# Cisco Thousandeyes MCP Setup

> Use when the user asks to register the ThousandEyes MCP, set up TE in Cursor/Claude/Codex/VS Code/Kiro, configure the Cisco ThousandEyes Cursor plugin, or pair an AI assistant with TE. Render and (optionally) apply Model Context Protocol client configurations for the official ThousandEyes MCP Server (https://api.thousandeyes.com/mcp, GA per docs.thousandeyes.com/.../thousandeyes-mcp-server). Supports Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, VS Code, and AWS Kiro clients with both OAuth Bearer and OAuth2 flows. Surfaces TE rate limits, the unit-consumption warning for Instant Tests, and gates the write/Instant- Test tool group behind an explicit acknowledgement.

- Skill: `chambear2809/cisco-thousandeyes-mcp-setup` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 10 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add chambear2809/cisco-thousandeyes-mcp-setup`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/chambear2809/cisco-thousandeyes-mcp-setup/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: DevOps & Infra
- Author: chambear2809 (https://skillmd.com/u/chambear2809)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/chambear2809/cisco-thousandeyes-mcp-setup

---


# Cisco ThousandEyes MCP Server Setup

## Prerequisites

| Tool or access | Purpose | Verify |
|---|---|---|
| Bash and Python 3 | Run bundled setup and validation helpers | `bash --version && python3 --version` |
| Required product/platform access | Inspect or configure the selected target | Complete the documented preflight |
| Credential files for live modes | Keep secrets out of chat | Verify paths only |

## Workflow Overview

```text
┌───────────┐   ┌───────────────┐   ┌───────────────┐   ┌─────────────────┐
│ Preflight │ → │ Render/review │ → │ Apply/handoff │ → │ Validate evidence │
└───────────┘   └───────────────┘   └───────────────┘   └─────────────────┘
```

## When to Activate

- Register the ThousandEyes MCP, set up TE in Cursor/Claude/Codex/VS Code/Kiro, configure the Cisco ThousandEyes
  Cursor plugin, or pair an AI assistant with TE.
- Preview and review the cisco thousandeyes mcp setup workflow before any live apply phase.
- Diagnose failed prerequisites, generated assets, configuration, or validation evidence.

## Scope

Follow the documented read-only or render-first path whenever it is available.
This skill does not imply permission to mutate live systems. Require explicit
apply flags, protected credentials, and operator review for state changes.

## Examples

Inspect the supported setup modes before selecting one:

```bash
bash skills/cisco-thousandeyes-mcp-setup/scripts/setup.sh --help
```

Expected output: usage, supported modes, and required arguments are displayed
without changing the target environment.

Inspect validation modes before running completion checks:

```bash
bash skills/cisco-thousandeyes-mcp-setup/scripts/validate.sh --help
```

Expected output: offline, live, and completion options are displayed when the
skill supports them; help exits without mutation.

## Troubleshooting

| Issue | Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Preflight fails | A required tool or access path is missing | Resolve it before rendering or applying |
| Rendered assets are incomplete | Required non-secret inputs are absent | Complete intake and render again |
| Apply is blocked | Review, credentials, or explicit acceptance is missing | Use the documented handoff |
| Validation is incomplete | Live evidence is unavailable | Record the gap and keep completion open |

This skill is **agent-tooling only** — it does not move telemetry. For TE → Splunk Observability Cloud wiring (OpenTelemetry stream, Integrations 2.0 APM connector, full TE asset lifecycle), use `splunk-observability-thousandeyes-integration`. For the Splunk Platform `ta_cisco_thousandeyes` add-on, use `cisco-thousandeyes-setup`.

## Overview

Render per-client MCP configurations for the official **ThousandEyes MCP Server** at `https://api.thousandeyes.com/mcp`. Optionally apply the configurations into the user's actual Cursor / Claude Code / Codex / VS Code / AWS Kiro config locations.

Render-first by default. Automated `--apply` is supported for Codex with OAuth2;
the other clients retain explicit reviewed manual merge handoffs.

## Safety Rules

- Never ask for the ThousandEyes API token in conversation.
- Never pass the token on the command line or as an environment-variable prefix.
- Use `--te-token-file` for the Bearer header path; the renderer never reads the token file.
- Reject direct token flags (`--te-token`, `--access-token`, `--token`, `--bearer-token`, `--api-token`).
- Token files must be `chmod 600`. `--apply` runs a permission preflight and aborts with a `chmod 600 <path>` hint when looser. `--allow-loose-token-perms` overrides with a `WARN`.
- Cursor and VS Code configs use `${input:te-key}` prompt-string patterns or environment variables, never inline tokens. Codex should use OAuth2 browser consent unless a client-side secret store can inject Bearer headers without argv exposure. Claude Code uses an OAuth-pair browser flow.
- `--accept-te-mcp-write-tools` records explicit operator acknowledgement for the write/Instant-Test group (`Create/Update/Delete Synthetic Test`, `Run Instant Test`, `Deploy Template`). It does not silently change client permissions; follow the rendered per-client approval guidance.

## Primary Workflow

1. Decide which clients to register and which auth flow to use:

   - **OAuth Bearer Token**: simplest; one shared token file per client. Counts against the org-wide 240 req/min rate limit.
   - **OAuth2 client**: per-client OAuth2 flow with browser consent. Each OAuth2 client gets its own 240 req/min limit (recommended when multiple AI assistants share an org).

2. Render:

   ```bash
   bash skills/cisco-thousandeyes-mcp-setup/scripts/setup.sh \
     --render \
     --client cursor,claude,codex,vscode,kiro \
     --auth bearer \
     --te-token-file /tmp/te_api_token \
     --output-dir cisco-thousandeyes-mcp-rendered
   ```

3. Review `cisco-thousandeyes-mcp-rendered/`:

   - `mcp/cursor.mcp.json`
   - `mcp/claude.mcp.json`
   - `mcp/codex-register-te-mcp.sh`
   - `mcp/vscode.mcp.json`
   - `mcp/kiro.mcp.json`
   - `mcp/README.md` — per-client install instructions, rate-limit notes, unit-consumption warnings
   - `metadata.json`

4. Apply Codex OAuth2 registration only when explicitly requested. Cursor,
   Claude, VS Code, and Kiro remain reviewed manual config merges:

   ```bash
   bash skills/cisco-thousandeyes-mcp-setup/scripts/setup.sh \
     --apply \
     --client codex \
     --auth oauth2
   ```

## Tool Group Gating

The official ThousandEyes MCP Server exposes two tool groups:

- **Read-only tools** (auto-allowed): List/Get Tests, List/Get Events, List/Get Alerts, Search Outages, Get Anomalies, Get Metrics, Get Service Map, Views Explanations, Endpoint Agent Metrics + Connected Device, Cloud/Enterprise Agents, Get Path / Full Path / BGP Test Results / BGP Route Details, Get Account Groups, Search/Deploy Templates (Search only).
- **Write/Instant-Test tools** (require explicit per-client approval; `--accept-te-mcp-write-tools` records operator acknowledgement): Create/Update/Delete Synthetic Test, Run Instant Test, Deploy Template.

**Unit consumption.** Run Instant Test consumes ThousandEyes units identically to scheduled tests. The rendered README always surfaces this warning, and `--apply` refuses to enable write tools without `--accept-te-mcp-write-tools`.

## Hand-offs

- TE → Splunk Observability Cloud wiring → `splunk-observability-thousandeyes-integration` (OpenTelemetry stream, Integrations 2.0 APM connector, full TE asset lifecycle).
- Splunk Platform `ta_cisco_thousandeyes` add-on → `cisco-thousandeyes-setup` (HEC streaming inputs, OAuth device flow, indexes/sourcetypes).

## Validation

```bash
bash skills/cisco-thousandeyes-mcp-setup/scripts/validate.sh
```

Static checks confirm every selected client has a renderable config; verifies no token material was written to any rendered file. Use `--live` after `--apply` to reach `https://api.thousandeyes.com/mcp` from each client config.

See `reference.md` for option details and `references/clients.md` for the per-client install matrix.