Getting Started with MCP

There are plenty of documents which say what MCP is, the usecases around it. This blog is just a reference for a quick start guide to get started on leveraging MCP servers. I would recommend going through https://github.com/daveebbelaar/ai-cookbook/blob/main/mcp/crash-course/4-openai-integration/server.py . This is a perfect example on how to get started with MCP. With abundance of resources out there, this one probably was the best to get started with understanding how one can write a simple mcp client and server

There are many MCP hosts available , such as claude desktop, gemini-cli, vscode but in the sections below the references are for gemini-cli. I tried with gemini cli.

Install Gemini CLI

Follow instructions at https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli

brew install gemini-cli

Add MCP servers

edit the file under ~/.gemini/settings.json

Each section under mcpServers added will connect. In case of authentication needed, the respective params needed to be added.

In this case, I am trying to connect to selector MCP server. Create an API key from selector portal and pass it along with the Bearer key.

aravindprabhakar@Aravinds-MBP ~ % more ~/.gemini/settings.json
{
  "security": {
    "auth": {
      "selectedType": "oauth-personal"
    }
  },
  "mcpServers": {
    "s2ap_mcp": {
      "type": "remote",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://demo.selector.ai/mcp/",
        "--header",
       "Authorization:Bearer <ADD YOUR API KEY>"
      ]
   },
 }
}

Similarly if you want to integrate with JIRA Rovo mcp server , add the below . The official documentation provided using url method which did not work for me from gemini and I had to use npx

  "mcpServers": {
    "Jira": {
      "type": "sse",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.atlassian.com/v1/sse"
      ]
   }
 }

Fire up Gemini cli

Type gemini on your terminal and it will open up

aravindprabhakar@Aravinds-MBP mcp-mw-demo % gemini
Loaded cached credentials.

 ███            █████████  ██████████ ██████   ██████ █████ ██████   █████ █████
░░░███         ███░░░░░███░░███░░░░░█░░██████ ██████ ░░███ ░░██████ ░░███ ░░███
  ░░░███      ███     ░░░  ░███  █ ░  ░███░█████░███  ░███  ░███░███ ░███  ░███
    ░░░███   ░███          ░██████    ░███░░███ ░███  ░███  ░███░░███░███  ░███
     ███░    ░███    █████ ░███░░█    ░███ ░░░  ░███  ░███  ░███ ░░██████  ░███
   ███░      ░░███  ░░███  ░███ ░   █ ░███      ░███  ░███  ░███  ░░█████  ░███
 ███░         ░░█████████  ██████████ █████     █████ █████ █████  ░░█████ █████
░░░            ░░░░░░░░░  ░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░     ░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░    ░░░░░ ░░░░░

Tips for getting started:
1. Ask questions, edit files, or run commands.
2. Be specific for the best results.
3. Create GEMINI.md files to customize your interactions with Gemini.
4. /help for more information.

 Using: 2 MCP servers

Notice at the very end it detected 2 MCP servers

Verify MCP servers

/mcp list

/mcp list

Configured MCP servers:

🟢 s2ap_mcp - Ready (10 tools) Tools:

• ask_selector
• create_maintwindow
• delete_maintwindow_by_name
• echo
• get_image_for_nl_query
• get_maintwindow_by_name
• get_selector_phrases
• list_maintwindows
• query_selector
• update_maintwindow

🟢 rovo - Ready (27 tools) Tools:

• addCommentToJiraIssue
• atlassianUserInfo
• createConfluenceFooterComment
• createConfluenceInlineComment

Try it out!

create a maintenance window MCP-TEST2 starting at 2025-11-01T09:35:00 for 3 hours , devices=lapecis100 and activate it

╭────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ✓  create_maintwindow (s2ap_mcp MCP Server) {"params":{"name":"MCP-TEST2","duration_value":3,"duration_units":"ho… │
│                                                                                                                    │
│    {"message":"created new integration MCP-TEST2"}                                                                 │
╰────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
✦ I have created and activated a maintenance window with the name "MCP-TEST2" for a duration of 3 hours, starting at
  2025-11-01T09:35:00 for device lapecis100.

View it in selector

[ python  ai_ml  ]