What is Mcpgate

mcpgate is a blazing-fast MCP gateway written in Rust that converts MCP server configurations into Streamable HTTP or Server-Sent Events (SSE) HTTP services for remote invocation.

Use cases

Use cases for mcpgate include integrating file system operations into web services, dynamic problem-solving tools for structured thought processes, and any scenario requiring efficient remote service communication.

How to use

To use mcpgate, download the binary for your platform, create a configuration file (config.json) with your MCP servers, start the service using the command ‘./mcpgate -C ./config.json -P 8080’, and verify the service through the provided HTTP endpoint.

Key features

Key features of mcpgate include support for multiple backend service types (stdio/SSE/streamableHttp), a unified service discovery interface, various runtime methods (Docker/Podman/NPM), and lightweight deployment with a single binary execution.

Where to use

mcpgate can be used in various fields where remote service invocation is required, such as web applications, microservices architecture, and real-time data processing.

MCP Gateway

The MCP Gateway is a lightweight tool that can convert the mcpServers configuration in configuration files into Streamable HTTP or Server-Sent Events (SSE) HTTP services for remote invocation.

Features

• Supports multiple backend service types: stdio/SSE/streamableHttp
• Provides a unified service discovery interface
• Supports various runtime methods: Docker/Podman/NPM, etc.
• Lightweight deployment with single binary execution

Quick Start

1. Download the Program

Get the binary for your platform from the releases page.

2. Configure MCP Server

Create a configuration file ./config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "name": "File System",
      "description": "Operations on file system files",
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "podman",
      "cwd": "./work/filesystem",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-v",
        "./:/projects",
        "--user",
        "0:0",
        "mcp/filesystem",
        "/projects"
      ]
    },
    "sequentialthinking": {
      "name": "Sequential Thinking",
      "description": "A tool for dynamic reflective problem-solving through structured thought processes",
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "podman",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "mcp/sequentialthinking"
      ]
    }
  }
}

3. Start the Service

./mcpgate -C ./config.json -P 8080

4. Verify the Service

Access the service discovery interface in your browser:

http://localhost:8080/mcp/config.json

Service Configuration Methods

1. Using Existing HTTP Services

Directly configure remote SSE or Streamable HTTP endpoints:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sequentialthinking_sse": {
      "type": "sse",
      "url": "https://mcpserver.com/sequentialthinking/sse"
    },
    "sequentialthinking_http": {
      "type": "streamable",
      "url": "https://mcpserver.com/sequentialthinking"
    }
  }
}

2. Using Container Runtime

Get official images from Docker Hub - MCP:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sequentialthinking": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "mcp/sequentialthinking"
      ]
    }
  }
}

3. Using NPM Packages

Requires pre-installed Node.js environment:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "memory": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-memory"
      ]
    }
  }
}

4. Custom Service Development

Refer to language SDKs to develop custom services:

Python Example

Using Python SDK:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "custom_server": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "python",
      "args": [
        "server.py"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Advanced Configuration

Notes

1. Ensure stdio-type services are designed for standard input/output
2. SSE services must support text/event-stream format
3. HTTPS configuration is recommended for production environments

License

Licensed under either of

• Apache License, Version 2.0, (LICENSE-APACHE or https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0)
• MIT license (LICENSE-MIT or https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)

at your option.

Contribution

Unless you explicitly state otherwise, any contribution intentionally
submitted for inclusion in the work by you, as defined in the Apache-2.0
license, shall be dual licensed as above, without any additional terms or
conditions.