v0.2.0 - Tech Preview 1

[ajshedivy]

🎉 We're excited to announce the first official tech preview of the IBM i MCP Server! This release marks a significant milestone in bringing the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to IBM i, enabling AI assistants to interact with IBM i systems through a standardized interface.

Overview

The IBM i MCP Server provides a bridge between AI assistants and IBM i systems, allowing natural language interactions with IBM i databases, jobs, and system resources. This tech preview demonstrates core MCP server functionality with tooling for SQL operations, job management, and system monitoring.

Getting Started

Quick Start

npx -y @ibm/ibmi-mcp-server@latest --help

For detailed installation and configuration instructions, see our documentation.

Documentation

• Quick Start Guide: Get the server up and running
• MCP Clients: Connect server to popular MCP Clients
• Custom Agents: purpose-built agents for the MCP server

What's New in v0.2.0

Enterprise Deployment Options

This release focuses on production deployment capabilities and operational excellence:

• OpenShift Support: Deploy the MCP server and gateway in OpenShift with provided manifests and documentation (#70)
• Enhanced Security: Fixed self-signed certificate handling for secure connections (#74)
• Reverse Proxy Documentation: Comprehensive guide for enabling HTTPS using reverse proxy servers like nginx or Apache (#72)

Improved Developer Experience

• Dependency Management: Streamlined dependency handling and improved package management (#75)
• Documentation Reorganization: Complete restructuring of documentation for better discoverability and clarity (#83)
• Better Logging: Enhanced logging configuration and directory management for easier troubleshooting (#84)

Known Limitations

As a tech preview release, please note:

• Some advanced IBM i features are still under development
• Performance optimizations are ongoing
• API may change in future releases based on feedback
• Production use should include thorough testing in your environment

Contributors

This release was made possible by contributions from:

• @william-xiang
• @itsdevansh
• @JAYENDRA-POGARU
• @ajshedivy

What's Next

We're actively working on:

• Additional SQL tool capabilities
• Enhanced monitoring and observability features
• Performance optimizations
• Expanded MCP Server features like async tasks
• More deployment examples and templates

Feedback and Support

We welcome your feedback! Please:

• 🐛 Report issues: GitHub Issues
• 💡 Request features: GitHub Discussions
• 📖 Read the docs: Documentation

Full Changelog

Full Changelog: v0.1.1...v0.2.0

All Changes

• fix the self-signed certificate issue by @william-xiang in fix the self-signed certificate issue #74
• Dependency management by @william-xiang in Dependency management #75
• Deploy the mcp server and gateway in OpenShfit by @william-xiang in Deploy the mcp server and gateway in OpenShfit #70
• Doc: add documentation about enabling https using reverse proxy server by @william-xiang in Doc: add documentation about enabling https using reverse proxy server #72
• Docs Reorg by @ajshedivy in Docs Reorg #83
• Fix: logging configuration and directory management by @ajshedivy in Fix: logging configuration and directory management #84

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