  playbook_id: 2510,
  include_tasks: true,
  include_results: false
})

// Returns:
// - Execution status (running, completed, failed)
// - Progress percentage (tasks completed / total tasks)
// - Task list with status, timing, and action details
// - Host and play counts

Quick Status Check

Check playbook status without verbose task details:

mcp__ara-api__get_playbook_status({ playbook_id: 2510 })

// Returns:
// - Current status
// - Progress percentage
// - Start/end times and duration
// - Playbook path

Monitor Running Playbooks

List all currently executing playbooks:

// Using resource
ReadMcpResourceTool({ server: "ara-api", uri: "ara://running" })

// Or using ara_query
mcp__ara-api__ara_query({ endpoint: "/api/v1/playbooks?status=running" })

Implementation Notes

Architecture

• Uses schema-based request handlers (ListResourcesRequestSchema, ReadResourceRequestSchema, CallToolRequestSchema)
• Implements MCP SDK v1.0.0+ standards
• Provides both resource exposure and tool functionality for comprehensive API access
• Automatic pagination and ordering to prevent token overflow in large result sets

Real-Time Monitoring

While Ara doesn't natively support WebSockets, the MCP server provides polling-based monitoring that Claude can use to watch playbook execution:

• Polling Pattern: Tools return current state that can be called repeatedly
• Progress Tracking: Calculates completion percentage based on tasks completed vs total tasks
• Resource Filtering: The ara://running resource filters for in-progress playbooks only
• Structured Data: Returns normalized JSON with status, timing, and progress information

How to Use for Monitoring:

1. Get list of running playbooks from ara://running resource
2. Use get_playbook_status() tool to check progress periodically
3. Use watch_playbook() tool for detailed task-level monitoring
4. Call tools repeatedly (every few seconds) to track execution progress

Error Handling

The server implements basic error handling for:

• Invalid resource URIs
• HTTP errors from Ara API
• Network connectivity issues
• Missing or invalid playbook IDs

Future Enhancements

• [x] Basic Authentication: HTTP Basic Auth support via environment variables (completed)
• [ ] Additional Authentication Methods: Support for API tokens, OAuth, JWT, or other auth mechanisms
• [x] Pagination: Implement proper pagination handling for large result sets (completed)
• [ ] Advanced Filtering: Add more sophisticated query parameter support for resource endpoints
• [ ] Enhanced Error Handling: Improve error messages and recovery strategies
• [x] Real-Time Monitoring: Polling-based playbook execution monitoring with progress tracking (completed - note: WebSocket not supported by Ara API, implemented polling-based solution instead)
• [ ] Automated Deployment: Ansible playbook for updating and deploying the MCP server

Version History

v1.0.0 (2025-10-20) - Initial Release

• Basic Authentication Support: HTTP Basic Authentication for reverse proxy scenarios
  • Environment variables ARA_USERNAME and ARA_PASSWORD for credentials
  • Automatic Authorization header generation with base64 encoding
  • Future-ready for additional authentication methods
• Real-Time Monitoring: Polling-based playbook execution monitoring
  • New ara://running resource for listing active playbooks
  • watch_playbook tool for detailed progress tracking with task information
  • get_playbook_status tool for quick status checks
  • Progress calculation (percentage, task counts, timing information)
• Pagination Support: Automatic pagination with configurable limits and smart ordering
• MCP SDK Integration: Schema-based request handlers using MCP SDK v1.0.0+
• Token Optimization: Safeguards to prevent token overflow in responses
• GitHub Installation: Proper package.json metadata for direct git installation

License

MIT

Support

For issues or questions, please refer to the main project documentation or submit an issue to the repository.