Assist and automation
MCP and AI agents
Let AI agents and scripts drive labs through the MCP-style tool catalogue on the VEX-NX REST API.
VEX-NX publishes an MCP-style tool catalogue over REST. It is available on both Student and Enterprise and needs a valid user token (JWT). Assist uses the same allowlisted tools when it plans lab actions.
| Method | Path | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
GET | /api/v1/mcp/tools | List tool names, descriptions, and input schemas |
POST | /api/v1/mcp/call | Run one allowlisted tool |
Note
This is not a desktop stdio or SSE MCP server process. Point your agent at the appliance's HTTP API with a user token.
List the tools
curl -fsS "http://<appliance-ip>/api/v1/mcp/tools" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <token>"Call a tool
POST /api/v1/mcp/call
Authorization: Bearer <token>
Content-Type: application/json
{ "name": "list_labs", "arguments": {} }Available tools
Names may grow with releases; always fetch /api/v1/mcp/tools from your appliance for the live schema.
| Tools | Role |
|---|---|
list_labs, get_lab, create_lab | Lab inventory |
add_node, patch_node, add_link, delete_link | Topology edits |
validate_lab, assist_lab | Validation and Q&A |
list_templates, list_presets | Catalogue |
generate_lab_configs, apply_lab_configs | Config proposals |
start_lab_nodes | Power |
preview_running_configs, create_lab_from_running_configs | Map, Remap, Redesign import |
node_exec, node_get_running_config, node_apply_config, node_save_config | Live CLI |
start_capture, list_captures | Packet capture |
assist_agent | An orchestrated Assist run |
export_lab_configs | Config pack export |
Use with ChatGPT, Claude, or Cursor
- Point the agent at your appliance URL, reachable from where the agent runs.
- Give it a short-lived user token, or a script that signs in.
- Have it call
GET /api/v1/mcp/tools, thenPOST /api/v1/mcp/call.
Example prompt:
Using the VEX-NX API at http://<appliance-ip>, list the MCP tools, create an empty lab
named demo-ospf, add three cisco-iosv nodes if the template exists, and do not start
any nodes until I confirm.Caution
Never paste real bearer tokens into tickets or public repositories.