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Gemini CLI

docs/netdata-ai/mcp/mcp-clients/gemini-cli.md

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Gemini CLI

Configure Google's Gemini CLI to access your Netdata infrastructure through MCP for powerful AI-driven operations.

Transport Support

Gemini CLI supports all major MCP transport types, giving you maximum flexibility:

TransportSupportNetdata VersionUse Case
stdio (via nd-mcp bridge)✅ Fully Supportedv2.6.0+Local bridge to WebSocket
Streamable HTTP✅ Fully Supportedv2.7.2+Direct connection to Netdata's HTTP endpoint (recommended)
SSE (Server-Sent Events)✅ Fully Supportedv2.7.2+Direct connection to Netdata's SSE endpoint
WebSocket❌ Not Supported-Use nd-mcp bridge or HTTP/SSE instead

Prerequisites

  1. Gemini CLI installed - Available from GitHub
  2. Netdata v2.6.0 or later with MCP support - Prefer a Netdata Parent to get infrastructure level visibility. Your AI Client (running on your desktop or laptop) needs to have direct network access to the Netdata IP and port (usually 19999).
    • v2.6.0 - v2.7.1: Only WebSocket transport available, requires nd-mcp bridge
    • v2.7.2+: Direct HTTP/SSE support available (recommended)
  3. For WebSocket or stdio connections: nd-mcp bridge - The stdio-to-websocket bridge. Find its absolute path. Not needed for direct HTTP/SSE connections on v2.7.2+.
  4. Optionally, the Netdata MCP API key that unlocks full access to sensitive observability data (protected functions, full access to logs) on your Netdata. Each Netdata Agent or Parent has its own unique API key for MCP - Find your Netdata MCP API key

Installation

bash
# Run Gemini CLI directly from GitHub
npx https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli

# Or clone and install locally
git clone https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli.git
cd gemini-cli
npm install
npm run build

Configuration Methods

Gemini CLI has built-in MCP server support. For detailed MCP configuration, see the official MCP documentation.

Netdata Cloud MCP

Connect to your entire Netdata Cloud infrastructure through a single endpoint — no local setup, bridges, or firewall changes needed.

Prerequisites:

  • Netdata Cloud account with Business plan
  • Nodes claimed to Netdata Cloud
  • API token with scope:mcp (create one)
bash
# Using CLI command
gemini mcp add --transport http netdata-cloud https://app.netdata.cloud/api/v1/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_NETDATA_CLOUD_API_TOKEN"

Or configure in ~/.gemini/settings.json:

json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "netdata-cloud": {
      "httpUrl": "https://app.netdata.cloud/api/v1/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_NETDATA_CLOUD_API_TOKEN"
      },
      "timeout": 30000
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_NETDATA_CLOUD_API_TOKEN with your Netdata Cloud API token (must have scope:mcp). For more details, see Netdata Cloud MCP.

Local Agent or Parent

The following methods connect directly to a Netdata Agent or Parent on your network.

Method 1: Direct HTTP Connection (Recommended for v2.7.2+)

Connect directly to Netdata's HTTP endpoint without needing any bridge:

bash
# Using CLI command
gemini mcp add --transport http netdata http://YOUR_NETDATA_IP:19999/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer NETDATA_MCP_API_KEY"

# For HTTPS connections
gemini mcp add --transport http netdata https://YOUR_NETDATA_IP:19999/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer NETDATA_MCP_API_KEY"

Or configure in ~/.gemini/settings.json:

json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "netdata": {
      "httpUrl": "http://YOUR_NETDATA_IP:19999/mcp",
      "headers": [
        "Authorization: Bearer NETDATA_MCP_API_KEY"
      ],
      "timeout": 30000
    }
  }
}

Method 2: Direct SSE Connection (v2.7.2+)

Connect directly to Netdata's SSE endpoint:

bash
# Using CLI command
gemini mcp add --transport sse netdata http://YOUR_NETDATA_IP:19999/mcp?transport=sse \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer NETDATA_MCP_API_KEY"

Or configure in ~/.gemini/settings.json:

json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "netdata": {
      "url": "http://YOUR_NETDATA_IP:19999/mcp?transport=sse",
      "headers": [
        "Authorization: Bearer NETDATA_MCP_API_KEY"
      ],
      "timeout": 30000
    }
  }
}

Method 3: Using nd-mcp Bridge (stdio)

For environments where you prefer or need to use the bridge:

bash
# Using CLI command
gemini mcp add netdata /usr/sbin/nd-mcp --bearer NETDATA_MCP_API_KEY \
  ws://YOUR_NETDATA_IP:19999/mcp

Or configure in ~/.gemini/settings.json:

json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "netdata": {
      "command": "/usr/sbin/nd-mcp",
      "args": [
        "--bearer",
        "NETDATA_MCP_API_KEY",
        "ws://YOUR_NETDATA_IP:19999/mcp"
      ],
      "timeout": 30000
    }
  }
}

Method 4: Using npx mcp-remote (Alternative Bridge for v2.7.2+)

If nd-mcp is not available, use the official MCP remote client (requires Netdata v2.7.2+). For detailed options and troubleshooting, see Using MCP Remote Client.

bash
# Using CLI command with SSE
gemini mcp add netdata npx mcp-remote@latest \
  --sse http://YOUR_NETDATA_IP:19999/mcp \
  --allow-http \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer NETDATA_MCP_API_KEY"

# Using HTTP transport
gemini mcp add netdata npx mcp-remote@latest \
  --http http://YOUR_NETDATA_IP:19999/mcp \
  --allow-http \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer NETDATA_MCP_API_KEY"

Or configure in ~/.gemini/settings.json:

json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "netdata": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote@latest",
        "--sse",
        "http://YOUR_NETDATA_IP:19999/mcp",
        "--allow-http",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer NETDATA_MCP_API_KEY",
      ]
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables

Gemini CLI supports environment variable expansion in settings.json:

  • $VAR_NAME or ${VAR_NAME} - Expands to the value of environment variable

Example configuration with environment variables:

json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "netdata": {
      "httpUrl": "http://${NETDATA_HOST}:19999/mcp",
      "headers": [
        "Authorization: Bearer ${NETDATA_API_KEY}"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Verify MCP Configuration

Use these commands to verify your setup:

bash
# List all configured MCP servers
gemini mcp list

# Interactive MCP status (within Gemini session)
/mcp

# Show detailed descriptions of MCP servers and tools
/mcp desc

# Show MCP server schema details
/mcp schema

Replace in all examples:

  • YOUR_NETDATA_IP - IP address or hostname of your Netdata Agent/Parent
  • NETDATA_MCP_API_KEY - Your Netdata MCP API key
  • /usr/sbin/nd-mcp - With your actual nd-mcp path (stdio method only)

How to Use

Gemini CLI can leverage Netdata's observability data for infrastructure analysis and automation:

What's the current system performance across all monitored servers?
Show me any performance anomalies in the last 2 hours
Which services are consuming the most resources right now?
Analyze the database performance trends over the past week

Example Workflows

Performance Investigation:

Investigate why our application response times increased this afternoon

Resource Optimization:

Check memory usage patterns and suggest optimization strategies

Alert Analysis:

Explain the current active alerts and their potential impact

💡 Advanced Usage: Gemini CLI can combine observability data with system automation for powerful DevOps workflows. Learn about the opportunities and security considerations in AI DevOps Copilot.

Troubleshooting

MCP Connection Issues

  • Verify Netdata is accessible: curl http://YOUR_NETDATA_IP:19999/api/v3/info
  • Check that the bridge path exists and is executable
  • Ensure the Authorization header is correctly formatted

Limited Data Access

  • Verify the Authorization header is present on each request
  • Check that the Netdata agent is properly configured for MCP
  • Ensure network connectivity between Gemini CLI and Netdata

Command Execution Problems

  • Review command syntax for your specific Gemini CLI version
  • Check MCP server configuration parameters
  • Verify that MCP protocol is supported in your Gemini CLI installation

Advanced Configuration

Multiple Environments

Configure different Netdata instances for different purposes:

json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "netdata-prod": {
      "httpUrl": "https://prod-parent.company.com:19999/mcp",
      "headers": [
        "Authorization: Bearer ${PROD_API_KEY}"
      ]
    },
    "netdata-staging": {
      "httpUrl": "https://staging-parent.company.com:19999/mcp",
      "headers": [
        "Authorization: Bearer ${STAGING_API_KEY}"
      ]
    },
    "netdata-local": {
      "command": "/usr/sbin/nd-mcp",
      "args": [
        "--bearer",
        "${LOCAL_API_KEY}",
        "ws://localhost:19999/mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Tool Filtering

Control which Netdata tools are available:

json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "netdata": {
      "httpUrl": "http://YOUR_NETDATA_IP:19999/mcp",
      "headers": [
        "Authorization: Bearer NETDATA_MCP_API_KEY"
      ],
      "includeTools": ["query_metrics", "list_alerts", "list_nodes"],
      "excludeTools": ["execute_function", "systemd_journal"]
    }
  }
}