Adding a Flex Gateway MCP Server Instance

Use Flex Gateway to protect MCP servers that need a flexible and performant gateway that works with distributed and microservices environments and fits into your CI/CD environments.

The following diagram shows the server instance’s upstream and downstream configurations. In this configuration, the downstream service is the service making requests that are completed by the upstream server. These terms represent the direction of dependency, not the direction of information.

The server instance is deployed on a gateway between the upstream and downstream configuration

Add a New MCP Server Instance

Navigate to Anypoint Platform > API Manager.
In API Administration, click Add and select Protect MCP server.
Select a Flex Gateway to deploy the server instance to from the list under Select a gateway.

If you don’t see a Flex Gateway listed, or you see a Flex Gateway but its status is Not Running, See Install Flex Gateway and Register and Run in Connected Mode for more information.
Click Next.
Select an MCP from the following options:
- Select MCP server from Exchange: If you have an MCP server shared with you through Exchange that you want to manage.
  - Select the server from the list under Select MCP server. You can search for a specific server if needed.
- Register a new MCP server: If you want to create a new MCP server asset.
  - Enter a MCP server name for the new MCP server asset.
    
    Your server is published to in Exchange after it is protected.
Click Next.

Configure the downstream configuration settings:

Managed Flex Gateway

Field Name Description Required Notes

Field Name	Description	Required	Notes
Base path	Specifies the URL prefix for all server paths, relative to the host root. It must start with a leading slash `/`.	Yes
Client provider	Specifies a client provider for the Server.	No	Anypoint Platform acts as the client provider by default. To configure an external client provider, see Client Providers.
Server label	Specifies a label for the server instance.	No	If you have multiple managed instances of the same server, add a label to differentiate each instance from the others.
Advanced Options
Consumer endpoint	Specifies a proxy application’s address for consumers to use for sending requests.	No

Base path

Specifies the URL prefix for all server paths, relative to the host root. It must start with a leading slash /.

Yes

Client provider

Specifies a client provider for the Server.

Anypoint Platform acts as the client provider by default. To configure an external client provider, see Client Providers.

Server label

Specifies a label for the server instance.

If you have multiple managed instances of the same server, add a label to differentiate each instance from the others.

Advanced Options

Consumer endpoint

Specifies a proxy application’s address for consumers to use for sending requests.

Self-Managed Flex Gateway (Connected Mode)

Field Name Description Required Notes

Field Name	Description	Required	Notes
Protocol	Specifies whether to use HTTP or HTTPS.	Yes	If you select HTTPS, specify a TLS context for inbound traffic.
Inbound TLS	TLS Context used for the inbound HTTPS traffic.	No	Configure a TLS Context for Flex Gateway before adding a TLS Context to your server.
Port	Specifies the number to use if the displayed port is incorrect.	No	Server instances can share the same port across the same target if the Base path is different for both instances.
Base path	Specifies the URL prefix for all server paths, relative to the host root. It must start with a leading slash `/`.	Yes
Server label	Specifies a label for the server instance.	No	If you have multiple managed instances of the same server, add a label to differentiate each instance from the others.
Advanced Options
Consumer endpoint	Specifies a proxy application’s address for consumers to use for sending requests.	No

Protocol

Specifies whether to use HTTP or HTTPS.

Yes

If you select HTTPS, specify a TLS context for inbound traffic.

Inbound TLS

TLS Context used for the inbound HTTPS traffic.

Configure a TLS Context for Flex Gateway before adding a TLS Context to your server.

Port

Specifies the number to use if the displayed port is incorrect.

Server instances can share the same port across the same target if the Base path is different for both instances.

Base path

Specifies the URL prefix for all server paths, relative to the host root. It must start with a leading slash /.

Yes

Server label

Specifies a label for the server instance.

If you have multiple managed instances of the same server, add a label to differentiate each instance from the others.

Advanced Options

Consumer endpoint

Specifies a proxy application’s address for consumers to use for sending requests.

Click Next.

Configure one of the server upstream configurations:

Field Name Description Required Notes

Field Name	Description	Required	Notes
MCP server upstream URL	URL to access for the MCP server. This must end with a `/`.	Yes	For example, you can use the URL of your server asset in Exchange.
Outbound TLS	TLS Context used for the outbound traffic to the upstream service	No	Configure a TLS Context for Flex Gateway before adding a TLS Context to your server.

MCP server upstream URL

URL to access for the MCP server. This must end with a /.

Yes

For example, you can use the URL of your server asset in Exchange.

Outbound TLS

TLS Context used for the outbound traffic to the upstream service

Configure a TLS Context for Flex Gateway before adding a TLS Context to your server.

Click Next.
Review your selections and edit them if necessary.
If you are ready to deploy, click Save & Deploy. Otherwise, you can select Save, to save the API instance and deploy it at a later time.
After your MCP server instance is deployed, you must apply the MCP Support Policy for the server to enable the server to function properly.
Click Apply now in the deployment banner.

If the banner is no longer visible, apply the MCP support Policy by following the steps in Applying Policies for Managed Flex Gateways and Connected Mode.
Select the MCP support Policy.

There are no parameters to configure for the MCP support Policy.
Click Apply

Your MCP server instance is now successfully deployed.