Exploring MCP Server Console

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated August 8, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Exploring MCP Server Console

    The Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server Console enables ServiceNow customers to create and manage MCP servers that allow AI applications to securely access and interact with data and functionalities on a ServiceNow instance. MCP defines a standardized communication method between large language models (LLMs) and external systems. Using MCP servers, AI clients can request information or automate actions on the instance through exposed tools.

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    With MCP Server Console, administrators can configure servers and tools that define what data and actions are available to AI clients. This enables integration with various AI applications, such as Microsoft Copilot or Claude, using OAuth 2.0 for secure authentication.

    Key Features

    • Creating MCP Servers: AI administrators can create multiple MCP servers tailored to different use cases (e.g., HR or IT workflows) exposing specific tools.
    • Tool Configuration: Tools represent capabilities and data access points, often built from existing Now Assist skills, allowing clients to perform actions like summarizing incidents or cases.
    • OAuth 2.0 Authentication: Secure access is managed by creating OAuth inbound integrations for each AI client connecting to the MCP server.
    • Quickstart Server: A preconfigured MCP server included for easy onboarding, providing tools to look up and summarize incident and case records.
    • Cross-Instance Access: The ServiceNow Model Context Protocol Client allows AI applications on one instance to access MCP server tools on another instance.
    • Monitoring and Governance: Integration with AI Gateway in AI Control Tower enables administrators to monitor MCP server access and view usage metrics.

    Key Outcomes

    • Enable seamless integration of ServiceNow data and actions with AI applications via a standard protocol, enhancing employee experience across platforms.
    • Allow AI administrators to control and secure what information and functionalities are accessible externally, ensuring compliance and data governance.
    • Facilitate automation and intelligent data summarization directly from AI clients, improving operational efficiency in workflows like incident and case management.
    • Provide a structured approach for deploying MCP servers tailored to various organizational needs, making AI integrations scalable and manageable.

    Next Steps for ServiceNow Customers

    To leverage MCP Server Console effectively, customers should explore configuring MCP servers, creating and managing tools, and setting up OAuth inbound integrations for their AI clients. Using the preconfigured Quickstart Server is a practical way to begin experimenting with MCP capabilities. For advanced scenarios, consider cross-instance tool access and monitoring server usage through AI Gateway.

    Learn about how you can use Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers to allow AI applications to access data and perform actions on a ServiceNow instance.

    MCP Server Console overview

    The Model Context Protocol defines a standard method of communication between large language models (LLMs) and external systems, such as a ServiceNow instance. AI applications connect to an external system from an MCP client, such as an AI agent, using an MCP server. The server tells the client which external resources it can access and how to access them. Then, from an MCP client, users can request information from the server and automate functionality using the available tools and data that the server returns. For general information about the Model Context Protocol and MCP terminology, see the Model Context Protocol documentation on the modelcontextprotocol.io website.

    With MCP Server Console, you can create MCP servers on an instance and configure the tools that they expose or use a preconfigured Quickstart Server. Tools define which functionality and data a server exposes to clients and the actions that can be performed on an instance by clients. You can create tools based on existing capabilities, such as Now Assist skills.

    Then any AI application, such as Microsoft Copilot or Claude, can call a server from a client using OAuth 2.0 authentication and get a list of available tools. With these tools, employees using MCP clients can prompt the server for information from the instance or to perform an action on the instance, such as to summarize a list of recently closed incidents or cases. You can also use the ServiceNow Model Context Protocol Client to let an AI application on one instance access tools from an MCP server on another instance.

    MCP Server Console users

    User Description
    AI administrator AI administrators can create MCP servers and configure which tools they expose to MCP clients. They also create OAuth inbound integrations on the instance for each client and configure clients with the server and authentication details.

    MCP Server Console workflow

    The following infographic shows the workflow for AI administrators to get started managing MCP servers with MCP Server Console.

    Figure 1. Managing MCP servers with MCP Server Console
    Process for managing MCP servers on a ServiceNow instance and connecting to a server from an MCP client in an AI application. For details, refer to the following description.
    1. As an AI administrator, you identify which functionality on an instance to access from an external MCP client and employee experience.
    2. You can use the preconfigured Quickstart Server or create an MCP server with the appropriate tools to use the desired functionality.

      You can create one or more servers that expose different tools for different use cases, such as for HR or IT workflows, or for different clients.

    3. If needed, you can create additional tools from Now Assist skills and configure which fields are exposed to clients and then add the tools to servers.
    4. You create OAuth inbound integrations for each client to secure access to servers on an instance.
    5. You configure clients to connect to a server using the server and OAuth inbound integration details.

      Then the client calls the server, which validates the OAuth token and responds with the list of tools available for use with the server.

    6. Employees use clients, such as AI agents, to prompt the server for data from the instance or to perform an action on the instance.
    Note:
    With AI Gateway in AI Control Tower, AI administrators can monitor MCP server access and view metrics for servers and their tools. For more information, see ../../ai-governance-workspace/concept/ai-gateway-overview.html.

    MCP Server Console benefits

    Benefit Feature Users
    Integrate with any AI application and MCP client using a standard protocol. Create a Model Context Protocol server AI administrator
    Control which tools and fields are exposed to MCP clients. Create a tool for a Model Context Protocol server AI administrator
    Securely access functionality from a ServiceNow instance in any external employee experience. Configure an MCP client to connect to an MCP server AI administrator

    Quickstart Server in MCP Server Console

    MCP Server Console includes a preconfigured Quickstart Server to help you get started learning about MCP servers and connecting MCP clients to a ServiceNow instance. The Quickstart Server includes tools for looking up and summarizing incident and case records.

    Table 1. Quickstart Server tools
    Name Description
    Case summarization Get a summary of details in a case record generated by Now Assist.
    Incident summarization Get a summary of details in an incident record generated by Now Assist.
    Look up Case Records Look up case records to enable summarizing them with the Case Summarization tool.
    Look up Incident Records Look up incident records to enable summarizing them with Incident summarization tool.

    What to explore next

    To learn more about configuring and using MCP Server Console, see: