sheridan-lab-jack
Provides AI agents with SSH-based tools to manage Nokia SR Linux network devices in ContainerLab environments. Enables retrieval of device information, interfaces, routes, and running configurations, plus the ability to configure network interfaces through natural language commands.
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sheridan-lab-jack β Network MCP Server
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that exposes 6 network management tools for a Nokia SR Linux device running in ContainerLab. Designed to be used with Claude Code as the AI agent.
Architecture
ββββββββββββββββ MCP (stdio) ββββββββββββββββββββ SSH ββββββββββββββββ
β Claude Code β ββββββββββββββββββββΊ β sheridan-lab-jack β ββββββββββββΊ β Nokia SR β
β (AI Agent) β β (MCP Server) β β Linux β
ββββββββββββββββ ββββββββββββββββββββ β (ContainerLab)β
ββββββββββββββββ
Tools (6 total)
Read Tools (5)
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
get_device_info | Returns hostname, software version, chassis type, uptime |
get_interfaces | Lists all interfaces with admin/oper state and IP addresses |
get_routes | Shows the full routing table |
get_running_config | Retrieves running configuration (full or by section) |
get_network_instances | Lists all VRFs/network-instances and their interfaces |
Write Tools (1)
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
configure_interface | Sets IP address, admin state, and description on an interface |
Prerequisites
- Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+ recommended)
- Docker (20.10+)
- ContainerLab (0.44+)
- Python 3.10+
- Claude Code CLI (requires Anthropic Pro subscription)
- sshpass (
sudo apt install sshpass)
Quick Start
1. Install ContainerLab
sudo bash -c "$(curl -sL https://get.containerlab.dev)"
2. Start the Lab
cd sheridan-lab-jack
sudo containerlab deploy --topo topology.yml
Wait ~60 seconds for SR Linux to fully boot. Verify with:
sudo docker ps # should show clab-sheridan-lab-jack-srl running
3. Install Python Dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt
sudo apt install sshpass -y
4. Test SSH Connectivity
sshpass -p 'NokiaSrl1!' ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no admin@clab-sheridan-lab-jack-srl -- "info from state /system information"
5. Connect Claude Code
cd sheridan-lab-jack
claude
Claude Code automatically reads .mcp.json from the project directory. Once inside Claude Code, verify with:
> use get_device_info to check the device
Environment Variables
| Variable | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
DEVICE_HOST | clab-sheridan-lab-jack-srl | Hostname or IP of the SR Linux container |
DEVICE_USERNAME | admin | SSH username |
DEVICE_PASSWORD | NokiaSrl1! | SSH password |
Credentials are never hardcoded in the server code. They are read from environment variables at runtime and passed via .mcp.json.
Input Validation
All write tools validate inputs before execution:
- IP addresses: Dotted-decimal regex validation
- Prefix lengths: Range check (0-32)
- Interface names: Pattern matching for SR Linux format (
ethernet-X/Y,lo0,mgmt0,system0) - Hostnames: RFC-compliant alphanumeric + hyphens, 1-63 chars
- Descriptions: Alphanumeric with basic punctuation, max 80 chars
- Config section names: Alphanumeric and hyphens only
Cleanup
sudo containerlab destroy --topo topology.yml
Example Claude Code Session
You: get device info
Claude: [calls get_device_info] The device is a Nokia SR Linux running version...
You: show me all interfaces
Claude: [calls get_interfaces] Here are the interfaces...
You: configure ethernet-1/1 with IP 192.168.50.1/24 and description "uplink"
Claude: [calls configure_interface] Successfully configured ethernet-1/1...
You: verify the change by showing interfaces again
Claude: [calls get_interfaces] Confirmed β ethernet-1/1 now has IP 192.168.50.1/24...
License
MIT
