Model Context Protocol (MCP) Servers

Extend BB's capabilities by connecting to a wide range of external tools and services through Model Context Protocol servers.

What is MCP?

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that allows BB to securely connect with external tools, systems, and data sources through standardized servers. With MCP support, BB can:

Access external APIs and services
Connect to databases and data platforms
Interact with specific tools like GitHub, Slack, or Google Drive
Access specialized functionality for different professional areas of expertise
Perform tasks that require secure access to external systems

Key Benefits:

Extends BB's capabilities beyond its built-in functionality
Provides secure, controlled access to external tools
Supports hundreds of different integrations through community servers
Enables advanced workflows that span multiple systems
Maintained by a growing community of developers and organizations

Available MCP Servers

BB supports a wide range of MCP servers across different categories:

File and Data Access

Filesystem: Access and manage files with configurable permissions
Google Drive: Search and access files stored in Google Drive
Database Connectors: Connect to PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, MongoDB, and other databases
Vector Databases: Integrate with Chroma, Qdrant, Pinecone for vector search

Development and Collaboration

Git: Manage local Git repositories
GitHub/GitLab: Access repositories, issues, PRs, and other platform features
Slack: Read from and post to Slack channels
Docker: Manage Docker containers and images
Kubernetes: Interact with Kubernetes clusters

Research and Content

Web Search: Search the web using various search engines
Fetch: Retrieve and process web content
Memory: Store and retrieve information across conversations
EverArt: Generate images using various AI models

Analysis and Visualization

Visualization Tools: Create charts, graphs, and visualizations
Data Processing: Handle and transform data in various formats
Time Series Analysis: Work with time-based data

Growing Ecosystem: The MCP ecosystem continues to grow with new servers being added regularly. For the most up-to-date list of available servers, visit the MCP GitHub repository.

Configuring MCP Servers

BB allows you to configure MCP servers at both the global and project levels:

Global MCP Configuration

Global configurations apply to all projects unless overridden by project-specific settings:

Go to BB Settings in the main application
Select the "MCP Servers" tab
Click "Configure Servers" to add or modify server configurations
Each server can be configured with specific parameters

Project-Level MCP Configuration

Project-specific configurations apply only to the selected project:

Open your project in BB
Go to Project Settings
Select the "MCP Servers" tab
Configure servers specific to this project

Server Configuration Details

Each MCP server has specific configuration options:

Server ID: Unique identifier for the server
Display Name: Human-readable name shown in the UI
Command: The actual command to run the server
Arguments: Command-line arguments passed to the server
Environment Variables: Key-value pairs providing configuration or secrets

Using MCP Servers

Once configured, BB automatically detects and uses the appropriate MCP servers based on your requests:

Example Interactions

Accessing GitHub:

"Can you check the open issues in my repository and summarize the most critical ones?"

Web Research:

"Find the latest research papers on quantum computing from the past year and create a summary of key advances."

Database Analysis:

"Connect to my PostgreSQL database and analyze customer purchase patterns over the last quarter."

Common Use Cases

Research: Web search, academic database access, and literature review
Development: Code repository management, issue tracking, and code analysis
Content Creation: Image generation, content research, and multi-media processing
Data Analysis: Database querying, visualization creation, and report generation
Communication: Drafting emails, posting to Slack, and chat interactions

Adding Custom MCP Servers

Advanced users can create and configure custom MCP servers for specific requirements:

Install the desired MCP server following its documentation
Add the server to your BB configuration
Configure necessary parameters, paths, and environment variables
Test the server with simple queries

Security Considerations:

Only use MCP servers from trusted sources
Review the permissions and access level of each server
Use environment variables for sensitive information
Regularly update MCP servers to their latest versions