MCP Server
Add CCIE-level network engineering expertise to Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible AI tool.
Give your AI assistant CCIE-level network engineering expertise. Damira AI runs as an MCP server inside your existing tools — troubleshoot network issues, search vendor docs, look up CVEs, plan upgrades, and audit configs without leaving your workflow.
Works with Claude Desktop · Claude Code · Cursor · Windsurf · any MCP client.
Using Cursor? Install the plugin — two steps, no config file. This page is the MCP tool reference. The Cursor tab below keeps .cursor/mcp.json as a fallback.
Quick Start
The fastest MCP path — add Damira to Claude Code in one command:
No API key required to try it. The MCP server uses a shared demo key automatically — 50 free queries/day, no signup.
Try it immediately:
When you're ready to go unlimited, set your own key:
Get your free API key → — no credit card required.
Installation
Add Damira AI via the CLI:
Set your API key in your shell profile (~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc):
Verify: start a new Claude Code session and ask a network question. You should see Damira tools being called.
Prerequisite: You need uv installed to run uvx. Install it with: curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh (macOS/Linux) or powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex" (Windows).
API Key Setup
- Sign up at damiraai.com (free, no credit card)
- Go to Dashboard > API Keys
- Click Create Key, give it a name
- Copy the key — it starts with
oncall_sk_
Set it as an environment variable so all MCP clients can use it:
Never commit API keys to source control. Use environment variables or your client's secret management.
Available Tools
Local Network Tools
These run on your machine — no API call, no cost, no data leaves your network.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
ping_host | ICMP ping with latency stats (min/avg/max) and packet loss |
check_port | TCP port reachability check |
traceroute | Hop-by-hop path discovery with per-hop latency |
dns_lookup | DNS record lookup (A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME, SOA) |
analyze_config | Security audit — catches plaintext passwords, type 7 hashes, SNMP communities, HTTP management, missing NTP |
diagnose_connectivity | Combined diagnostic: ping + DNS + port checks + traceroute in one call |
Domain Expertise Tools
These call the Damira API for CCIE-level knowledge your AI model doesn't have from training.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
damira_search_vendor_docs | Search official Cisco, Juniper, Arista, Palo Alto, Fortinet documentation. Returns authoritative vendor procedures with source URLs. |
damira_search_cve | Look up CVEs from NVD with severity, affected versions, and remediation. Use before any upgrade. |
damira_search_release_notes | Check known bugs, caveats, and upgrade paths for a specific platform version. |
damira_troubleshoot | Structured GIDRP diagnosis (Gather, Isolate, Diagnose, Resolve, Prevent) with 3+ differential diagnoses and exact vendor-specific CLI commands. |
damira_upgrade_plan | Structured upgrade assessment: upgrade path (direct or stepping stones), prerequisites, known risks, maintenance window estimate, and rollback procedure. |
damira_document_template | CCIE/ITIL-aligned checklist for MOPs, change controls, runbooks, and incident reports. Returns the required sections — your AI writes the actual document. |
damira_agent | Full agent pipeline for complex multi-step queries that don't fit the specialized tools above. Slower (30-60s). |
Lab Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
ssh_command | SSH to remote hosts — lab and POC environments only, not for production |
network_device_command | Netmiko device commands — lab and POC environments only |
Example Prompts
These are real scenarios you can try after installing. Your AI assistant will call the right Damira tools automatically.
Troubleshooting:
Vendor Documentation:
CVE Lookup:
Upgrade Planning:
Config Audit:
Multi-Step Workflow:
Cowork Mode (Claude Desktop)
For the best experience, use Claude Desktop's Cowork mode. This lets Claude autonomously chain multiple Damira tool calls and write files to a project folder — turning a single prompt into a complete deliverable.
Setup
- Open Claude Desktop and create a project (or open an existing folder)
- Make sure Damira is installed (see Installation above)
- Ask Claude to do multi-step work in a single prompt
Example: Upgrade MOP in One Shot
Claude will autonomously:
- Call
damira_upgrade_plan— gets upgrade path, prerequisites, risks - Call
damira_search_cve— checks security advisories for 17.9 - Call
damira_search_release_notes— gets known bugs and caveats - Call
damira_document_template— gets the CCIE/ITIL MOP structure - Write the complete MOP as a file in your project folder
Result: A production-quality MOP with CCIE-level technical content, written in seconds.
More Cowork Workflows
Research + comparison document:
Troubleshoot + incident report:
Config audit + findings spreadsheet:
Upgrade planning + change control:
Cowork works best for multi-step tasks. For quick questions ("what's the BGP neighbor command?"), standard chat is fine. Cowork shines when you need Claude to chain 3-5 tool calls and produce a document.
How It Works
Damira provides the domain expertise data. Your AI assistant writes the documents, configs, and scripts.
| Damira provides | Your AI assistant does |
|---|---|
| Vendor doc search results with sources | Writes the config using vendor syntax |
| CVE data with severity and remediation | Advises on patching urgency |
| GIDRP troubleshooting diagnosis | Presents findings with recommended commands |
| Upgrade path, prerequisites, and risks | Writes the MOP and change control |
| Document template checklists | Fills in every section with technical details |
Your AI writes the MOP. Damira makes sure it's true.
Execution Modes
| Mode | SSH Access | Default? | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advisor | OFF | Yes | Recommends commands for you to run. Your data never leaves your network. |
| Guided | With approval | Opt-in | SSH to devices with human-in-the-loop approval per command. |
| Lab | Auto-execute | Explicit | Fully automated execution in isolated test environments only. |
Advisor mode is the default and recommended for all production use. The assistant recommends exactly what commands to run and interprets the output — but never touches your devices directly.
Security
- Advisor mode by default — Damira recommends commands, never executes on your network
- Local tools run locally — ping, traceroute, DNS, port checks, config audit never send data to Damira servers
- No credentials stored — API keys authenticate your account, never your device credentials
- No data retention — queries are not stored beyond the active session
- Config scrubbing — when configs are sent for analysis, public IPs, passwords, and SNMP communities are scrubbed before processing
Cursor: Network Automation IDE
Start with the Cursor plugin. Cursor gives you the editor, terminal, file system, and git. Damira gives you the network domain data. Together:
- Generate config files → saved to
configs/with version control - Write Ansible playbooks → saved to
playbooks/with inventory - Create Python scripts → Netmiko, Nornir, NAPALM in
scripts/ - Build lab topologies → ContainerLab YAML in
labs/ - Audit configs via @-mention →
@configs/router.cfg audit this - SSH via terminal → Damira recommends commands, you run them in Cursor's built-in terminal using your own SSH keys. The plugin's device gate blocks the agent from SSHing to gear, even under force.
Troubleshooting
"uvx: command not found"
Install uv first: curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
"No API key configured"
Set DAMIRA_API_KEY in your environment or MCP config. The key should start with oncall_sk_.
"Tools not appearing"
Restart your client (Claude Desktop, Windsurf). In Cursor: Settings → Plugins (or /plugins) and confirm damira is installed and enabled; for the MCP fallback, close/reopen the agent. Claude Code picks up changes on next session.
"Tool call timed out" Complex queries (troubleshooting, upgrade plans) can take 30-60 seconds. This is expected — the agent is doing multi-step research. Simple lookups (vendor docs, CVE) complete in 1-2 seconds.
"Cannot connect to Damira API"
Check your internet connection. The API endpoint is https://damiraai.com. If you're behind a corporate proxy, configure your proxy settings.
Pricing
| Tier | Price | Included |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | Troubleshooting + quick answers, local tools unlimited |
| Starter | $29/mo | Config gen, MOPs, change controls, web search, 3 deep research credits |
| Pro | $59/mo | Deep research (15 credits/mo), upgrade planning, multi-session projects |
| Team | $49/user/mo | Everything in Pro + shared knowledge base, 5 seat minimum |
MCP vs VS Code Extension
Both deliver CCIE-level network expertise. Choose based on your workflow.
Using Cursor? Start with the plugin — not MCP config and not the VS Code extension. The table below is for Claude Desktop / Claude Code (MCP) vs the VS Code extension.
| MCP Server | VS Code Extension | |
|---|---|---|
| Works in | Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Windsurf, Cursor (MCP fallback) | VS Code (also runs in Cursor) |
| Setup | 5-line config, no signup required (demo key) | Install extension + API key |
| Response style | Synchronous — wait for full response | Streaming — tokens appear as they arrive |
| Multi-tab chat | Not supported | Up to 5 concurrent sessions |
| Spreadsheet output | Not supported | XLSX export for upgrade inventories |
| File output | Via Claude Desktop Cowork mode | Direct file save from chat panel |
| Project workspaces | Not supported | Cross-session context, briefs, history |
| Multi-step pipelines | damira_agent only (30-60s) | Full pipeline with progress indicators |
| Config generation | Via damira_agent | Dedicated config gen with template picker |
| Lab tools | ssh_command, network_device_command | Built-in terminal integration |
| Best for | Researching + drafting docs in Claude | Active NOC work, config writing, automation |
When to use the Cursor plugin: You live in Cursor. Two-step install, skills + local config audit, advisor-mode gate. Install it.
When to use MCP: You want Damira's knowledge inside Claude Desktop or Claude Code. Great for drafting upgrade MOPs, looking up CVEs, and troubleshooting with Claude as the writer.
When to use VS Code Extension: You're doing hands-on network work in VS Code — writing configs, iterating on Ansible playbooks, running multi-step workflows, or managing multiple incidents at once.
Both use the same Damira backend. You can install both — they share your API key.
Install the VS Code Extension →
What's Next
- Install — Cursor plugin and every other client
- VS Code Extension — full IDE experience with chat panel, templates, and streaming
- Troubleshooting Guide — how the 11-domain diagnosis works
- Upgrade Planning — structured upgrade assessments and MOPs
- API Reference — programmatic access for automation