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ToolHive Kubernetes operator

The ToolHive Kubernetes operator manages MCP servers in Kubernetes clusters. It lets you define MCP servers as Kubernetes resources and automates their deployment and management.

Experimental

The Kubernetes operator is still under active development and isn't recommended for production use cases yet. We'd love for you to try it out and send feedback.

See the ToolHive Operator quickstart tutorial to get started quickly using a local kind cluster.

Overview​

The operator introduces a new Custom Resource Definition (CRD) called MCPServer that represents an MCP server in Kubernetes. When you create an MCPServer resource, the operator automatically:

  1. Creates a Deployment to run the MCP server
  2. Sets up a Service to expose the MCP server
  3. Configures the appropriate permissions and settings
  4. Manages the lifecycle of the MCP server

Installation​

Use Helm to install the ToolHive operator in your Kubernetes cluster. Helm simplifies the installation process and lets you manage the operator using Helm charts.

Once the operator is installed, you can create and manage MCP servers using the MCPServer custom resource.