Files
arcade-eval/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-06-22-deploy-mcp-to-k8s-design.md
ztaylor 715e846094 deploy: containerize arcade-eval-ref MCP server + ACR build/push action
Replace the cloudflared quick-tunnel dev pattern with a permanent in-cluster
deployment so the self-hosted Arcade engine reaches the echo/add/whoami reference
server over stable cluster DNS.

- lib/mcp_server/Dockerfile: python:3.12-slim, pip install ., HTTP transport via
  ARCADE_SERVER_{TRANSPORT,HOST,PORT} env overrides (no server.py change needed),
  non-root user, port 8000.
- .github/workflows/build-push-acr.yml: build + push
  servicetitandev.azurecr.io/arcade-eval-ref:1.0.<run_number>. Adapted from
  servicetitan/mem0; needs repo secrets ACR_DEV_USERNAME / ACR_DEV_PASSWORD.
- docs/superpowers/specs design record.

K8s manifests live in k8s-backstage-v2 apps/mcp/arcade-eval-ref/ (separate branch).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-06-22 11:22:56 -04:00

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# Deploy arcade-eval reference MCP server to backstage k8s
**Date:** 2026-06-22
**Status:** Approved — implementing
## Goal
Replace the ephemeral cloudflared **quick tunnel** (used to register the
`arcade-eval-ref` server with the self-hosted Arcade engine) with a permanent
in-cluster deployment on `backstage-wus2-v4`. The engine then reaches the server
over stable cluster DNS instead of a `trycloudflare.com` URL that dies on restart.
Relevant eval categories: cat-4 (custom server dev), cat-8 (deployment), cat-9 (DX).
## Architecture / data flow
```
Arcade engine (ns: arcade) ──HTTP /worker/*──▶ Service arcade-eval-ref (ns: arcade-eval-ref)
registered as type "Arcade" └─▶ Deployment: python:3.12 running
URI = http://arcade-eval-ref.arcade-eval-ref mcp_server.server over HTTP :8000
.svc.cluster.local:8000 (echo / add / whoami)
Secret = ARCADE_WORKER_SECRET ◀── same value ──▶ env ARCADE_WORKER_SECRET (SealedSecret)
```
### Runtime facts (verified by introspecting `arcade-mcp-server` 1.17)
- `app.run()` honors env overrides via `_get_configuration_overrides()`:
`ARCADE_SERVER_TRANSPORT=http`, `ARCADE_SERVER_HOST=0.0.0.0`, `ARCADE_SERVER_PORT=8000`.
So the hardcoded `127.0.0.1` in `server.py`'s `__main__` is overridden at runtime —
**no `server.py` change needed.**
- `ARCADE_WORKER_SECRET` (settings alias `arcade.server_secret`) → worker routes mount at
`/worker/*` (what the engine calls); MCP also served at `/mcp`. FastAPI app, port 8000.
## Components
### 1. `arcade-eval` repo (branch off `main`)
- **`lib/mcp_server/Dockerfile`** — `python:3.12-slim`, `pip install .` (pulls
`arcade-mcp-server` + `httpx`), `ENV` transport/host/port, non-root user, `EXPOSE 8000`,
`CMD ["python","-m","mcp_server.server"]`.
- **`.github/workflows/build-push-acr.yml`** — adapted from `servicetitan/mem0`. Pushes
`servicetitandev.azurecr.io/arcade-eval-ref:1.0.<run_number>`. Login via repo secrets
`ACR_DEV_USERNAME` / `ACR_DEV_PASSWORD`. Triggers: `workflow_dispatch` + push to `main`
filtered to `lib/mcp_server/**`.
### 2. `k8s-backstage-v2` repo (branch off `master`)
New dir **`apps/mcp/arcade-eval-ref/`** (Flux's `apps` Kustomization recursively applies
everything under `apps/`; no per-dir `kustomization.yaml`):
- **`namespace.yaml`** — ns `arcade-eval-ref` (labels per repo convention, `team: infra`).
- **`server.yaml`** — plain `Deployment` (image
`servicetitandev.azurecr.io/arcade-eval-ref:1.0.1`; no imagePullSecret — the cluster has
native ACR pull, confirmed by other `apps/mcp/*` servers; `ARCADE_WORKER_SECRET` from
secretRef; TCP probes; modest resources) + `Service` (ClusterIP, 8000→8000).
- **`sealedsecret.yaml`** — `arcade-eval-ref-worker-secret`, key `ARCADE_WORKER_SECRET`,
**strict** scope, sealed offline with `kubeseal --cert <backstage-wus2-v4 public cert>`.
## Manual steps after merge
1. Add `ACR_DEV_USERNAME` / `ACR_DEV_PASSWORD` repo secrets to `arcade-eval`.
2. `workflow_dispatch` (or merge to `main`) to build/push the image — first run = tag `1.0.1`.
3. Merge the k8s branch; Flux applies the namespace/secret/deployment.
4. Dashboard → **Add Server → Arcade**, URI
`http://arcade-eval-ref.arcade-eval-ref.svc.cluster.local:8000`, Secret = the worker secret
plaintext (stored git-ignored at `results/arcade-eval-ref-worker-secret.txt`); re-point the
`zeb-gateway-test` gateway's ref tools at it and drop the tunnel. Delete the plaintext file
afterward.
## Out of scope (YAGNI)
No ingress (internal-only ClusterIP), no HPA, no PodMonitor/metrics (separate cat-5 work),
single replica.