Starting and Stopping the Server

Path A — HOD Distribution (recommended for most people)

Go to /lib/MCP inside your HOD installation.
To start the server, open the cmd in admin mode and run startmcpserver.bat in servicemanager folder.
To stop the server, open the cmd in admin mode and run stopmcpserver.bat.

Path B — Fix central link, running the jar

Go to the folder where you unzipped the Fix central link.
To start the server, run the provided start .bat file for the jar. This runs the server with its own built-in ("embedded") web server — you don't need to install anything separately. Don’t close the cmd where u start the jar.
To stop the server, run the matching stop .bat file, or close the command window it opened.

DEFAULT PORT

Running the jar starts the server on an embedded Tomcat listening on port 9092 by default. You'll use this port to application.properties file in config folder and provide the MCP URL – http://IP:PORT/CONTEXT/mcp to connect your chatbot.

Path C — Fix Central Link, Deploying the War (External Tomcat)

1. Point the script at your Tomcat

Open the provided deployment .bat file in a text editor and update the Tomcat path to match where Tomcat is installed on your machine. This is a one-time edit.
Save your change and run the .bat file. It copies mcpserver.war into your Tomcat installation.
Start your Tomcat server as you normally would. The MCP server comes up as part of it.

PORT FOR THE WAR DEPLOYMENT

Because the war runs inside your own Tomcat, the port is whatever your Tomcat is already configured to use — not the jar's default of 9092.

Post Verification

Open a web browser on the same machine and go to:

http://localhost:9092/mcpor if context root present

http://localhost:9092/contextroot/mcp

(Replace 9092 with your Tomcat's port if you deployed the war file.) You should see the MCP Server Configuration screen shown in the next section. If the page doesn't load, see Troubleshooting below

MCP Web UI

The web interface is where you can see — and adjust — exactly which servers, APIs, and tools your MCP server exposes to a chatbot, without editing any files by hand.

Homepage — Server List

The top bar is always visible and has four things:


Button	What it does
Discard	Throws away any changes you've made that haven't been submitted yet.
Submit	Saves all your pending changes for real. Nothing is final until you click this.
Import icon	Lets you bulk-import servers, APIs, and tools from a specification file.
Help icon	Opens in-app help.

NOTHING SAVES AUTOMATICALLY

Every change you make — adding a server, editing a tool, deleting an API — is held as a draft first. It only becomes real once you click Submit. If you change your mind, click Discard instead.

A server's details

From here you can:

Add API — register a new backend endpoint under this server.

Edit — change an existing API's details.

Delete — remove an API. If a tool still uses it, deletion is blocked until that tool is removed first.

Tool Definitions

A tool is the thing your chatbot sees and can decide to use — for example, "Delete a group (with optional subtree deletion)". Click Add Tool to create a new one, pick which API it should call, and give it a description the chatbot will read to decide when to use it.

Importing tools automatically

Instead of adding servers, APIs, and tools one at a time, you can click the Import icon and upload an OpenAPI/Swagger specification file. The server will read it and show you a preview of everything it found before anything is saved — you review it, fix any flagged issues, and only then click Submit.

07 Connecting a chatbot

Once your MCP server is running, add it to your chatbot's MCP settings. The exact screen differs by chatbot, but you're always providing the same basic information:

The server's address, e.g. http://localhost:9092

A name for it, so you can recognize it in the chatbot

Any credentials, only if your administrator has told you this server requires them

1. Open your chatbot's MCP / connector settings

In Claude Desktop this is under Settings; in VS Code Copilot it's under your MCP server configuration.

2. Add a new server

Enter the address from above.

3. Save and start a new chat

The tools listed on the Tool Definitions screen should now be available to the assistant.

ASK YOUR ADMINISTRATOR IF UNSURE

If your organization has turned on login-based security for the server, you'll need a client ID/secret or API key from your administrator before this step will work.

08 Troubleshooting & FAQ

Q: The command window closes immediately after I double-click the start file

This usually means Java isn't installed, or isn't the right version. Confirm Java 17 or later is installed and available on this machine, then try again.

Q: The web page at localhost:9092 won't load

Check that the command window from startMCP.bat (or the jar's start script) is still open — closing it stops the server. If you deployed the war file instead, use your Tomcat's port, not 9092.

Q: My chatbot can't see any tools

Confirm the server address you entered in the chatbot matches the one the server is actually running on, and that at least one tool exists and has been Submitted (not just staged) on the Tool Definitions screen.

Q: I made changes in the UI but they disappeared

Changes are only a draft until you click Submit in the top bar. If you navigated away or clicked Discard first, unsubmitted changes are lost — you'll need to redo them.

Q: Delete is greyed out on an API

That's expected when one or more tools still reference it. Remove or reassign those tools first, then delete the API.

Q: Can I edit the configuration files directly instead of using the web UI?

The config folder does contain the underlying settings files, but we recommend using the web UI — it validates your changes and prevents accidental conflicts. Direct file edits are intended for your technical administrator.

Note:

HOD MCP Server — Customer Setup Guide. If a step in this guide doesn't match what you see on screen, contact your HOD administrator or support contact for the exact version you've been given.