genai-toolbox/docs/en/getting-started/mcp_quickstart/_index.md

title, type, weight, description

title	type	weight	description
Quickstart (MCP)	docs	5	How to get started running Toolbox locally with MCP Inspector.

Overview

Model Context Protocol is an open protocol that standardizes how applications provide context to LLMs. Check out this page on how to connect to Toolbox via MCP.

Step 1: Set up your database

In this section, we will create a database, insert some data that needs to be access by our agent, and create a database user for Toolbox to connect with.

1. Connect to postgres using the psql command:

   psql -h 127.0.0.1 -U postgres
   

   Here, postgres denotes the default postgres superuser.

2. Create a new database and a new user:

   {{< notice tip >}} For a real application, it's best to follow the principle of least permission and only grant the privileges your application needs. {{< /notice >}}

     CREATE USER toolbox_user WITH PASSWORD 'my-password';
   
     CREATE DATABASE toolbox_db;
     GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE toolbox_db TO toolbox_user;
   
     ALTER DATABASE toolbox_db OWNER TO toolbox_user;
   

3. End the database session:

   \q
   

4. Connect to your database with your new user:

   psql -h 127.0.0.1 -U toolbox_user -d toolbox_db
   

5. Create a table using the following command:

   CREATE TABLE hotels(
     id            INTEGER NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY,
     name          VARCHAR NOT NULL,
     location      VARCHAR NOT NULL,
     price_tier    VARCHAR NOT NULL,
     checkin_date  DATE    NOT NULL,
     checkout_date DATE    NOT NULL,
     booked        BIT     NOT NULL
   );
   

6. Insert data into the table.

   INSERT INTO hotels(id, name, location, price_tier, checkin_date, checkout_date, booked)
   VALUES
     (1, 'Hilton Basel', 'Basel', 'Luxury', '2024-04-22', '2024-04-20', B'0'),
     (2, 'Marriott Zurich', 'Zurich', 'Upscale', '2024-04-14', '2024-04-21', B'0'),
     (3, 'Hyatt Regency Basel', 'Basel', 'Upper Upscale', '2024-04-02', '2024-04-20', B'0'),
     (4, 'Radisson Blu Lucerne', 'Lucerne', 'Midscale', '2024-04-24', '2024-04-05', B'0'),
     (5, 'Best Western Bern', 'Bern', 'Upper Midscale', '2024-04-23', '2024-04-01', B'0'),
     (6, 'InterContinental Geneva', 'Geneva', 'Luxury', '2024-04-23', '2024-04-28', B'0'),
     (7, 'Sheraton Zurich', 'Zurich', 'Upper Upscale', '2024-04-27', '2024-04-02', B'0'),
     (8, 'Holiday Inn Basel', 'Basel', 'Upper Midscale', '2024-04-24', '2024-04-09', B'0'),
     (9, 'Courtyard Zurich', 'Zurich', 'Upscale', '2024-04-03', '2024-04-13', B'0'),
     (10, 'Comfort Inn Bern', 'Bern', 'Midscale', '2024-04-04', '2024-04-16', B'0');
   

7. End the database session:

   \q
   

Step 2: Install and configure Toolbox

In this section, we will download Toolbox, configure our tools in a tools.yaml, and then run the Toolbox server.

1. Download the latest version of Toolbox as a binary:

   {{< notice tip >}} Select the correct binary corresponding to your OS and CPU architecture. {{< /notice >}}

   export OS="linux/amd64" # one of linux/amd64, darwin/arm64, darwin/amd64, or windows/amd64
   curl -O https://storage.googleapis.com/genai-toolbox/v0.27.0/$OS/toolbox
   

2. Make the binary executable:

   chmod +x toolbox
   

3. Write the following into a tools.yaml file. Be sure to update any fields such as user, password, or database that you may have customized in the previous step.

   {{< notice tip >}} In practice, use environment variable replacement with the format ${ENV_NAME} instead of hardcoding your secrets into the configuration file. {{< /notice >}}

   kind: sources
   name: my-pg-source
   type: postgres
   host: 127.0.0.1
   port: 5432
   database: toolbox_db
   user: toolbox_user
   password: my-password
   ---
   kind: tools
   name: search-hotels-by-name
   type: postgres-sql
   source: my-pg-source
   description: Search for hotels based on name.
   parameters:
     - name: name
       type: string
       description: The name of the hotel.
   statement: SELECT * FROM hotels WHERE name ILIKE '%' || $1 || '%';
   ---
   kind: tools
   name: search-hotels-by-location
   type: postgres-sql
   source: my-pg-source
   description: Search for hotels based on location.
   parameters:
     - name: location
       type: string
       description: The location of the hotel.
   statement: SELECT * FROM hotels WHERE location ILIKE '%' || $1 || '%';
   ---
   kind: tools
   name: book-hotel
   type: postgres-sql
   source: my-pg-source
   description: >-
      Book a hotel by its ID. If the hotel is successfully booked, returns a NULL, raises an error if not.
   parameters:
     - name: hotel_id
       type: string
       description: The ID of the hotel to book.
   statement: UPDATE hotels SET booked = B'1' WHERE id = $1;
   ---
   kind: tools
   name: update-hotel
   type: postgres-sql
   source: my-pg-source
   description: >-
     Update a hotel's check-in and check-out dates by its ID. Returns a message
     indicating  whether the hotel was successfully updated or not.
   parameters:
     - name: hotel_id
       type: string
       description: The ID of the hotel to update.
     - name: checkin_date
       type: string
       description: The new check-in date of the hotel.
     - name: checkout_date
       type: string
       description: The new check-out date of the hotel.
   statement: >-
     UPDATE hotels SET checkin_date = CAST($2 as date), checkout_date = CAST($3
     as date) WHERE id = $1;
   ---
   kind: tools
   name: cancel-hotel
   type: postgres-sql
   source: my-pg-source
   description: Cancel a hotel by its ID.
   parameters:
     - name: hotel_id
       type: string
       description: The ID of the hotel to cancel.
   statement: UPDATE hotels SET booked = B'0' WHERE id = $1;
   ---
   kind: toolsets
   name: my-toolset
   tools:
     - search-hotels-by-name
     - search-hotels-by-location
     - book-hotel
     - update-hotel
     - cancel-hotel
   

   For more info on tools, check out the Tools section.

4. Run the Toolbox server, pointing to the tools.yaml file created earlier:

   ./toolbox --tools-file "tools.yaml"
   

Step 3: Connect to MCP Inspector

1. Run the MCP Inspector:

   npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector
   

2. Type y when it asks to install the inspector package.

3. It should show the following when the MCP Inspector is up and running (please take note of <YOUR_SESSION_TOKEN>):

   Starting MCP inspector...
   ⚙️ Proxy server listening on localhost:6277
   🔑 Session token: <YOUR_SESSION_TOKEN>
      Use this token to authenticate requests or set DANGEROUSLY_OMIT_AUTH=true to disable auth
   
   🚀 MCP Inspector is up and running at:
      http://localhost:6274/?MCP_PROXY_AUTH_TOKEN=<YOUR_SESSION_TOKEN>
   

4. Open the above link in your browser.

5. For Transport Type, select Streamable HTTP.

6. For URL, type in http://127.0.0.1:5000/mcp.

7. For Configuration -> Proxy Session Token, make sure <YOUR_SESSION_TOKEN> is present.

8. Click Connect.

   

9. Select List Tools, you will see a list of tools configured in tools.yaml.

   

10. Test out your tools here!