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Remote MCP Servers

Remote MCP servers provide tools and capabilities over HTTP, enabling access to hosted services and shared infrastructure.

📊 DIAGRAM: remote-mcp-architecture.mmd

Remote MCP server architecture

Overview

Remote MCP servers enable:

  • Shared tool infrastructure
  • Hosted security services
  • Team collaboration
  • Cloud-based capabilities
  • Enterprise integrations

Connection Types

HTTP/SSE (Server-Sent Events)

Standard remote connection:

~/.cyberstrike/config.json
{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "remote-tools": {
        "url": "https://mcp.example.com/sse"
      }
    }
  }
}

WebSocket

For bidirectional communication:

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "ws-tools": {
        "url": "wss://mcp.example.com/ws"
      }
    }
  }
}

Authentication

API Key 

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "remote-tools": {
        "url": "https://mcp.example.com/sse",
        "headers": {
          "Authorization": "Bearer {env:MCP_API_KEY}"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

OAuth 2.0 

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "oauth-tools": {
        "url": "https://mcp.example.com/sse",
        "oauth": {
          "clientId": "{env:OAUTH_CLIENT_ID}",
          "clientSecret": "{env:OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET}",
          "tokenUrl": "https://auth.example.com/token"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Custom Headers 

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "custom-auth": {
        "url": "https://mcp.example.com/sse",
        "headers": {
          "X-API-Key": "{env:API_KEY}",
          "X-Tenant-ID": "my-tenant"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Popular Remote Servers

Cloudflare MCP 

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "cloudflare": {
        "url": "https://mcp.cloudflare.com/sse",
        "headers": {
          "Authorization": "Bearer {env:CF_API_TOKEN}"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

GitHub MCP 

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "github": {
        "url": "https://mcp.github.com/sse",
        "oauth": {
          "clientId": "{env:GH_CLIENT_ID}",
          "scope": "repo,read:user"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Custom Enterprise 

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "enterprise-tools": {
        "url": "https://mcp.internal.company.com/sse",
        "headers": {
          "Authorization": "Bearer {env:ENTERPRISE_TOKEN}"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Connection Options

Timeout 

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "remote": {
        "url": "https://mcp.example.com/sse",
        "timeout": 60000
      }
    }
  }
}

Retry Configuration 

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "remote": {
        "url": "https://mcp.example.com/sse",
        "retry": {
          "enabled": true,
          "maxRetries": 3,
          "backoff": "exponential"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Keepalive 

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "remote": {
        "url": "https://mcp.example.com/sse",
        "keepalive": {
          "enabled": true,
          "interval": 30000
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Proxy Configuration

HTTP Proxy 

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "remote": {
        "url": "https://mcp.example.com/sse",
        "proxy": "http://proxy.company.com:8080"
      }
    }
  }
}

SOCKS Proxy 

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "remote": {
        "url": "https://mcp.example.com/sse",
        "proxy": "socks5://localhost:1080"
      }
    }
  }
}

No Proxy 

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "internal": {
        "url": "https://mcp.internal.company.com/sse",
        "noProxy": true
      }
    }
  }
}

SSL/TLS

Custom CA Certificate 

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "remote": {
        "url": "https://mcp.example.com/sse",
        "ca": "/path/to/ca-cert.pem"
      }
    }
  }
}

Client Certificate 

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "mtls": {
        "url": "https://mcp.example.com/sse",
        "cert": "/path/to/client-cert.pem",
        "key": "/path/to/client-key.pem"
      }
    }
  }
}

Skip Verification (Development Only) 

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "dev": {
        "url": "https://localhost:8443/sse",
        "insecure": true
      }
    }
  }
}

Danger

Never use insecure connections in production. This bypasses SSL certificate verification.

Load Balancing

Multiple Endpoints 

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "ha-tools": {
        "urls": [
          "https://mcp1.example.com/sse",
          "https://mcp2.example.com/sse",
          "https://mcp3.example.com/sse"
        ],
        "loadBalance": "round-robin"
      }
    }
  }
}

Failover 

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "failover-tools": {
        "urls": [
          "https://mcp-primary.example.com/sse",
          "https://mcp-secondary.example.com/sse"
        ],
        "loadBalance": "failover"
      }
    }
  }
}

Health Monitoring

Connection Status 

> Show MCP server status

Output:

Remote MCP Servers:
- cloudflare: connected (latency: 45ms)
- github: connected (latency: 120ms)
- enterprise: disconnected (retrying...)

Latency Check 

> Check latency to remote MCP servers

Automatic Reconnection

Cyberstrike automatically reconnects on connection loss with exponential backoff.

Security Considerations

Token Security

  1. Store tokens in environment variables
  2. Use short-lived tokens when possible
  3. Implement token rotation
  4. Monitor token usage

Network Security

  1. Use HTTPS only
  2. Verify SSL certificates
  3. Use VPN for internal servers
  4. Implement IP allowlisting

Data Privacy

  1. Review data sent to remote servers
  2. Understand data retention policies
  3. Use local servers for sensitive data
  4. Implement data masking if needed

Troubleshooting

Connection Refused 

Error: Connection refused: https://mcp.example.com

Check:

  • Server is running
  • URL is correct
  • Firewall allows connection

Authentication Failed 

Error: 401 Unauthorized

Verify:

  • API key is correct
  • Token hasn’t expired
  • Headers are properly formatted

Timeout 

Error: Connection timeout

Solutions:

  • Increase timeout value
  • Check network connectivity
  • Verify server is responsive

SSL Error 

Error: SSL certificate problem

Check:

  • Certificate is valid
  • CA is trusted
  • System time is correct

Tip

Use local servers for latency-sensitive operations and remote servers for shared capabilities.

Related Documentation