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MCP server monitors launch an MCP server process and verify connectivity. Configuration specifies the server command and its environment.
Define this in code. YAML format · Terraform

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Config fields

FieldTypeRequiredDefaultDescription
config.commandstringYes—Command to start the MCP server
config.argsarray of stringNo[]Command-line arguments
config.envobjectNo{}Environment variables to set for the process

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Assertions

AssertionRequired fieldsDescription
mcp_connects(none)Passes if the MCP server starts and accepts connections
mcp_response_timemaxMsFails if initialization takes longer than threshold
mcp_response_time_warnwarnMsRecords degraded hint for elevated startup time
mcp_has_capabilitycapabilityFails if the server doesn’t advertise a specific capability
mcp_tool_availabletoolNameFails if a specific tool isn’t in the server’s tool list
mcp_min_toolsminFails if the tool count is below minimum
mcp_protocol_versionversionFails if the server’s MCP protocol version doesn’t match
mcp_tool_count_changedexpectedCountFails if the tool count differs from expected (detects drift)

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Examples

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Basic connectivity

monitors:
  - name: Custom MCP server
    type: MCP_SERVER
    config:
      command: node
      args: ["dist/server.js"]
    assertions:
      - type: mcp_connects
        severity: fail

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Full validation

monitors:
  - name: Production MCP
    type: MCP_SERVER
    config:
      command: npx
      args: ["-y", "@devhelm/mcp-server"]
      env:
        DEVHELM_API_TOKEN: ${MCP_TOKEN}
    frequencySeconds: 300
    regions: [us-east]
    assertions:
      - type: mcp_connects
        severity: fail
      - type: mcp_response_time
        maxMs: 10000
        severity: fail
      - type: mcp_tool_available
        toolName: list-monitors
        severity: fail
      - type: mcp_tool_available
        toolName: create-monitor
        severity: fail
      - type: mcp_min_tools
        min: 5
        severity: warn
      - type: mcp_tool_count_changed
        expectedCount: 12
        severity: warn

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Next steps

MCP overview

When to use MCP server monitors.

MCP Server SDK

The DevHelm MCP server for AI agents.