VixMCP.Ai.Bridge

This MCP server exposes VMware VIX operations as MCP tools for AI-driven automation. The server wraps VIX API bindings and exposes guest command execution, process monitoring, session management, and connectivity checks through MCP-compatible messages, enabling AI assistants to control and inspect VMware VMs from workflows and Cursor IDE prompts. Once the server is running, you can send MCP protocol messages to start a persistent session with a VM, execute commands inside the guest OS, list processes, and verify connectivity. The tools are designed to be integrated into AI copilots or automation pipelines, allowing natural-language prompts to translate into concrete VIX actions.

To use the server with Cursor IDE or your MCP client, connect to the running MCP service according to your environment (in this setup, via the configured transport). Typical flows include establishing a persistent session with a target VM, running a command inside the guest, polling for results, and cleaning up the session when finished. The MCP tools provided map to common VIX operations such as ConnectAndLogin, ExecCommandInGuestSession, ListAllProcessesInGuest, and CheckGuestConnection, enabling seamless automation of VM management tasks through AI-assisted workflows.

Prerequisites

• Windows 10/11 (x64) with .NET 9.0 Runtime
• VMware Workstation Pro/Player or VMware vSphere
• VMware VIX API SDK (Vix64AllProductsDyn.dll) copied to the application directory or accessible via PATH

Installation steps

1. Clone the repository and set up the project sources (or pull the prebuilt container if using Docker): git clone <repository-url> cd <repository-root>

2. Build the .NET MCP server (if you are running natively): dotnet build

3. If using Docker (recommended for MCP deployment in this repo):

   • Ensure Docker is installed and running.
   • Build or pull the image for bivex/vixmcp.ai.bridge (reference in Dockerfile or image registry).
   • Run the container with the required environment variables (VIX_DLL_PATH, etc.).

4. Prepare the VMware VIX DLL:

   • Obtain Vix64AllProductsDyn.dll from the VMware VIX SDK.
   • Copy it into the application directory or ensure it is accessible via PATH.

5. Run the MCP server:

   • Native .NET (if built): dotnet run --project McpProcessToolSample
   • Docker (recommended): docker run -i bivex/vixmcp.ai.bridge

6. Verify operation:

   • Check logs for startup confirmation indicating MCP server is listening for protocol messages.
   • Use your MCP client (e.g., Cursor IDE) to connect using the mcp.json configuration (see mcp_config in this document).

Prerequisites recap

• .NET 9.0 runtime (for native runs) or Docker for containerized runs
• VMware virtualization environment and VIX SDK
• Correct VIX DLL placement and environment setup

Notes

• The VIX DLL is not included in the repository and must be obtained from VMware.
• Ensure matching bitness (x64) for the VIX DLL and the host environment.

Tips and common issues:

• Ensure VIX DLL (Vix64AllProductsDyn.dll) is in the executable directory or in your system PATH; otherwise VIX operations will fail to load.
• The MCP server relies on a Windows host with VMware tools installed on guest VMs to execute guest commands successfully.
• If you encounter connectivity or authentication failures, verify guest OS credentials and network access between the host and the VM.
• When running via Docker, ensure the container has access to the VIX DLL or that the DLL is embedded in the image build context.
• Use the provided MCP tools (ConnectAndLogin, ExecCommandInGuestSession, ListAllProcessesInGuest, CheckGuestConnection) to structure reliable automation sequences and handle timeouts gracefully.
• For Cursor IDE integration, ensure your mcp.json points to the correct executable path and that the VIX-related DLLs are accessible to the running process.