Introduction

MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. Think of it as a translator that sits between an AI chat assistant (like Claude Desktop or an AI coding assistant) and your HOD system.

Without MCP, an AI assistant can only talk in plain text — it has no way to actually look up a user, create a group, or check session data in HOD. The MCP server gives the assistant a fixed set of "tools" it's allowed to use — for example, createUser or getLockedUsers — and each tool quietly makes a real API call to your HOD system behind the scenes.

You don't write any code to set this up. The server already knows which tools exist and what each one does — you just need to get it running and point your chatbot at it.

The HOD MCP Server is available in two forms. Which one you have depends on how you got it:

PATH A: HOD Distribution

Installed automatically as part of your HOD Hex Client installer, under:

/lib/mcp/ 
├── mcpserver.jar   — the server itself 
├── servicemanager\startmcpserver.bat    — starts the server 
├── servicemanager\stopmcpserver.bat     — stops the server 
└── config/         — server settings (api-config.yaml, tools-config.yaml) 

Use this if you already have HOD Client installed and just want the MCP server that came with it.

PATH B: Fix central link

Downloaded separately as a standalone zip from the online folder. Contains both a jar and a war file:

/publish/ 
├── mcpserver.jar   + mcpserver_startup_jar.bat files 
├── mcpserver.war   + mcpserver_startup_war.bat to deploy in external tomcat 

├                      (update the required paths in this bat file) 
└── config/         — server settings 

Use .war if you want to run the MCP on external application server like external tomcat — for example, on a dedicated server, or deployed into your organization's existing Tomcat.

WHICH ONE SHOULD I USE?