fedramp-docs

The fedramp-docs MCP server makes the FedRAMP/docs repository queryable by MCP clients and tooling. It scans FRMR JSON datasets and accompanying Markdown guidance, builds a structured index of documents and metadata, and exposes a suite of tools for discovery, analysis, and lookup. With the server running, you can query for FRMR documents, KSI items, control mappings, markdown content, and more through the 21 available tools, including full-text search, versioning, and change analysis. You can also configure automatic repository updates so the server stays in sync with upstream FedRAMP documentation. The server is designed to work with Claude Desktop, Goose, and other MCP clients via the standard MCP protocol, including a built-in CLI to inspect the server configuration and start the service.

To use the server in your MCP workflow, first ensure the FedRAMP/docs repository is accessible either locally or via the default remote. Then you can invoke tools such as list_frmr_documents, get_frmr_document, list_versions, list_ksi, get_ksi, search_markdown, read_markdown, and get_requirement_by_id to retrieve structured data and guidance. The server also supports update controls to keep content fresh, and it provides guidance on Significant Change and SOA-like analytics through its curated tools.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js 18 or higher
• npm 8 or higher

1. Clone the repository or install the MCP package globally (as described in the README):

# Install dependencies and build the project
npm install
npm run build

2. Run the MCP server locally (for development or testing):

node dist/index.js

3. Global installation and using the MCP command name (optional but recommended for MCP clients):

npm install -g .
fedramp-docs-mcp

Notes:

• If you prefer to run via a full path to the built server, use: node /path/to/fedramp-docs-mcp/dist/index.js
• You can customize how updates are checked and whether to auto-clone by setting environment variables (see Configuration).

Environment variables and configuration:

• FEDRAMP_DOCS_PATH: Path to existing FedRAMP/docs checkout. If unset, the server will clone a shallow copy into a cache location.
• FEDRAMP_DOCS_REMOTE: Remote Git repository to clone from (default: https://github.com/FedRAMP/docs).
• FEDRAMP_DOCS_BRANCH: Branch to checkout (default: main).
• FEDRAMP_DOCS_ALLOW_AUTO_CLONE: Enable automatic cloning when path is missing (default: true).
• FEDRAMP_DOCS_AUTO_UPDATE: Enable automatic update checks (default: true).
• FEDRAMP_DOCS_UPDATE_CHECK_HOURS: Hours between update checks (default: 24).
• FEDRAMP_DOCS_INDEX_PERSIST: Persist the in-memory index to disk (default: true).

Common issues:

• Ensure Node.js and npm versions meet the prerequisites.
• If you encounter permission issues with global installs, check your npm permissions or use a version manager.
• When running behind proxies or firewalls, ensure Git operations to clone the FedRAMP/docs repo are allowed.

Tips:

• Use the mcp-config command (npx fedramp-docs-mcp mcp-config) to inspect or copy the MCP configuration for Claude Desktop or other clients.
• Regularly review the automated update settings to balance freshness with network load in production environments.