MCP for DevOps, NetOps, and SecOps: Actual-World Use Instances and Future
Insights
Within the earlier put up on MCP for DevOps: Structure and Elements, we mentioned what MCP is and isn’t. We dove into a couple of architectural elements and gently touched on use instances. Now, let’s discover a couple of potential use instances for MCP in DevOps/NetOps/SecOps.
I’ve cherry-picked a couple of buyer and companion use instances I’ve personally labored with and located acceptable for our dialogue. My listing won’t be exhaustive, but it surely ought to provide you with a strong view of sensible makes use of for MCP. Let your thoughts ponder the chances in your atmosphere. 😃
Within the YouTube sequence on MCP for DevOps, we’ll leverage some use instances to construct a working implementation with MCP, instruments, and Cisco merchandise.
Recap – Mannequin Context Protocol (MCP)
In case you didn’t catch half 1 on this weblog sequence on MCP for DevOps: Structure and Elements, test it out. However for now, right here’s a fast level-set on MCP.
As illustrated in Determine 1, the Mannequin Context Protocol (MCP) supplies a uniform solution to combine an AI mannequin into instruments and companies.
Determine 1. MCP with LLMs and Instruments
MCP Overview
It’s:
- A light-weight communication protocol designed particularly for AI brokers and functions.
- Constructed to attach these brokers to instruments, APIs, databases, and file programs.
- Structured as a consumer/server structure—easy and predictable.
- Plumbing
It isn’t:
- A messaging protocol for agent-to-agent communication.
- An LLM, database, AI assistant, or agent.
- A general-purpose integration platform.
- A alternative on your present APIs or knowledge bus.
Widespread MCP Use Instances
As talked about above, MCP integrates AI functions, instruments, knowledge sources, APIs, and so on. Nevertheless, MCP, being a protocol, doesn’t work alone. A consumer and server should use the protocol and full the pairing.
When AI functions and brokers combine the MCP SDK for consumer use and create an MCP server to work on behalf of native or distant instruments, the next typical use instances can facilitate a low-toil/high-reward end result.
-
Automating Routine Duties:
MCP can deal with repetitive chores akin to producing reviews, managing GitHub repos, constructing Ansible playbooks, and managing CI/CD pipelines. -
Unified Information and Motion Administration:
Consider MCP as your AI utility or agent’s centralized hub for interacting with numerous programs akin to observability options from Splunk, orchestration programs akin to Cisco NSO, and AI safety platforms akin to Cisco AI Protection. -
Enhanced Context and Choice-Making:
MCP-powered AI functions and brokers present richer context by accessing knowledge from a number of sources, resulting in sooner, smarter choices. -
Compliance and Safety:
MCP interactions throughout your programs could be safe, compliant, and auditable when used with standardized safety protocols, processes, and instruments.
As illustrated in Determine 2, the MCP Shopper (AI utility, assistant, or agent) can use MCP Servers to combine with a number of automation, observability, safety, and collaboration programs by calling these via APIs, knowledge sources, and so on.
Determine 2. MCP with Instruments, Providers, Platforms
Unified Automation with MCP
DevOps Use Instances
-
CI/CD Automation:
AI functions utilizing MCP can automate total CI/CD pipelines, seamlessly managing builds, exams, deployments, and notifications via Cisco Webex. -
Environment friendly Code Administration:
GitHub MCP integration permits an AI utility or agent to handle branches, overview pull requests, triage points, and scan for vulnerabilities. -
Infrastructure Automation:
With MCP Server integrations for Terraform and Ansible, your AI agent can shortly and precisely provision infrastructure or modify settings. -
Streamlined Incident Response:
Cisco Webex built-in with MCP helps your AI utility or agent actively interact in troubleshooting and incident administration, considerably lowering response instances.
DevOps State of affairs:
Think about asking your AI utility (Chat interface and even your IDE):
“Create a brand new launch department, run exams, deploy to staging, and ship a notification to Cisco Webex.”
As illustrated in Determine 3, your AI utility seamlessly orchestrates actions through GitHub, Docker, and Jenkins utilizing MCP and sends updates via Cisco Webex.
Determine 3. MCP-Powered CI/CD Pipeline
Pipeline Automation with MCP
NetOps Use Instances
-
Dynamic Community Administration:
MCP permits AI-driven administration of community configurations utilizing pure language, leveraging Cisco APIs or Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) instruments. -
Automated Community Monitoring:
With MCP, you should use an AI utility or agent to watch community efficiency, detect anomalies, and mechanically remediate points through Cisco options like ThousandEyes, Meraki Dashboard, and lots of extra. -
Cloud Infrastructure Automation:
MCP permits you to use AI to handle cloud-based networking infrastructure, leveraging Kubernetes APIs and Cisco community controllers for clever automation.
NetOps State of affairs:
“Add a brand new OSPF IPv6 route for the 2001:db8:cafe::1/64 community at Information Middle A.”
As illustrated in Determine 4, utilizing MCP, your AI utility makes use of an MCP Server to work together with Cisco APIs and even NETCONF/RESTCONF to make OSPF routing updates. It instantly updates the NetOps crew through Cisco Webex.
Determine 4. AI-driven Visitors Administration utilizing MCP
Community Automation with MCP
SecOps Use Instances
-
Proactive Menace Response:
AI brokers utilizing MCP swiftly detect and mitigate threats by adjusting firewall settings with Cisco Safe Firewall and mechanically isolating compromised endpoints utilizing Cisco Safe Endpoint. -
Automated Vulnerability Administration:
MCP integrations allow AI to determine vulnerabilities and generate rapid infrastructure or host configuration fixes via Ansible playbooks and Terraform suppliers. -
Actual-time Incident Orchestration:
With MCP, AI orchestrates complete incident responses, isolating threats, deploying patches, and alerting groups through Cisco Webex.
As illustrated in Determine 5, the next state of affairs could be realized utilizing MCP:
SecOps State of affairs:
Upon receiving a notification that the system recognized malware, your AI assistant makes use of numerous instruments through MCP to right away:
- Isolates the contaminated machine utilizing Cisco Safe Endpoint APIs
- Applies fixes via Ansible
- Updates firewall insurance policies
- Informs your safety crew through Cisco Webex
Determine 5. Incident Administration utilizing MCP
Safety Incident Automation with MCP
I’ve not scratched the floor of what’s potential utilizing AI, MCP, and an countless array of future MCP servers.
Future Outlook
MCP’s ecosystem continues to develop, promising deeper integrations with Cisco options and broader business adoption. Anticipate extra subtle cross-domain orchestration, streamlined cloud-hosted companies, and AI-driven proactive optimizations. MCP is setting the stage for smarter, sooner, and safer tool-based operations.
Issues to contemplate:
Whereas MCP is nice for AI functions interacting with exterior instruments and knowledge sources, at the moment, it isn’t constructed for production-grade agent-to-agent composition, deployment, discovery, connectivity, or lifecycle administration of brokers. MCP will not be but constructed to handle the dynamic discovery of MCP Servers and the instruments they characterize.
Additionally it is a Wild Wild West present on MCP Servers. Everyone seems to be creating them. That’s nice because it exhibits curiosity in MCP and the way simple it’s to leverage the MCP SDK, indicating that MCP supplies direct worth. Nevertheless, I warning you to rigorously consider the MCP servers you leverage in your enterprise use instances. Downloading and utilizing an unknown MCP Server that anybody can publish may trigger hurt should you don’t perceive the instruments, sources, and so on., the MCP Server is constructed to make use of.
A number of of the numerous potential safety implications for MCP use embrace:
- Privilege escalation threats
- Observability into what every software name is doing
- Dependency on extra code and packages for correct end-to-end encryption and belief
There’s a good weblog put up on MCP safety concerns on the neighborhood.cisco.com website: Overview of MCP and Its Safety Structure.
Sooner or later, we’ll see companies and instruments that validate the code/picture of a given MCP Server as we do with app shops, container photographs, and so on. Till there’s a standardized and well-understood manner to make sure you aren’t utilizing a dangerous MCP Server, I’d be further vigilant about researching and actually understanding what the server is doing in your behalf.
What’s subsequent? We’ll proceed this sequence on MCP for DevOps by entering into the hands-on facet of MCP use. Keep tuned for some YouTube movies and extra blogs on particular MCP Purchasers and MCP Servers which might be nice for Dev/Internet/SecOps.
Checkout the most recent Video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NXFzZsvhJR8?si=hApnwsFaQMKUNPGF… and don’t overlook to love and subscribe to our channel to get extra studying and innovation in AI, Enterprise Networking, DevOps, Automation, and Cyber Safety.
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