fix: disable MCP auto start and instead request on first load and new connection attempts VSCODE-704

package.json

@@ -1320,7 +1320,7 @@
         },
         "mdb.mcp.readOnly": {
           "type": "boolean",
-          "default": false,
+          "default": true,
           "description": "When set to true, MongoDB MCP server will only allow read, connect, and metadata operation types, disabling create/update/delete operations."
         },
         "mdb.mcp.indexCheck": {
@@ -1331,11 +1331,16 @@
         "mdb.mcp.server": {
           "type": "string",
           "enum": [
-            "ask",
-            "enabled",
-            "disabled"
+            "prompt",
+            "autoStartEnabled",
+            "autoStartDisabled"
+          ],
+          "enumItemLabels": [
+            "Ask",
+            "Auto Start Enabled",
+            "Auto Start Disabled"
           ],
-          "default": "ask",
+          "default": "prompt",
           "description": "Controls whether MongoDB MCP server starts automatically with the extension and connects to the active connection. If automatic startup is disabled, the server can still be started using the 'MongoDB: Start MCP Server' command."
         },
         "mdb.mcp.exportsPath": {

src/connectionController.ts

@@ -732,7 +732,9 @@ export default class ConnectionController {
       return false;
     }
 
-    const originalDisconnect = this._activeDataService.disconnect.bind(this);
+    const originalDisconnect = this._activeDataService.disconnect.bind(
+      this._activeDataService,
+    );
     this._activeDataService = null;
 
     try {

src/mcp/mcpConnectionManager.ts

@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ export class MCPConnectionManager extends ConnectionManager {
     this.getTelemetryAnonymousId = getTelemetryAnonymousId;
   }
 
+  setLogger(logger: LoggerBase): void {
+    this.logger = logger;
+  }
+
   connect(): Promise<AnyConnectionState> {
     return Promise.reject(
       new Error(

src/mcp/mcpController.ts

@@ -19,8 +19,12 @@ import type { MCPConnectParams } from './mcpConnectionManager';
 import { MCPConnectionManager } from './mcpConnectionManager';
 import { createMCPConnectionErrorHandler } from './mcpConnectionErrorHandler';
 import { getMCPConfigFromVSCodeSettings } from './mcpConfig';
+import { DEFAULT_TELEMETRY_APP_NAME } from '../connectionController';
 
-export type McpServerStartupConfig = 'enabled' | 'disabled';
+export type MCPServerStartupConfig =
+  | 'prompt'
+  | 'autoStartEnabled'
+  | 'autoStartDisabled';
 
 class VSCodeMCPLogger extends LoggerBase {
   private readonly _logger = createLogger('mcp-server');
@@ -51,11 +55,11 @@ type MCPControllerConfig = {
 export class MCPController {
   private context: vscode.ExtensionContext;
   private connectionController: ConnectionController;
-  private getTelemetryAnonymousId: () => string;
 
   private didChangeEmitter = new vscode.EventEmitter<void>();
   private server?: MCPServerInfo;
-  private mcpConnectionManager?: MCPConnectionManager;
+  private mcpConnectionManager: MCPConnectionManager;
+  private vsCodeMCPLogger: LoggerBase;
 
   constructor({
     context,
@@ -64,10 +68,17 @@ export class MCPController {
   }: MCPControllerConfig) {
     this.context = context;
     this.connectionController = connectionController;
-    this.getTelemetryAnonymousId = getTelemetryAnonymousId;
+    this.vsCodeMCPLogger = new VSCodeMCPLogger(Keychain.root);
+    this.mcpConnectionManager = new MCPConnectionManager({
+      logger: this.vsCodeMCPLogger,
+      getTelemetryAnonymousId,
+    });
   }
 
   public async activate(): Promise<void> {
+    await this.migrateOldConfigToNewConfig(this.getMCPAutoStartConfig());
+    await this.switchConnectionManagerToCurrentConnection();
+
     this.context.subscriptions.push(
       vscode.lm.registerMcpServerDefinitionProvider('mongodb', {
         onDidChangeMcpServerDefinitions: this.didChangeEmitter.event,
@@ -87,16 +98,83 @@ export class MCPController {
       },
     );
 
-    if (this.shouldStartMCPServer()) {
+    if (this.shouldPromptForAutoStart()) {
+      void this.promptForMCPAutoStart();
+    }
+
+    if (this.getMCPAutoStartConfig() === 'autoStartEnabled') {
       await this.startServer();
-      void this.notifyOnFirstStart();
+    }
+  }
+
+  private async migrateOldConfigToNewConfig(oldConfig: unknown): Promise<void> {
+    try {
+      switch (oldConfig) {
+        // The previous logic would set the mdb.mcp.server to 'enabled' on
+        // extension activate (with a notification) so we're assuming that this
+        // value is not the result of explicit user action and hence mapping it
+        // to 'prompt'
+        case 'ask':
+        case 'enabled': {
+          await this.setMCPAutoStartConfig('prompt');
+          break;
+        }
+
+        // In the previous logic only 'disabled' value would've represented an
+        // explicit user action which is why we preserve that and map it to new
+        // disabled value.
+        case 'disabled': {
+          await this.setMCPAutoStartConfig('autoStartDisabled');
+          break;
+        }
+
+        // Any other value is possible only if user explicitly mentioned or when
+        // if the values were already migrated it so we don't alter them.
+        default: {
+          break;
+        }
+      }
+    } catch (error) {
+      logger.error('Error when migrating old config to the new config', error);
+    }
+  }
+
+  private async promptForMCPAutoStart(): Promise<void> {
+    try {
+      const promptResponse = await vscode.window.showInformationMessage(
+        'Would you like to automatically start the MongoDB MCP server? When started, the MongoDB MCP Server will automatically connect to your active MongoDB instance.',
+        'Yes',
+        'Not now',
+      );
+
+      switch (promptResponse) {
+        case 'Yes': {
+          await this.setMCPAutoStartConfig('autoStartEnabled');
+          await this.startServer();
+          break;
+        }
+
+        case 'Not now': {
+          await this.setMCPAutoStartConfig('autoStartDisabled');
+          break;
+        }
+
+        default:
+          break;
+      }
+    } catch (error) {
+      logger.error('Error when prompting for MCP auto start', error);
     }
   }
 
   public async startServer(): Promise<void> {
     try {
-      // Stop an already running server if any
-      await this.stopServer();
+      if (this.server) {
+        logger.info(
+          'MCP server start requested. An MCP server is already running, will not start a new server.',
+        );
+        return;
+      }
 
       const token = crypto.randomUUID();
       const headers: Record<string, string> = {
@@ -133,13 +211,8 @@ export class MCPController {
       const createConnectionManager: ConnectionManagerFactoryFn = async ({
         logger,
       }) => {
-        const connectionManager = (this.mcpConnectionManager =
-          new MCPConnectionManager({
-            logger,
-            getTelemetryAnonymousId: this.getTelemetryAnonymousId,
-          }));
-        await this.switchConnectionManagerToCurrentConnection();
-        return connectionManager;
+        this.mcpConnectionManager.setLogger(logger);
+        return Promise.resolve(this.mcpConnectionManager);
       };
 
       const runner = new StreamableHttpRunner({
@@ -149,6 +222,9 @@ export class MCPController {
           this.connectionController,
         ),
         additionalLoggers: [new VSCodeMCPLogger(Keychain.root)],
+        telemetryProperties: {
+          hosting_mode: DEFAULT_TELEMETRY_APP_NAME,
+        },
       });
       await runner.start();
 
@@ -165,66 +241,18 @@ export class MCPController {
   }
 
   public async stopServer(): Promise<void> {
-    try {
-      await this.server?.runner.close();
-      this.server = undefined;
-      this.didChangeEmitter.fire();
-    } catch (error) {
-      logger.error('Error when attempting to close the MCP server', error);
-    }
-  }
-
-  private async notifyOnFirstStart(): Promise<void> {
     try {
       if (!this.server) {
-        // Server was never started so no need to notify
+        logger.info(
+          'MCP server stop requested. No MCP server running, nothing to stop.',
+        );
         return;
       }
-
-      const serverStartConfig = this.getMCPAutoStartConfig();
-
-      // If the config value is one of the following values means they are
-      // intentional (either set by user or by this function itself) and we
-      // should not notify in that case.
-      const shouldNotNotify =
-        serverStartConfig === 'enabled' || serverStartConfig === 'disabled';
-
-      if (shouldNotNotify) {
-        return;
-      }
-
-      // We set the auto start already to enabled to not prompt user again for
-      // this on the next boot. We do it this way because chances are that the
-      // user might not act on the notification in which case the final update
-      // will never happen.
-      await this.setMCPAutoStartConfig('enabled');
-      let selectedServerStartConfig: McpServerStartupConfig = 'enabled';
-
-      const prompt = await vscode.window.showInformationMessage(
-        'MongoDB MCP server started automatically and will connect to your active connection. Would you like to keep or disable automatic startup?',
-        'Keep',
-        'Disable',
-      );
-
-      switch (prompt) {
-        case 'Keep':
-        default:
-          // The default happens only when users explicity dismiss the
-          // notification.
-          selectedServerStartConfig = 'enabled';
-          break;
-        case 'Disable': {
-          selectedServerStartConfig = 'disabled';
-          await this.stopServer();
-        }
-      }
-
-      await this.setMCPAutoStartConfig(selectedServerStartConfig);
+      await this.server.runner.close();
+      this.server = undefined;
+      this.didChangeEmitter.fire();
     } catch (error) {
-      logger.error(
-        'Error while attempting to emit MCP server started notification',
-        error,
-      );
+      logger.error('Error when attempting to close the MCP server', error);
     }
   }
 
@@ -299,43 +327,72 @@ ${jsonConfig}`,
   }
 
   private async onActiveConnectionChanged(): Promise<void> {
-    if (!this.server) {
-      return;
+    logger.info(
+      'Active connection changed, will switch connection manager to new connection',
+      {
+        connectionId: this.connectionController.getActiveConnectionId(),
+        shouldPromptForAutoStart: this.shouldPromptForAutoStart(),
+        serverStarted: !!this.server,
+      },
+    );
+
+    if (
+      this.connectionController.getActiveConnectionId() &&
+      this.shouldPromptForAutoStart()
+    ) {
+      void this.promptForMCPAutoStart();
     }
+
     await this.switchConnectionManagerToCurrentConnection();
   }
 
   private async switchConnectionManagerToCurrentConnection(): Promise<void> {
-    const connectionId = this.connectionController.getActiveConnectionId();
-    const mongoClientOptions =
-      this.connectionController.getMongoClientConnectionOptions();
-
-    const connectParams: MCPConnectParams | undefined =
-      connectionId && mongoClientOptions
-        ? {
-            connectionId: connectionId,
-            connectionString: mongoClientOptions.url,
-            connectOptions: mongoClientOptions.options,
-          }
-        : undefined;
-    await this.mcpConnectionManager?.updateConnection(connectParams);
+    try {
+      const connectionId = this.connectionController.getActiveConnectionId();
+      const mongoClientOptions =
+        this.connectionController.getMongoClientConnectionOptions();
+
+      const connectParams: MCPConnectParams | undefined =
+        connectionId && mongoClientOptions
+          ? {
+              connectionId: connectionId,
+              connectionString: mongoClientOptions.url,
+              connectOptions: mongoClientOptions.options,
+            }
+          : undefined;
+      await this.mcpConnectionManager.updateConnection(connectParams);
+    } catch (error) {
+      logger.error('Error when attempting to switch connection', error);
+    }
   }
 
-  private shouldStartMCPServer(): boolean {
-    return this.getMCPAutoStartConfig() !== 'disabled';
+  private shouldPromptForAutoStart(): boolean {
+    const storedConfig = this.getMCPAutoStartConfig();
+    return storedConfig === 'prompt';
   }
 
-  private getMCPAutoStartConfig(): McpServerStartupConfig | undefined {
+  private getMCPAutoStartConfig(): unknown {
     return vscode.workspace
-      .getConfiguration('mdb')
-      .get<McpServerStartupConfig>('mcp.server');
+      .getConfiguration()
+      .get<unknown>('mdb.mcp.server', 'prompt');
   }
 
   private async setMCPAutoStartConfig(
-    config: McpServerStartupConfig,
+    config: MCPServerStartupConfig,
   ): Promise<void> {
     await vscode.workspace
-      .getConfiguration('mdb')
-      .update('mcp.server', config, true);
+      .getConfiguration()
+      .update('mdb.mcp.server', config, true);
+  }
+
+  public get _test_isServerRunning(): boolean {
+    return (
+      this.server !== undefined &&
+      this.server.runner instanceof StreamableHttpRunner
+    );
+  }
+
+  public get _test_mcpConnectionManager(): MCPConnectionManager {
+    return this.mcpConnectionManager;
   }
 }

src/test/suite/connectionController.test.ts

@@ -518,8 +518,10 @@ suite('Connection Controller Test Suite', function () {
     // The number of times we expect to re-render connections on the sidebar:
     // - connection attempt started
     // - connection attempt finished
-    // - disconnect
-    const expectedTimesToFire = 3;
+    // - disconnect from our call in the tests
+    // - disconnect from on('close') listener on DataService that gets called as
+    //   a result of our disconnect call
+    const expectedTimesToFire = 4;
     let connectionsDidChangeEventFiredCount = 0;
 
     testConnectionController.addEventListener('CONNECTIONS_DID_CHANGE', () => {