Architecture

MSP Claude Plugins uses a three-layer architecture that separates domain knowledge (plugins) from API connectivity (MCP servers) and vendor APIs.

Three-Layer Design

┌──────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Claude Code / Claude Desktop        │
│  + Plugins (skills, commands, prompts)│
└──────────────┬───────────────────────┘
               │
┌──────────────▼───────────────────────┐
│  MCP Servers (API connectivity)      │
│  @wyre-technology/*-mcp              │
└──────────────┬───────────────────────┘
               │ HTTPS
┌──────────────▼───────────────────────┐
│  Vendor APIs                         │
│  Autotask, Datto, Syncro, etc.       │
└──────────────────────────────────────┘

Plugins — provide domain knowledge, skills, slash commands, and prompts. They tell Claude how to think about MSP workflows (triage logic, escalation rules, documentation standards).
MCP Servers — provide API connectivity via the Model Context Protocol. They expose vendor-specific tools (list tickets, create company, get alerts) that Claude can call.
Vendor APIs — the upstream REST/GraphQL APIs from Autotask, Datto RMM, ConnectWise, Syncro, IT Glue, and others.

Deployment Patterns

Pattern 1: Local (Claude Code + stdio)

Claude Code / Desktop
    ↓ stdio
MCP Server (npx / mcpb)
    ↓ HTTPS
Vendor API (Autotask, Datto, etc.)

Best for: individual developers, quick testing, local development.
The MCP server runs as a local process, communicating with Claude via stdin/stdout. Install with npx @wyre-technology/<vendor>-mcp or use a .mcpb bundle.

Pattern 2: Docker Self-Hosted

Claude Code / Desktop
    ↓ HTTP (SSE transport)
MCP Server Container (ghcr.io)
    ↓ HTTPS
Vendor API

Best for: teams, on-premise deployments, persistent servers.
Run MCP servers as Docker containers with SSE transport. All servers publish container images to ghcr.io/wyre-technology/. See the deployment guide.

Pattern 3: MCP Gateway (mcp.wyretechnology.com)

Claude Code / Desktop
    ↓ HTTPS + OAuth 2.1/PKCE
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│   MCP Gateway (mcp.wyretechnology.com)     │
│  ┌────────────────────────────┐ │
│  │ OAuth 2.1 + PKCE           │ │
│  │ Credential Vault           │ │
│  │ (AES-256-GCM encrypted)    │ │
│  └────────────────────────────┘ │
│         ↓ HTTP (internal)       │
│  ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐   │
│  │Datto │ │Syncro│ │ ...  │   │
│  │ MCP  │ │ MCP  │ │      │   │
│  └──────┘ └──────┘ └──────┘   │
└─────────────────────────────────┘
    ↓ HTTPS
Vendor APIs

Best for: multi-tenant deployments, managed hosting, zero-config for end users.
Just add a URL to Claude Desktop — no Docker, no environment variables, no config files. See the gateway documentation.

MCPB Distribution

Every MCP server ships as an .mcpb (MCP Bundle) — a self-contained package for Claude Desktop. Bundles are attached to each server's GitHub Releases and include all dependencies plus a manifest that tells Claude Desktop exactly what credentials to prompt for.

Download from the server's GitHub releases page
Install in Claude Desktop: Settings → MCP Servers → Install from file
No terminal, no Node.js, no configuration files required
Requires Claude Desktop 0.10+

See the deployment guide for detailed MCPB installation instructions.

Plugins vs MCP Servers

Aspect	Plugins	MCP Servers
Purpose	Domain knowledge & workflow guidance	API connectivity & tool exposure
Contains	Skills, slash commands, prompts, CLAUDE.md	Tool handlers, API clients, auth logic
Example	"When triaging a ticket, check for SLA breach first"	`list_tickets({ status: 'open', priority: 'high' })`
Installation	Clone into Claude's project knowledge	npx, Docker, MCPB, or Gateway URL
Runtime	Loaded as context in Claude's prompt	Runs as a separate process / container

Plugins and MCP servers are designed to work together. Each plugin has a companionPluginId that links it to its corresponding MCP server, so Claude knows which tools complement which domain knowledge.

Next Steps

Deployment Guide — install MCP servers via npm, Docker, MCPB, or DigitalOcean
MCP Gateway — hosted gateway at mcp.wyretechnology.com
MCP Servers — browse all available MCP servers
Plugins — browse all available Claude plugins