Cordra MCP Server

About Cordra

Cordra is a configurable digital object repository system that stores digital objects as JSON documents with associated metadata and optional binary payloads. Each object follows a defined JSON schema and is assigned a unique handle identifier using the prefix/suffix format. Cordra provides a robust HTTP REST API for data access and supports fine-grained access control, versioning, and flexible schema definitions.

Key Cordra features:

• JSON-based digital objects with schema validation
• Handle-based identifier system for object resolution
• Binary payload attachment support
• Configurable authorization and access control
• RESTful HTTP API for programmatic access
• Flexible schema system with Cordra-specific extensions

About the MCP Server

This Model Context Protocol (MCP) server provides AI assistants with read-only access to explore and understand Cordra repositories. It enables AI systems to discover data structures, examine object schemas, browse repository contents, and understand repository configuration without making any modifications.

Purpose

The primary purpose of this MCP server is to assist developers in building applications that integrate with Cordra repositories. By providing AI assistants with repository exploration capabilities, developers can:

• Quickly understand the data model and schema structure
• Explore existing objects and their relationships
• Learn about the repository's configuration and behavior
• Understand access control patterns and permissions
• Discover available binary payloads and their metadata

This exploration capability accelerates the development process by allowing developers to understand repository structure through natural language queries to AI assistants.

Core Features

Read-Only Access

All operations are strictly read-only, ensuring safe exploration without risk of data modification or corruption.

Schema Discovery

Complete access to repository schemas and type definitions, including Cordra-specific schema extensions for UI behavior, auto-generated fields, and object relationships.

Object Exploration

Search and retrieve digital objects with full metadata, enabling understanding of real data structures and content patterns.

Configuration Understanding

Access to repository design object and server information to understand behavioral rules, authorization settings, and system capabilities.

Binary Payload Awareness

Discovery of attached binary files with metadata (names, sizes, types) without downloading the actual content.

Operations

The MCP server provides eight essential operations:

1. get_object

Retrieve a specific digital object by its ID or handle, including all metadata and content.

Parameters:

• id (string): Object identifier or handle

Returns: Complete object JSON with metadata

2. search_objects

Search for objects using queries, filters, and sorting options with pagination support.

Parameters:

• query (string, optional): Search query
• type (string, optional): Filter by object type
• pageNum (number, optional): Page number for pagination
• pageSize (number, optional): Number of results per page
• sortFields (string, optional): Fields to sort by

Returns: Search results with object summaries and pagination info

3. list_schemas

List all available schemas/types in the repository.

Returns: Array of schema names and basic information

4. get_schema

Retrieve detailed schema definition for a specific object type.

Parameters:

• type (string): Schema/type name

Returns: Complete JSON schema with Cordra-specific extensions

5. list_payloads

List binary payloads attached to a specific object.

Parameters:

• id (string): Object identifier or handle

Returns: Array of payload metadata (names, sizes, content types)

6. get_object_acl

Retrieve access control list for a specific object.

Parameters:

• id (string): Object identifier or handle

Returns: Object permissions including readers and writers

7. get_server_info

Get server version, capabilities, and technical information.

Returns: Server metadata and configuration details

8. get_design_object

Retrieve the repository's design object containing behavioral configuration.

Returns: Repository configuration including authorization settings, handle minting rules, and UI behavior

Configuration

The MCP server requires connection details for the target Cordra instance:

{
  "cordra_url": "https://localhost:8443",
  "username": "your_username",
  "password": "your_password",
  "max_search_results": 1000
}

Security

• All operations are read-only by design
• Authentication credentials are required for repository access
• Respects existing Cordra access control and permissions
• No data modification capabilities to ensure repository safety