OCI API MCP Server - Oracle MCP Servers

The OCI API MCP server provides tools to run Oracle Cloud Infrastructure CLI commands, offering a flexible way to interact with any OCI service through the command-line interface.

Installation

uvx oracle.oci-api-mcp-server

Running the Server

STDIO Transport Mode

uvx oracle.oci-api-mcp-server

HTTP Streaming Transport Mode

ORACLE_MCP_HOST=<hostname/IP address> ORACLE_MCP_PORT=<port number> uvx oracle.oci-api-mcp-server

Available Tools

The server provides the following tools for OCI CLI interaction:

Tool Name	Description
`get_oci_command_help`	Get help and instructions for running an OCI CLI command
`run_oci_command`	Execute an OCI CLI command
`get_oci_commands` (Resource)	Get helpful information on various OCI services and related commands

Important: When using these tools, only provide the command after ‘oci’, do not include the string ‘oci’ in your command.For example:

Correct: compute instance list
Incorrect: oci compute instance list

Usage Examples

Get Command Help

How do I list compute instances?

Returns helpful instructions for the oci compute instance list command including required parameters and examples.

Show me help for creating a VCN

Retrieves documentation for VCN creation commands.

Run OCI Commands

List all compute instances in compartment ocid1.compartment.oc1..example

Executes: oci compute instance list --compartment-id ocid1.compartment.oc1..example

Get details for instance ocid1.instance.oc1.phx.example

Executes: oci compute instance get --instance-id ocid1.instance.oc1.phx.example

List all VCNs in my compartment

The AI will construct and execute the appropriate CLI command.

Get Service Information

What OCI commands are available for networking?

Retrieves information about networking-related OCI CLI commands and services.

Understanding the OCI CLI

What is OCI CLI?

The Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Command Line Interface (CLI) is a unified tool for managing OCI resources:

Comprehensive - Covers all OCI services
Scriptable - Automate cloud operations
Cross-Platform - Windows, macOS, Linux
JSON Output - Easy to parse programmatically

Command Structure

oci <service> <resource-type> <action> [options]

Examples:

oci compute instance list --compartment-id <id>
oci network vcn create --cidr-block 10.0.0.0/16 --compartment-id <id>
oci os bucket create --name mybucket --compartment-id <id>

Common Services

Compute

oci compute instance - Manage instances
oci compute image - Manage images
oci compute shape - List available shapes

Networking

oci network vcn - Manage VCNs
oci network subnet - Manage subnets
oci network security-list - Manage security lists

Identity

oci iam compartment - Manage compartments
oci iam user - Manage users
oci iam group - Manage groups

Storage

oci os bucket - Manage object storage buckets
oci os object - Manage objects
oci bv volume - Manage block volumes

Database

oci db autonomous-database - Manage Autonomous Databases
oci db system - Manage DB systems
oci db database - Manage databases

Authentication

The server uses OCI CLI configuration from ~/.oci/config:

oci setup config

Ensure you have:

OCI CLI installed
Valid API credentials configured
Appropriate IAM permissions

Required Permissions

Permissions depend on the specific commands being executed. For example: Compute Operations:

Allow group ComputeAdmins to manage instances in compartment MyCompartment

Network Operations:

Allow group NetworkAdmins to manage virtual-network-family in compartment MyCompartment

Read-Only Access:

Allow group Viewers to inspect all-resources in compartment MyCompartment

Security NoticeAll actions are performed with the permissions of the configured OCI CLI profile. We advise:

Least-privilege IAM setup
Secure credential management
Safe network practices
Secure logging
Never expose secrets in command outputs
Review commands before execution
Be cautious with destructive operations (delete, terminate)

Common Use Cases

Ad-Hoc Queries

Quick resource lookups
Verify configurations
Check resource states
Gather information for troubleshooting

Automation Scripts

Build deployment scripts
Automate resource provisioning
Implement CI/CD pipelines
Schedule maintenance tasks

Troubleshooting

Debug connectivity issues
Verify resource configurations
Check service status
Investigate errors

Resource Management

Bulk operations
Cross-service operations
Complex workflows
Custom integrations

Reporting

Generate resource inventories
Export configurations
Collect metrics
Create audit reports

Best Practices

Command Construction

Use clear, specific commands
Include all required parameters
Use --help to verify syntax
Test commands in non-production first

Error Handling

Check command exit codes
Parse error messages
Implement retries for transient failures
Log command execution

Security

Never hardcode credentials
Use IAM policies for access control
Audit command execution
Sanitize sensitive output
Use —profile for different credentials

Output Processing

Use --query to filter JSON output
Pipe to jq for advanced JSON processing
Format output for readability
Save outputs for audit trail

Performance

Use pagination for large result sets
Parallel execution for independent operations
Cache frequently accessed data
Minimize API calls

Advanced Usage

JSON Querying

oci compute instance list --compartment-id <id> --query 'data[?"lifecycle-state"==`RUNNING`]'

Filters results using JMESPath query syntax.

Output Formatting

oci compute instance list --compartment-id <id> --output table

Format output as table instead of JSON.

Using Profiles

oci compute instance list --compartment-id <id> --profile production

Use specific OCI config profile.

Pagination

oci compute instance list --compartment-id <id> --all

Automatically fetch all pages of results.

Troubleshooting

Command Not Found

Check:

OCI CLI is installed
CLI is in system PATH
Command syntax is correct
Service name is valid

Solution:

which oci
oci --version

Authentication Errors

Error: NotAuthenticated

Verify OCI config file exists (~/.oci/config)
Check API key is valid
Ensure private key file exists and is readable
Verify correct profile is being used

Permission Denied

Error: NotAuthorizedOrNotFound

Check IAM policies grant required permissions
Verify you’re in correct compartment
Ensure resource exists
Confirm region is correct

Invalid Parameters

Error: Missing option / Invalid value

Use --help to check required parameters
Verify parameter format (especially OCIDs)
Check for required vs optional parameters
Ensure values meet constraints

Timeout Issues

Check network connectivity
Verify OCI service status
Increase timeout if needed
Retry the operation

Integration Patterns

Scripting

#!/bin/bash
# List all running instances
INSTANCES=$(oci compute instance list \
  --compartment-id $COMPARTMENT_ID \
  --lifecycle-state RUNNING \
  --query 'data[].id' \
  --raw-output)

for instance in $INSTANCES; do
  echo "Processing $instance"
  # Perform operations
done

CI/CD Integration

# GitHub Actions example
- name: Deploy to OCI
  run: |
    oci compute instance launch \
      --compartment-id ${{ secrets.COMPARTMENT_ID }} \
      --shape VM.Standard.E4.Flex \
      --image-id ${{ env.IMAGE_ID }}

Monitoring Scripts

# Check instance health
oci compute instance list \
  --compartment-id $COMPARTMENT_ID \
  --lifecycle-state RUNNING | \
  jq -r '.data[] | select(."freeform-tags".monitoring=="true") | .id'

CLI vs SDK

Use CLI when:

Quick ad-hoc operations
Shell scripting
Interactive exploration
Simple automation

Use SDK when:

Complex application logic
Need programmatic control
Error handling is critical
Building production applications

OCI Cloud - SDK-based API access
All other OCI servers - Service-specific tools

Overview

Compute & Networking

Storage & Data

Management & Operations

Application Services

Generic API

​Installation

​Running the Server

​STDIO Transport Mode

​HTTP Streaming Transport Mode

​Available Tools

​Usage Examples

​Get Command Help

​Run OCI Commands

​Get Service Information

​Understanding the OCI CLI

​What is OCI CLI?

​Command Structure

​Common Services

​Authentication

​Required Permissions

​Common Use Cases

​Ad-Hoc Queries

​Automation Scripts

​Troubleshooting

​Resource Management

​Reporting

​Best Practices

​Command Construction

​Error Handling

​Security

​Output Processing

​Performance

​Advanced Usage

​JSON Querying

​Output Formatting

​Using Profiles

​Pagination

​Troubleshooting

​Command Not Found

​Authentication Errors

​Permission Denied

​Invalid Parameters

​Timeout Issues

​Integration Patterns

​Scripting

​CI/CD Integration

​Monitoring Scripts

​CLI vs SDK

​Related Services

​Additional Resources

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Installation

Running the Server

STDIO Transport Mode

HTTP Streaming Transport Mode

Available Tools

Usage Examples

Get Command Help

Run OCI Commands

Get Service Information

Understanding the OCI CLI

What is OCI CLI?

Command Structure

Common Services

Authentication

Required Permissions

Common Use Cases

Ad-Hoc Queries

Automation Scripts

Troubleshooting

Resource Management

Reporting

Best Practices

Command Construction

Error Handling

Security

Output Processing

Performance

Advanced Usage

JSON Querying

Output Formatting

Using Profiles

Pagination

Troubleshooting

Command Not Found

Authentication Errors

Permission Denied

Invalid Parameters

Timeout Issues

Integration Patterns

Scripting

CI/CD Integration

Monitoring Scripts

CLI vs SDK

Related Services

Additional Resources