Netmiko MCP Server

Overview

The MCP Netmiko Server bridges large‑language models (LLMs) and physical or virtual network devices by exposing a lightweight, declarative interface over the Model Context Protocol. It solves a common pain point for network engineers and DevOps teams: enabling AI assistants to perform real‑world configuration changes, query device state, and automate routine tasks without exposing SSH credentials or writing custom scripts for each vendor.

By leveraging the well‑established Netmiko library, the server abstracts away SSH connection details and vendor‑specific quirks. Developers can simply declare their devices in a TOML file, and the MCP server automatically handles authentication, command dispatch, and output collection. The three core tools—, , and —cover the full lifecycle of network automation: discovery, interrogation, and configuration. This makes it straightforward to build end‑to‑end AI workflows that ask a model for troubleshooting advice, then apply the suggested commands directly to devices.

Key capabilities include:

• Declarative device catalog: A single TOML file lists all managed devices, with a section for shared credentials and settings. Each device entry specifies hostname and Netmiko‑compatible .
• Command execution: The server can run arbitrary CLI commands and return the raw output, enabling models to perform diagnostics or gather metrics.
• Configuration management: Configuration snippets can be sent in bulk; the server will automatically commit (for Juniper) or save changes (for Cisco NX‑OS), ensuring atomic updates and reducing the risk of misconfiguration.
• SSE support: In addition to standard CLI interaction, the server can be run as a Server‑Sent Events endpoint, allowing real‑time streaming of command output to the AI client.

Real‑world use cases span from auto‑tuning network paths—where a model recommends QoS changes and the server applies them—to incident response automation, where an AI assistant gathers device logs, diagnoses issues, and pushes corrective configs without human intervention. The MCP protocol ensures that the server can be discovered and invoked by any compliant AI assistant, making it a plug‑and‑play component in hybrid automation stacks.

What sets this MCP server apart is its vendor agnosticism combined with a simple, single‑file configuration. Network teams can rapidly onboard new devices or remove them without redeploying code, and the server’s integration with Netmiko guarantees compatibility across major platforms such as Juniper Junos, Cisco NX‑OS, and many others. This eliminates the need for bespoke adapters or manual SSH handling, allowing developers to focus on higher‑level AI logic rather than low‑level connectivity details.