Jenkins

Connect Jenkins CI/CD server to CloudThinker for build pipeline monitoring, job analysis, and deployment tracking

Connect your self-hosted Jenkins server to enable CloudThinker agents to monitor builds, analyze test results, review pipeline logs, and manage job operations. Jenkins authenticates with a username and API token over the Jenkins MCP Server Plugin.

---

Prerequisites

• A self-hosted Jenkins instance running version 2.x or later (cloud-hosted Jenkins is not supported).
• The Jenkins MCP Server Plugin installed on your server; the default MCP port is 9090.
• Admin access to Jenkins to configure the root URL and create credentials.

Cloud-hosted Jenkins services are not supported. This connection requires the Jenkins MCP Server Plugin.

---

Setup

1. Configure the root URL

   The MCP Server Plugin requires Jenkins to have a root URL configured to return correct job links. Run the following in the Jenkins Script Console:

   COOKIE_JAR=/tmp/jenkins_cookies
   CRUMB=$(curl -s -c $COOKIE_JAR -u "admin:<password>" \
     'http://<host-ip>:9090/crumbIssuer/api/json' | python3 -c "import json,sys; print(json.load(sys.stdin)['crumb'])")
   
   curl -s -X POST "http://<host-ip>:9090/scriptText" \
     -b $COOKIE_JAR -u "admin:<password>" -H "Jenkins-Crumb: $CRUMB" \
     --data-urlencode "script=
   import jenkins.model.JenkinsLocationConfiguration
   def loc = JenkinsLocationConfiguration.get()
   loc.setUrl('http://<host-ip>:9090/')
   loc.save()
   println('Root URL set to: ' + loc.getUrl())
   "
   
2. Verify the MCP endpoint

   Confirm the plugin is running before connecting:

   curl -s http://<host-ip>:9090/mcp-health/
   
3. Add the connection in CloudThinker

   Navigate to Connections → Jenkins and enter:

   • URL: http://<host-ip>:9090
   • Username: admin
   • API Token: your Jenkins admin password or API token

   Click Connect. CloudThinker verifies the credentials and shows a Connected status.

---

Connection details

Field	Description	Example
URL	Base URL of your Jenkins instance	http://192.168.1.100:9090
Username	Jenkins username	admin
API Token	Jenkins admin password or API token	—

---

Required permissions

Grant the Jenkins user the following permissions:

• Overall: Read
• Job: Read, Discover
• View: Read

Create a dedicated Jenkins user for CloudThinker with only these permissions. Keep write operations (trigger builds, replay pipelines) approval-gated.

---

Agent capabilities

Once connected, agents can monitor and investigate your Jenkins pipelines.

Capability	Description
Build monitoring	List jobs and check build status
Log analysis	Retrieve and search build logs
Test results	View test outcomes
SCM integration	View Git changes and commits
Job controls	Trigger builds and replay pipelines — requires approval

Verify the connection

@alex list all Jenkins jobs and show the last build status for each

Example prompts

@alex search Jenkins build logs for errors in the last 10 builds and #recommend fixes
@alex show test results for the main project's recent builds and #report failures
@alex check the Jenkins build queue and identify any stuck jobs

---

Troubleshooting

Connection timeout

Verify Jenkins is running and that port 9090 is reachable from CloudThinker. Use the host IP address (not localhost) in the URL field.

Empty job list

The root URL has not been configured or the Script Console command failed. Re-run the Script Console command in Setup and reconnect.

Authentication failed

The username or API token is incorrect, or the user lacks the required permissions. Verify the credentials and that the Jenkins user has Overall Read, Job Read, and View Read access.

---

Security

• Least privilege — grant only the permissions the agents need for your use case; start read-only and widen later.
• Read-only by default — use read-only credentials unless you want agents to make changes through this connection.
• Rotate credentials — rotate keys and tokens on your normal schedule; CloudThinker picks up the new value when you update the connection.
• Revoke on offboarding — remove the credential at the provider when you delete a connection or a teammate leaves.

• Dedicated user — create a dedicated Jenkins user for CloudThinker scoped to only the jobs and views it needs.
• Network isolation — restrict Jenkins port 9090 to CloudThinker’s IP range or use a VPN; avoid exposing the Jenkins UI to the public internet.

---

Related

MCP Connections

Connect custom tools via Model Context Protocol

Kubernetes Connection

Connect Kubernetes clusters