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Remote MCP Server Development Environment

To develop a Remote MCP Server, you'll be using Node-RED, a low-code, flow-based development tool that makes it easy to connect APIs, create workflows, and expose services for AI agents. This section walks you through how to set up your development environment.

🛠️ Development Tool: Node-RED​

Node-RED is an open-source programming tool for wiring together hardware devices, APIs, and online services. It’s perfect for creating lightweight, modular MCP servers that can be accessed remotely by AI agents.

Why Node-RED?

  • Low-Code Interface: Build your logic visually without writing full backend code.
  • Extensibility: Write JavaScript in function nodes when needed.
  • Built-in Networking: Easily expose endpoints over HTTP, WebSocket, or TCP.
  • Perfect for MCP: Quick to set up, test, and deploy protocol-capable services.

⚙️ Setting Up the Development Environment​

You have two main options to use Node-RED for MCP server development:

For a production-ready, collaborative, and persistent setup, we recommend launching Node-RED as a service in your UBOS Workspace.

Why use UBOS?

  • No local setup required
  • Runs in the cloud, accessible from anywhere
  • 1-click Node-RED install from the Marketplace
  • Persistent storage and public URLs for your MCP server
  • Integrated with other open-source tools like MongoDB, Postgres, Jupyter, etc.

Step-by-step:

  1. Go to https://ubos.tech and create an account.
  2. Create a Workspace (your personal cloud environment).
  3. Attach a Server:
    • You can connect your own VPS or rent one from UBOS.
  4. Go to the Marketplace and deploy Node-RED with one click.
  5. Open Node-RED in your workspace and start building your remote MCP Server!

Once deployed, your Node-RED instance will be accessible via a unique public URL:

https://nodered-1448-67a0b36a978bd0110000014b.bicimoto-agent.ubos.tech

This URL becomes the public endpoint of your Remote MCP Server—ready to receive and respond to AI agent requests over the internet.

🖼️ UBOS Workspace with Node-RED​

The image below shows a typical development environment on UBOS with Node-RED running as a service inside a workspace. Each workspace acts as an isolated cloud development space, where you can attach servers, launch open-source tools from the Marketplace, and manage everything through a user-friendly dashboard.

Node-RED MCP Development Environment

Option 2: Local Installation​

If you're a developer or prefer local environments:

Step-by-step:

  1. Install Node.js (LTS version recommended) from https://nodejs.org.
  2. Install Node-RED globally:
    npm install -g node-red
  3. Start Node-RED:
    node-red
  4. Open the editor in your browser:
    http://localhost:1880

This setup is perfect for quick prototyping and full control over your machine.

With your Node-RED environment ready—either locally or in the cloud—you’re now set to begin creating your first MCP-compatible server. In the next section, we’ll guide you through building the core MCP flow that listens for commands and responds accordingly.