FastMCP Cloud Deployment Skill

This skill provides comprehensive deployment lifecycle management for FastMCP servers, including pre-deployment validation, local testing, post-deployment verification, environment variable checking, and deployment tracking.

Overview

The deployment lifecycle consists of five phases:

1. Pre-Deployment Validation - Syntax, dependencies, configuration
2. Local Testing - STDIO and HTTP transport testing
3. Environment Verification - Environment variable validation
4. Deployment - To FastMCP Cloud, HTTP, or STDIO
5. Post-Deployment Verification - Health checks, endpoint testing

Available Scripts

1. Pre-Deployment Validation

Script: scripts/validate-server.sh <server-path>

Purpose: Validates server is ready for deployment

Checks:

• Server file exists (server.py, server.ts, index.ts)
• Syntax validation (Python/TypeScript)
• Dependencies declared (requirements.txt or package.json)
• FastMCP dependency included
• fastmcp.json configuration valid
• No hardcoded secrets
• Environment configuration present
• .gitignore properly configured

Usage:

# Validate current directory
./scripts/validate-server.sh .

# Validate specific server
./scripts/validate-server.sh /path/to/server

# Verbose mode
VERBOSE=1 ./scripts/validate-server.sh .

Exit Codes:

• 0: Validation passed (may have warnings)
• 1: Validation failed (must fix before deployment)

Example Output:

=== FastMCP Server Pre-Deployment Validation ===
✓ Found Python server file: server.py
✓ Python syntax is valid
✓ FastMCP dependency declared in requirements.txt
✓ fastmcp.json has valid JSON syntax
✓ Server name: my-server
⚠ Found 2 unpinned dependencies
✓ No obvious hardcoded secrets detected

Results: 12 passed, 0 failed, 1 warnings
✓ Server passed validation - ready for deployment

2. Local Testing

Script: scripts/test-local.sh <server-path>

Purpose: Tests server locally before deployment

Tests:

• Module imports successful
• STDIO transport working
• HTTP transport responding
• Environment variables configured
• Health endpoints (if configured)
• Server stability (runs for 5+ seconds)

Usage:

# Test with default transport (STDIO)
./scripts/test-local.sh .

# Test both STDIO and HTTP
TRANSPORT=both ./scripts/test-local.sh .

# Test HTTP only on custom port
TRANSPORT=http PORT=3000 ./scripts/test-local.sh .

# Longer test duration
TEST_DURATION=30 ./scripts/test-local.sh .

Environment Variables:

• TRANSPORT: stdio, http, or both (default: stdio)
• PORT: Port for HTTP testing (default: 8000)
• TEST_DURATION: Test duration in seconds (default: 10)

Example Output:

=== FastMCP Server Local Testing ===
✓ Python imports successful
✓ Server started successfully (PID: 12345)
✓ Server is producing MCP protocol messages
✓ HTTP server started (PID: 12346)
✓ Health endpoint responding

Results: 12 passed, 0 failed, 0 warnings
✓ Server tests passed - ready for deployment testing

3. Environment Variable Check

Script: scripts/check-env-vars.sh <server-path>

Purpose: Validates environment variables are properly configured

Checks:

• .env.example exists and documents variables
• Required vs optional variables identified
• Local .env file has all required variables
• fastmcp.json env declarations match .env.example
• .env in .gitignore (security)
• No placeholder values in production

Usage:

# Check default .env file
./scripts/check-env-vars.sh .

# Check specific env file
ENV_FILE=.env.production ./scripts/check-env-vars.sh .

# Check only required variables
CHECK_MODE=required ./scripts/check-env-vars.sh .

Environment Variables:

• ENV_FILE: Environment file to check (default: .env)
• CHECK_MODE: all, required, or optional (default: all)

Example Output:

=== FastMCP Server Environment Variable Check ===
✓ Found .env.example template
ℹ Required: API_KEY
ℹ Optional: LOG_LEVEL (default: INFO)
✓ All required variables are set
✓ All fastmcp.json variables documented in .env.example
✓ .env files properly excluded from git

Results: 6 passed, 0 failed, 0 warnings
✓ Environment configuration validated

4. Post-Deployment Verification

Script: scripts/verify-deployment.sh <deployment-url>

Purpose: Verifies deployed server is accessible and functioning

Checks:

• DNS resolution working
• Server is reachable
• Health endpoint responding
• MCP endpoint accepting requests
• Valid JSON-RPC responses
• Tools are available
• SSL/TLS certificate valid (HTTPS)
• Response time acceptable

Usage:

# Verify FastMCP Cloud deployment
./scripts/verify-deployment.sh https://my-server.fastmcp.app/mcp

# Verify HTTP deployment
./scripts/verify-deployment.sh https://my-server.example.com/mcp

# Custom timeout and retries
MAX_RETRIES=10 TIMEOUT=60 ./scripts/verify-deployment.sh https://my-server.com/mcp

# Verbose output
VERBOSE=1 ./scripts/verify-deployment.sh https://my-server.com/mcp

Environment Variables:

• MAX_RETRIES: Maximum retry attempts (default: 5)
• RETRY_DELAY: Seconds between retries (default: 10)
• TIMEOUT: Request timeout in seconds (default: 30)
• VERBOSE: Show detailed output (default: 0)

Example Output:

=== FastMCP Server Deployment Verification ===
✓ DNS resolved: my-server.fastmcp.app -> 104.21.45.123
✓ Server is reachable
✓ Health endpoint available at /health (HTTP 200)
✓ MCP endpoint responding (HTTP 200)
✓ Valid JSON-RPC response received
✓ Server provides 3 tool(s)
✓ Valid SSL/TLS certificate
✓ Response time excellent (<1s)

Results: 11 passed, 0 failed, 0 warnings
✓ Deployment verified successfully

Templates

Deployment Tracking Template

File: templates/.fastmcp-deployments.json

Purpose: Track all server deployments with metadata

Structure:

{
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "deployments": [
    {
      "id": "deployment-uuid",
      "serverName": "my-server",
      "environment": "production",
      "target": "fastmcp-cloud",
      "url": "https://my-server.fastmcp.app/mcp",
      "status": "active",
      "deployedAt": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
      "version": "1.0.0",
      "validationResults": {
        "preDeployment": {...},
        "postDeployment": {...}
      }
    }
  ]
}

Usage: Copy template and update with actual deployment details

Deployment Checklist

File: templates/deployment-checklist.md

Purpose: Step-by-step checklist for successful deployments

Sections:

• Pre-Deployment Checklist (code quality, dependencies, config)
• Deployment Checklist (by target: FastMCP Cloud, HTTP, STDIO)
• Post-Deployment Verification (accessibility, functionality, performance)
• Deployment Tracking (record keeping)
• Rollback Plan (if issues occur)

Usage: Copy checklist for each deployment, check off items as completed

Environment Variables Documentation

File: templates/env-var-template.md

Purpose: Template for documenting all environment variables

Sections:

• Required Variables (must be set)
• Optional Variables (have defaults)
• Development-Only Variables
• Environment-Specific Configurations
• Security Best Practices
• Troubleshooting

Usage: Copy template to server repo as ENV_VARS.md, customize with actual variables

Examples

Successful Deployment Workflow

File: examples/successful-deployment.md

Contents: Complete end-to-end deployment example including:

• Pre-deployment validation output
• Environment variable checking
• Local testing results
• Deployment process
• Post-deployment verification
• Deployment tracking record
• Post-deployment monitoring
• Lessons learned

Use Case: Reference for first-time deployments or training

Troubleshooting Guide

File: examples/troubleshooting.md

Contents: Common issues and solutions including:

• Pre-deployment validation failures
• Environment variable issues
• Local testing problems
• FastMCP Cloud deployment errors
• HTTP deployment issues
• SSL/TLS certificate problems
• Post-deployment verification failures
• Performance issues
• Runtime crashes
• Debugging tools and techniques

Use Case: Reference when deployments fail or issues occur

Deployment Workflow

Standard Deployment Process

Step 1: Pre-Deployment Validation

cd /path/to/server
./scripts/validate-server.sh .

Expected: All checks pass, address any warnings

Step 2: Environment Variable Check

./scripts/check-env-vars.sh .

Expected: All required variables set, no security issues

Step 3: Local Testing

TRANSPORT=both ./scripts/test-local.sh .

Expected: Server runs successfully in both STDIO and HTTP modes

Step 4: Deploy

For FastMCP Cloud:

1. Create separate GitHub repository
2. Push code
3. Connect to FastMCP Cloud
4. Set environment variables in dashboard
5. Trigger deployment

For HTTP (your infrastructure):

1. Deploy to server (VPS, container, etc.)
2. Configure environment variables
3. Set up reverse proxy (nginx/caddy)
4. Configure SSL/TLS
5. Start server

For STDIO (local/IDE):

1. Update .mcp.json or IDE config
2. Ensure .env file has required variables
3. Restart IDE

Step 5: Post-Deployment Verification

./scripts/verify-deployment.sh https://your-deployment-url/mcp

Expected: All checks pass, server responding correctly

Step 6: Track Deployment

Update .fastmcp-deployments.json with:

• Deployment timestamp
• Git commit hash
• Version number
• Validation results
• Environment variables used

Emergency Rollback

If deployment fails:

1. Check deployment logs for errors
2. Run verification script to identify issues
3. Review troubleshooting guide for solutions
4. If critical: Rollback to previous version
5. Fix issues locally
6. Re-run validation scripts
7. Redeploy

Integration with Other Skills

This skill complements:

• mcp-server-config: Uses config templates for deployment setup
• newman-runner: Can integrate API testing before deployment
• api-schema-analyzer: Validates API schemas match deployment

Best Practices

Before Every Deployment

1. Run all validation scripts in order
2. Test locally in target transport mode
3. Verify all environment variables
4. Review deployment checklist
5. Have rollback plan ready

Security

1. Never commit .env files
2. Use .env.example for documentation only
3. Rotate secrets regularly
4. Use different values per environment
5. Store production secrets in secrets manager

Monitoring

1. Check health endpoint immediately after deployment
2. Monitor logs for first 24 hours
3. Set up alerts for failures
4. Track performance metrics
5. Document any issues encountered

Documentation

1. Keep .env.example up to date
2. Document all environment variables
3. Track deployments in .fastmcp-deployments.json
4. Update troubleshooting guide with new issues
5. Maintain deployment checklist

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: First Production Deployment

# Validate server is ready
./scripts/validate-server.sh .

# Check environment variables
./scripts/check-env-vars.sh .

# Test locally
TRANSPORT=both ./scripts/test-local.sh .

# Deploy to FastMCP Cloud
# (via dashboard or CLI)

# Verify deployment
./scripts/verify-deployment.sh https://my-server.fastmcp.app/mcp

Use Case 2: Staging Environment Testing

# Use staging environment file
ENV_FILE=.env.staging ./scripts/check-env-vars.sh .

# Test with staging config
cp .env.staging .env
TRANSPORT=http ./scripts/test-local.sh .

# Deploy to staging
# ...

# Verify staging deployment
./scripts/verify-deployment.sh https://staging.example.com/mcp

Use Case 3: Multi-Environment Deployment

# Validate once
./scripts/validate-server.sh .

# Check each environment's variables
for env in development staging production; do
    echo "Checking $env..."
    ENV_FILE=.env.$env ./scripts/check-env-vars.sh .
done

# Deploy to each environment
# ...

# Verify each deployment
./scripts/verify-deployment.sh https://dev.example.com/mcp
./scripts/verify-deployment.sh https://staging.example.com/mcp
./scripts/verify-deployment.sh https://my-server.fastmcp.app/mcp

Use Case 4: Continuous Deployment Pipeline

#!/bin/bash
# .github/workflows/deploy.sh

set -e

# Validation
./scripts/validate-server.sh . || exit 1

# Environment check
ENV_FILE=.env.production ./scripts/check-env-vars.sh . || exit 1

# Local testing
TRANSPORT=both ./scripts/test-local.sh . || exit 1

# Deploy (example using FastMCP Cloud CLI)
fastmcp deploy --env production

# Wait for deployment
sleep 30

# Verify
./scripts/verify-deployment.sh https://my-server.fastmcp.app/mcp || exit 1

echo "Deployment successful!"

Troubleshooting Quick Reference

Script fails with permission denied:

chmod +x scripts/*.sh

Python not found:

# Install Python 3
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip

jq not found:

# Install jq for JSON parsing
sudo apt install jq

curl not found:

# Install curl
sudo apt install curl

Script hangs during testing:

# Reduce test duration
TEST_DURATION=5 ./scripts/test-local.sh .

Verification fails immediately:

# Increase timeout
TIMEOUT=60 ./scripts/verify-deployment.sh <url>

Success Criteria

A deployment is successful when:

• ✅ All validation scripts pass
• ✅ Local tests complete successfully
• ✅ Environment variables properly configured
• ✅ Deployment completes without errors
• ✅ Post-deployment verification passes
• ✅ Health endpoint returns 200 OK
• ✅ MCP endpoint responds to JSON-RPC
• ✅ All tools are available
• ✅ Response time is acceptable
• ✅ No errors in first 24 hours of logs
• ✅ Deployment tracked in .fastmcp-deployments.json

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Skill Version: 1.0.0 Last Updated: 2025-01-15 Maintained By: FastMCP Plugin Team