iflow-mcp_richbibby-catalyst-center-mcp 0.1.0
A Python-based MCP server for Cisco Catalyst Center
Requires Python: >=3.10

# Catalyst Center MCP Server

A Python-based MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for Cisco Catalyst Center (formerly DNA Center) that provides tools for device management, client information retrieval, and network monitoring.

## Features

- Secure authentication with Cisco Catalyst Center.
- Device discovery, listing, and detailed information retrieval.
- Site information retrieval, including hierarchy and details.
- Network interface information for specific devices.
- Client listing with comprehensive filtering options.
- Detailed client information retrieval by MAC address.
- Client count retrieval with filtering.
- Helper tool for API-compatible time range conversion.
- Implemented using FastMCP for a robust and extensible MCP server.
- Configuration via `.env` file for easy setup.

## Installation

1. Clone the repository:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/richbibby/catalyst-center-mcp.git
cd catalyst-center-mcp
```

2. Create a virtual environment and activate it:
```bash
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
```

3. Install dependencies:
```bash
pip install -r requirements.txt
```

## Configuration

1. Copy the example environment file:
```bash
cp .env.example .env
```

2. Update the `.env` file with your Catalyst Center credentials:
```env
CCC_HOST=your-catalyst-center-host
CCC_USER=your-username
CCC_PWD=your-password
```

## Usage With Claude Desktop Client

1. Configure Claude Desktop to use this MCP server:

- Open Claude Desktop
- Go to Settings > Developer > Edit Config
- Add the following configuration (adjust paths as needed, see `claude_desktop_config.json` for an example structure):

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "catalyst-center-mcp": {
      "command": "/path/to/your/venv/bin/fastmcp",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "/path/to/your/catalyst-center-mcp/catalyst-center-mcp.py"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PYTHONUNBUFFERED": "1"
      }
    }
  }
}
```
- Replace `/path/to/your/...` with the absolute paths relevant to your local environment.
- The `PYTHONUNBUFFERED` environment variable is recommended for Stdio transport.

2. Restart Claude Desktop

3. Interact with Claude Desktop:

- Ask Claude to perform actions like "Show me the devices in my Cisco Catalyst Center"
- Claude will use the MCP server to authenticate and fetch device information

![Claude Desktop with Catalyst Center MCP](images/Claude_2.png)

![Claude Desktop with Catalyst Center MCP](images/Claude_1.png)

## Example Questions

Here are some example questions you can ask Claude to interact with your Catalyst Center:

### Device Information
- "Show me all devices in my network"
- "List all switches in my network"
- "What devices are currently unreachable?"
- "Show me devices with hostname containing 'switch'"
- "What's the status of device with IP 10.1.1.1?"

### Interface Information
- "Show me all interfaces for device X"
- "What interfaces are down on device Y?"
- "List all Gigabit interfaces on device Z"
- "Show me interfaces with IP addresses"
- "What's the status of interface GigabitEthernet1/0/1 on device X?"

### Site Information
- "Show me all sites in my network"
- "What devices are in site X?"
- "List all buildings in my network"
- "Show me the site hierarchy"
- "What's the address of site Y?"

### Client Information
- "How many clients are currently connected?"
- "List all wireless clients."
- "Show me clients connected to SSID 'Corporate-WiFi'."
- "What are the details for client with MAC address aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff?"
- "Are there any clients with an OS type of 'macOS'?"
- "List clients active in the last hour."

### Combined Queries
- "Show me all devices in site X and their interfaces"
- "List all down interfaces across all devices"
- "What devices in building Y have unreachable interfaces?"
- "Show me the network topology for site Z"
- "What's the status of all devices in area A?"

## Available Tools

- `fetch_devices`: Fetches a list of devices from Cisco Catalyst Center, with filtering options.
- `fetch_sites`: Fetches a list of sites from Cisco Catalyst Center, returning a compact JSON structure.
- `fetch_interfaces`: Fetches interface information for a specific device ID.
- `get_api_compatible_time_range`: Converts natural language time inputs (e.g., "last 24 hours", "yesterday") or specific timestamps into API-compatible epoch millisecond start and end times.
- `get_clients_list`: Retrieves a list of clients from Cisco Catalyst Center with comprehensive filtering options (e.g., by client type, OS, site, MAC/IP address, SSID). Returns a maximum of 100 clients per call.
- `get_client_details_by_mac`: Fetches detailed information for a specific client by their MAC address.
- `get_clients_count`: Retrieves the total count of clients matching specified filters.

## Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (`git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature`)
3. Commit your changes (`git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature'`)
4. Push to the branch (`git push origin feature/amazing-feature`)
5. Open a Pull Request