Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is an MCP Server? A: MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open protocol that standardizes how applications provide context to LLMs. An MCP server acts as a bridge, allowing AI models to access and interact with external data sources and tools.

Q: What is the Alpha Vantage API? A: Alpha Vantage is a provider of financial market data, offering a comprehensive suite of APIs covering various asset classes and economic indicators.

Q: What type of data can I access through the Alpha Vantage API via the MCP Server? A: You can access core stock data, fundamental data, forex data, cryptocurrency data, commodities data, economic indicators, technical indicators, and options data (premium).

Q: How do I authenticate with the Alpha Vantage API when using the MCP Server? A: You can authenticate either by passing your API key in the extraArgs.apiKey field during the MCP call_tool request (recommended) or by setting the API_KEY environment variable in the .env file.

Q: What are the prerequisites for using the MCP Server for Alpha Vantage API? A: You need Node.js v20 or later, npm or yarn, and an Alpha Vantage API key.

Q: How do I install the MCP Server? A: Clone the repository, install the dependencies using npm install or yarn install, configure the environment variables in the .env file, build the project using npm run build or yarn build, and start the server using npm start or yarn start.

Q: How do I list all the available tools exposed by the MCP Server? A: Use the MCP list_tools command to get a full list of available tools, their descriptions, and parameter schemas.

Q: Can I use a premium Alpha Vantage API key with the MCP Server? A: Yes, set the AV_PREMIUM environment variable to true to enable premium endpoint access.

Q: What is UBOS? A: UBOS is a full-stack AI Agent Development Platform focused on bringing AI Agents to every business department. It helps you orchestrate AI Agents, connect them with your enterprise data, build custom AI Agents with your LLM model, and create Multi-Agent Systems.

Q: How does the MCP Server integrate with the UBOS platform? A: The MCP Server seamlessly integrates with UBOS, allowing you to manage and monitor your AI Agents in a unified platform, connect them to enterprise data sources, and deploy them at scale.