---
title: 'Server Manager'
description: 'Intelligent management of multiple MCP servers and dynamic tool discovery'
icon: 'server-cog'
---

# Server Manager: Dynamic Multi-Server Intelligence

The Server Manager is the brain behind intelligent MCP server orchestration. It transforms your agent from a static tool user into a dynamic, adaptive assistant that can discover, connect to, and intelligently utilize tools from multiple MCP servers on-demand.

## What Makes It Special

Instead of overwhelming your agent with hundreds of tools from all servers at once, the Server Manager:

- **Dynamically loads tools** only when needed, with full schemas
- **Intelligently discovers** the right server for each task
- **Automatically updates** available tools as connections change
- **Provides semantic search** across all server tools
- **Manages connection lifecycle** efficiently

## Architecture Overview

```mermaid
graph TB
    Agent[MCPAgent] --> SM[ServerManager]
    SM --> S1[Web Server]
    SM --> S2[File Server]
    SM --> S3[Database Server]

    SM --> Tools[Dynamic Tools]
```

## Dynamic Tool Loading Process

```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
    Agent->>ServerManager: Connect to server
    ServerManager->>Server: Get tools
    Server->>ServerManager: Return tools
    ServerManager->>Agent: Tools now available
    Agent->>Server: Use tools directly
```

## Getting Started

Enable the Server Manager in your agent:

<CodeGroup>
```python Python
from mcp_use import MCPClient, MCPAgent
from langchain_openai import ChatOpenAI

# Create client with multiple servers
client = MCPClient.from_dict({
    "mcpServers": {
        "playwright": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": ["@playwright/mcp@latest"]
        },
        "filesystem": {
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": ["mcp-server-filesystem", "/tmp"]
        }
    }
})

# Enable Server Manager
agent = MCPAgent(
    llm=ChatOpenAI(model="gpt-4"),
    client=client,
    use_server_manager=True  # This is the magic switch!
)
```
</CodeGroup>


## Tool Discovery Flow




## Management Tools Deep Dive

### Core Server Management

| Tool | Purpose | Example |
|------|---------|---------|
| `list_mcp_servers` | Discovery of available servers and their tools | "What servers do I have access to?" |
| `connect_to_mcp_server` | Activate a server and load its tools | "Connect to the filesystem server" |
| `get_active_mcp_server` | Check current connection status | "Which server am I currently using?" |
| `disconnect_from_mcp_server` | Deactivate server and remove its tools | "Disconnect from current server" |
| `search_mcp_tools` | Semantic search across all server tools | "Find tools for image processing" |

### Smart Tool Search Example

<CodeGroup>
```python Python
# Agent automatically discovers and uses the right tools
result = await agent.run("""
I need to:
1. Find tools for web scraping
2. Connect to the right server
3. Scrape data from https://example.com
4. Save it to a file

Start by searching for relevant tools.
""")
```
</CodeGroup>

**Agent Process:**
```mermaid
graph LR
    Search[Search Tools] --> Connect[Connect Server]
    Connect --> Use[Use Tools]
```

## Real-World Use Cases

### 1. Multi-Server Data Pipeline

<CodeGroup>
```python Python
result = await agent.run("""
Create a data pipeline that:
1. Scrapes product data from an e-commerce site
2. Processes and cleans the data
3. Saves it to a CSV file
4. Loads it into a SQLite database

Figure out which servers and tools you need.
""")
```
</CodeGroup>

**Server Flow:**
```
playwright → filesystem → database
    ↓            ↓          ↓
 scraping → save CSV → load data
```

### 2. Content Creation Workflow

<CodeGroup>
```python Python
result = await agent.run("""
I want to:
1. Search for trending topics online
2. Generate an image based on the topic
3. Write a blog post about it
4. Save everything to files

What tools do I need for this?
""")
```
</CodeGroup>

## Performance Benefits

The Server Manager provides focused tool access:

- **Without Server Manager**: All 100+ tools from all servers loaded at once, overwhelming the model
- **With Server Manager**: Only 5-15 relevant tools from the active server, providing clear focus

##  Core Features

The Server Manager provides these powerful capabilities:

- **Dynamic Tool Addition**: Server tools automatically added with full schemas
- **Real-time Updates**: Tool list updates immediately when connecting/disconnecting
- **Clean Architecture**: Direct tool access with proper schemas
- **Model Understanding**: Tools come with native schemas and validation
- **Smart Logging**: Detailed insights into tool changes and server status

## Complete Example

<CodeGroup>
```python Python
import asyncio
from mcp_use import MCPClient, MCPAgent
from langchain_openai import ChatOpenAI

async def demo_server_manager():
    # Multi-server configuration
    client = MCPClient.from_dict({
        "mcpServers": {
            "web": {"command": "npx", "args": ["@playwright/mcp@latest"]},
            "files": {"command": "uvx", "args": ["mcp-server-filesystem", "/tmp"]},
            "database": {"command": "uvx", "args": ["mcp-server-sqlite"]}
        }
    })

    # Agent with Server Manager
    agent = MCPAgent(
        llm=ChatOpenAI(model="gpt-4"),
        client=client,
        use_server_manager=True,
        verbose=True  # See the magic happen!
    )

    # Complex multi-server task
    result = await agent.run("""
    I need to build a complete data collection system:

    1. First, show me what servers and tools are available
    2. Scrape product information from https://example-store.com
    3. Clean and structure the data
    4. Save it as both JSON and CSV files
    5. Load the data into a SQLite database
    6. Generate a summary report

    Guide me through each step and show me how you discover and use the right tools.
    """)

    print("Task completed!")
    print(result)

    await agent.close()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(demo_server_manager())
```
</CodeGroup>

The Server Manager transforms your MCP agent from a static tool user into an intelligent, adaptive assistant that can dynamically discover and utilize the perfect tools for any task!



## Bring Your Own Server Manager

For ultimate control, you can create your own server manager. By implementing the `BaseServerManager` abstract class, you can define custom logic for tool discovery, dynamic tool creation, or integration with other systems. The server manager's primary role is to provide tools **to the agent**. These can be management tools for connecting to external MCP servers, or, as shown below, custom tools that operate entirely within the agent's environment without needing an external server.

Here’s a minimal example of a custom server manager that provides a single, hard-coded tool directly to the agent.

```python
import asyncio
from mcp_use.agents import MCPAgent
from mcp_use.managers.base import BaseServerManager
from langchain_core.tools import BaseTool
from langchain_openai import ChatOpenAI
from pydantic import BaseModel

# 1. Define a custom tool
class HelloWorldTool(BaseTool):
    """A simple tool that returns a greeting."""
    name: str = "hello_world"
    description: str = "Returns 'Hello, World!'"
    args_schema: type[BaseModel] | None = None
    def _run(self) -> str: return "Hello, World!"
    async def _arun(self) -> str: return "Hello, World!"

# 2. Implement the BaseServerManager interface
class SimpleServerManager(BaseServerManager):
    """A minimal server manager with one tool."""
    def __init__(self):
        self._tools = [HelloWorldTool()]
    async def initialize(self) -> None: pass
    @property
    def tools(self) -> list[BaseTool]: return self._tools
    def has_tool_changes(self, current_tool_names: set[str]) -> bool:
        return {tool.name for tool in self.tools} != current_tool_names

# 3. Pass your custom manager to the agent
async def useCustomManager():
    agent = MCPAgent(
        llm=ChatOpenAI(model="gpt-5.5"),
        use_server_manager=True,
        server_manager=SimpleServerManager(),
    )
    # The agent now has access to your custom tool
    result = await agent.run("Use the hello_world tool")
    print(result) #> "Hello, World!"
    await agent.close()

asyncio.run(useCustomManager())
```
