scm-mcp

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Palo Alto Networks Strata Cloud Manager (SCM). Exposes 149 tools covering the full SCM configuration lifecycle — policy objects, security rules, NAT, profiles, decryption, QoS, and more — so you can manage firewall configuration through natural language in Claude Code or Claude Desktop.

Features

• 149 tools across 9 functional areas
• Multi-tenant (multi-TSG) support — target different tenants per tool call with named aliases
• Full CRUD for all supported resource types
• Zero infrastructure — runs as a local stdio process, no server to maintain
• Built on the pan-scm-sdk which handles OAuth2 token lifecycle, pagination, and Pydantic validation automatically

Tool Coverage

Area	Tools	Resources
Setup	12	Folders, Snippets
Objects	45	Addresses, Address Groups, Services, Service Groups, Tags, Log Forwarding Profiles, HTTP Server Profiles, Syslog Server Profiles
Policy Objects	24	Applications, Application Groups, Application Filters, Schedules, External Dynamic Lists
Security	26	Security Rules, Security Zones, Decryption Rules, Authentication Rules
Network	17	NAT Rules, PBF Rules, QoS Rules
Profiles	24	Anti-Spyware, WildFire, Vulnerability, URL Access, URL Categories, DNS Security, Decryption, File Blocking, Zone Protection
Operations	4	Commit, Job Status, List Jobs, List TSG Profiles
Total	149

Requirements

• Python 3.12+
• A Palo Alto Networks SCM tenant with a service account
• Claude Code or Claude Desktop

Installation

1. Clone and install

git clone https://github.com/your-username/scm-mcp.git
cd scm-mcp
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate      # Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -e .

2. Configure credentials

cp .env.example .env

Edit .env with your SCM service account credentials:

SCM_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id_here
SCM_CLIENT_SECRET=your_client_secret_here
SCM_TSG_ID=your_default_tsg_id_here

# Optional: named aliases for multi-tenant use
# SCM_TSG_PROD=prod_tsg_id_here
# SCM_TSG_LAB=lab_tsg_id_here

Where to find credentials: SCM portal → Settings → Service Accounts → Create. The TSG ID appears in the tenant URL: https://stratacloudmanager.paloaltonetworks.com/tenants/<TSG_ID>/.

3. Register with Claude Code

claude mcp add scm -- /path/to/scm-mcp/.venv/bin/python -m src.server

Or add to .claude/settings.json manually:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scm": {
      "command": "/path/to/scm-mcp/.venv/bin/python",
      "args": ["-m", "src.server"],
      "cwd": "/path/to/scm-mcp"
    }
  }
}

4. Register with Claude Desktop

Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scm": {
      "command": "/path/to/scm-mcp/.venv/bin/python",
      "args": ["-m", "src.server"],
      "cwd": "/path/to/scm-mcp",
      "env": {
        "SCM_CLIENT_ID": "your_client_id",
        "SCM_CLIENT_SECRET": "your_client_secret",
        "SCM_TSG_ID": "your_tsg_id"
      }
    }
  }
}

Multi-Tenant Usage

Every tool accepts an optional tsg_id parameter. When omitted, the default SCM_TSG_ID is used.

Named aliases — define them in .env:

SCM_TSG_PROD=1234567890
SCM_TSG_LAB=9876543210

Then pass the alias name to any tool:

# List which TSGs are configured
scm_list_tsg_profiles()

# Query the PROD tenant
scm_list_addresses(folder="All", tsg_id="PROD")

# Copy an object between tenants
scm_get_address(address_id="<uuid>", tsg_id="PROD")
scm_create_address(name="web-servers", folder="Texas", ip_netmask="10.0.1.0/24", tsg_id="LAB")

You can also pass a raw TSG ID string directly if no alias is configured.

Project Structure

scm-mcp/
├── src/
│   ├── server.py            # MCP server entry point and tool registration
│   ├── client.py            # Per-TSG Scm client factory with alias resolution
│   ├── utils.py             # Serialization (Pydantic → dict) and error handling
│   └── tools/
│       ├── setup.py         # Folders, Snippets
│       ├── objects.py       # Addresses, Address Groups, Services, Service Groups,
│       │                    #   Tags, Log/HTTP/Syslog Server Profiles
│       ├── policy_objects.py# Applications, App Groups, App Filters,
│       │                    #   Schedules, External Dynamic Lists
│       ├── security.py      # Security Rules, Security Zones,
│       │                    #   Decryption Rules, Authentication Rules
│       ├── network.py       # NAT Rules, PBF Rules, QoS Rules
│       ├── profiles.py      # Anti-Spyware, WildFire, Vulnerability, URL Access,
│       │                    #   URL Categories, DNS Security, Decryption,
│       │                    #   File Blocking, Zone Protection Profiles
│       └── operations.py    # Commit, Job Status, List Jobs, List TSG Profiles
├── .env.example             # Credential template (commit this)
├── .env                     # Real credentials (gitignored)
├── pyproject.toml           # Project metadata and dependencies
└── README.md

Example Prompts

Once the MCP server is connected, you can use natural language in Claude Code:

Show me all security rules in the Texas folder.

Create an address object for our web server farm: 10.10.1.0/24 in the Texas folder, tagged "web-tier".

Copy all address objects from the PROD tenant into the LAB tenant under the same folder.

Create a security rule allowing HTTPS from the trust zone to the DMZ zone for the web-servers address group. Use the best-practice security profile group.

What external dynamic lists are configured and when do they refresh?

Commit the changes in the Texas and California folders with description "Q2 policy update".

Tool Reference

Operations

Tool	Description
scm_list_tsg_profiles	List configured TSG profiles and their aliases
scm_commit	Commit staged changes and push to devices
scm_get_job_status	Poll an async commit job for completion
scm_list_jobs	List recent SCM jobs

Setup

Tool	Description
scm_list_folders	List all folders
scm_get_folder	Get folder by UUID
scm_create_folder	Create a folder
scm_update_folder	Rename or redescribe a folder
scm_delete_folder	Delete a folder
scm_list_snippets	List all snippets
scm_get_snippet	Get snippet by UUID
scm_create_snippet	Create a snippet
scm_update_snippet	Update a snippet
scm_delete_snippet	Delete a snippet
scm_associate_snippet_to_folder	Associate a snippet with a folder
scm_disassociate_snippet_from_folder	Remove snippet-folder association

Objects

Tool	Description
scm_list_addresses	List address objects
scm_get_address	Get address by UUID
scm_create_address	Create an address (IP/CIDR, range, wildcard, or FQDN)
scm_update_address	Update an address
scm_delete_address	Delete an address
scm_list_address_groups	List address groups
scm_get_address_group	Get address group by UUID
scm_create_address_group	Create a static or dynamic address group
scm_update_address_group	Update an address group
scm_delete_address_group	Delete an address group
scm_list_services	List service objects
scm_get_service	Get service by UUID
scm_create_service	Create a TCP/UDP service
scm_update_service	Update a service
scm_delete_service	Delete a service
scm_list_service_groups	List service groups
scm_get_service_group	Get service group by UUID
scm_create_service_group	Create a service group
scm_update_service_group	Update a service group
scm_delete_service_group	Delete a service group
scm_list_tags	List tags
scm_get_tag	Get tag by UUID
scm_create_tag	Create a tag
scm_update_tag	Update a tag
scm_delete_tag	Delete a tag
scm_list_log_forwarding_profiles	List log forwarding profiles
scm_get_log_forwarding_profile	Get log forwarding profile by UUID
scm_create_log_forwarding_profile	Create a log forwarding profile
scm_delete_log_forwarding_profile	Delete a log forwarding profile
scm_list_http_server_profiles	List HTTP server profiles
scm_get_http_server_profile	Get HTTP server profile by UUID
scm_create_http_server_profile	Create an HTTP server profile
scm_delete_http_server_profile	Delete an HTTP server profile
scm_list_syslog_server_profiles	List syslog server profiles
scm_get_syslog_server_profile	Get syslog server profile by UUID
scm_create_syslog_server_profile	Create a syslog server profile
scm_delete_syslog_server_profile	Delete a syslog server profile

Policy Objects

Tool	Description
scm_list_applications	List application objects
scm_get_application	Get application by UUID
scm_create_application	Create a custom application
scm_update_application	Update a custom application
scm_delete_application	Delete a custom application
scm_list_application_groups	List application groups
scm_get_application_group	Get application group by UUID
scm_create_application_group	Create an application group
scm_update_application_group	Update an application group
scm_delete_application_group	Delete an application group
scm_list_application_filters	List application filters
scm_get_application_filter	Get application filter by UUID
scm_create_application_filter	Create a dynamic application filter
scm_delete_application_filter	Delete an application filter
scm_list_schedules	List schedule objects
scm_get_schedule	Get schedule by UUID
scm_create_schedule	Create a recurring or one-time schedule
scm_update_schedule	Update a schedule
scm_delete_schedule	Delete a schedule
scm_list_external_dynamic_lists	List external dynamic lists (EDLs)
scm_get_external_dynamic_list	Get EDL by UUID
scm_create_external_dynamic_list	Create an IP/URL/domain EDL
scm_update_external_dynamic_list	Update an EDL
scm_delete_external_dynamic_list	Delete an EDL

Security

Tool	Description
scm_list_security_rules	List security policy rules
scm_get_security_rule	Get security rule by UUID
scm_create_security_rule	Create a security rule
scm_update_security_rule	Update a security rule
scm_delete_security_rule	Delete a security rule
scm_move_security_rule	Reorder a rule (top/bottom/before/after)
scm_list_security_zones	List security zones
scm_get_security_zone	Get security zone by UUID
scm_create_security_zone	Create a security zone
scm_update_security_zone	Update a security zone
scm_delete_security_zone	Delete a security zone
scm_list_decryption_rules	List decryption policy rules
scm_get_decryption_rule	Get decryption rule by UUID
scm_create_decryption_rule	Create a decrypt/no-decrypt rule
scm_update_decryption_rule	Update a decryption rule
scm_delete_decryption_rule	Delete a decryption rule
scm_list_authentication_rules	List authentication policy rules
scm_get_authentication_rule	Get authentication rule by UUID
scm_create_authentication_rule	Create an authentication rule
scm_update_authentication_rule	Update an authentication rule
scm_delete_authentication_rule	Delete an authentication rule

Network

Tool	Description
scm_list_nat_rules	List NAT rules
scm_get_nat_rule	Get NAT rule by UUID
scm_create_nat_rule	Create a NAT rule (IPv4, NAT64, NPTv6)
scm_update_nat_rule	Update a NAT rule
scm_delete_nat_rule	Delete a NAT rule
scm_list_pbf_rules	List policy-based forwarding rules
scm_get_pbf_rule	Get PBF rule by UUID
scm_create_pbf_rule	Create a PBF rule
scm_update_pbf_rule	Update a PBF rule
scm_delete_pbf_rule	Delete a PBF rule
scm_list_qos_rules	List QoS policy rules
scm_get_qos_rule	Get QoS rule by UUID
scm_create_qos_rule	Create a QoS rule
scm_update_qos_rule	Update a QoS rule
scm_delete_qos_rule	Delete a QoS rule

Security Profiles

Tool	Description
scm_list_anti_spyware_profiles	List anti-spyware profiles
scm_get_anti_spyware_profile	Get anti-spyware profile by UUID
scm_create_anti_spyware_profile	Create an anti-spyware profile
scm_delete_anti_spyware_profile	Delete an anti-spyware profile
scm_list_wildfire_profiles	List WildFire antivirus profiles
scm_get_wildfire_profile	Get WildFire profile by UUID
scm_create_wildfire_profile	Create a WildFire profile
scm_delete_wildfire_profile	Delete a WildFire profile
scm_list_vulnerability_profiles	List vulnerability protection profiles
scm_get_vulnerability_profile	Get vulnerability profile by UUID
scm_create_vulnerability_profile	Create a vulnerability protection profile
scm_delete_vulnerability_profile	Delete a vulnerability protection profile
scm_list_url_access_profiles	List URL access (filtering) profiles
scm_get_url_access_profile	Get URL access profile by UUID
scm_create_url_access_profile	Create a URL access profile
scm_delete_url_access_profile	Delete a URL access profile
scm_list_url_categories	List custom URL categories
scm_get_url_category	Get URL category by UUID
scm_create_url_category	Create a custom URL category
scm_delete_url_category	Delete a custom URL category
scm_list_dns_security_profiles	List DNS security profiles
scm_get_dns_security_profile	Get DNS security profile by UUID
scm_create_dns_security_profile	Create a DNS security profile
scm_delete_dns_security_profile	Delete a DNS security profile
scm_list_decryption_profiles	List SSL/TLS decryption profiles
scm_get_decryption_profile	Get decryption profile by UUID
scm_create_decryption_profile	Create a decryption profile
scm_delete_decryption_profile	Delete a decryption profile
scm_list_file_blocking_profiles	List file blocking profiles
scm_get_file_blocking_profile	Get file blocking profile by UUID
scm_create_file_blocking_profile	Create a file blocking profile
scm_delete_file_blocking_profile	Delete a file blocking profile
scm_list_zone_protection_profiles	List zone protection profiles
scm_get_zone_protection_profile	Get zone protection profile by UUID
scm_create_zone_protection_profile	Create a zone protection profile
scm_delete_zone_protection_profile	Delete a zone protection profile

Environment Variables

Variable	Required	Description
SCM_CLIENT_ID	Yes	OAuth2 client ID from the SCM service account
SCM_CLIENT_SECRET	Yes	OAuth2 client secret from the SCM service account
SCM_TSG_ID	Yes	Default Tenant Service Group ID
SCM_TSG_<NAME>	No	Named TSG alias — pass <NAME> as tsg_id to any tool

Authentication

SCM uses OAuth2 client credentials flow. Tokens have a 15-minute TTL and are automatically refreshed by the underlying pan-scm-sdk. No token management is required.

Service accounts are created in the SCM portal under Settings > Identity & Access > Service Accounts. The account needs appropriate role permissions for the resources you intend to manage.

Contributing

Issues and pull requests welcome. This project is built on pan-scm-sdk — if you need a resource type that isn't covered here, check whether the SDK supports it first.

License

MIT