managing-apps/assets/documentation/MCP-Quick-Start.md

MCP Quick Start Guide

Prerequisites

• .NET 8 SDK
• Node.js 18+
• At least one LLM API key (Gemini, OpenAI, or Claude)

Setup Steps

1. Configure LLM API Keys

Add your API key to appsettings.Development.json or user secrets:

{
  "Llm": {
    "Claude": {
      "ApiKey": "YOUR_CLAUDE_API_KEY_HERE"
    }
  }
}

Or use .NET user secrets (recommended):

cd src/Managing.Api
dotnet user-secrets set "Llm:Claude:ApiKey" "YOUR_API_KEY"

Or use environment variables:

export Llm__Claude__ApiKey="YOUR_API_KEY"
dotnet run --project src/Managing.Api

2. Build the Backend

cd src
dotnet build Managing.sln

3. Run the Backend

cd src/Managing.Api
dotnet run

The API will be available at https://localhost:7001 (or configured port).

4. Generate API Client (if needed)

If the LLM endpoints aren't in the generated client yet:

# Make sure the API is running
cd src/Managing.Nswag
dotnet build

This will regenerate ManagingApi.ts with the new LLM endpoints.

5. Run the Frontend

cd src/Managing.WebApp
npm install  # if first time
npm run dev

The app will be available at http://localhost:5173 (or configured port).

6. Test the AI Chat

1. Login to the application
2. Look for the floating chat button in the bottom-right corner
3. Click it to open the AI chat
4. Try these example queries:
   • "Show me my backtests"
   • "Find my best performing strategies"
   • "What are my BTC backtests?"
   • "Show backtests with a score above 80"

Getting LLM API Keys

Anthropic Claude (Recommended - Best for MCP)

1. Go to Anthropic Console
2. Sign in or create an account
3. Navigate to API Keys and create a new key
4. Copy and add to configuration
5. Note: Requires payment setup

Google Gemini (Free Tier Available)

1. Go to Google AI Studio
2. Click "Get API Key"
3. Create a new API key
4. Copy and add to configuration

OpenAI

1. Go to OpenAI Platform
2. Create a new API key
3. Copy and add to configuration
4. Note: Requires payment setup

Anthropic Claude

1. Go to Anthropic Console
2. Create an account and API key
3. Copy and add to configuration
4. Note: Requires payment setup

Architecture Overview

User Browser
    ↓
AI Chat Component (React)
    ↓
LlmController (/api/Llm/Chat)
    ↓
LlmService (Auto-selects provider)
    ↓
Gemini/OpenAI/Claude Provider
    ↓
MCP Service (executes tools)
    ↓
BacktestTools (queries data)

Troubleshooting

No providers available

• Check that at least one API key is configured
• Verify the API key is valid
• Check application logs for provider initialization

Tool calls not working

• Verify IBacktester service is registered
• Check user has backtests in the database
• Review logs for tool execution errors

Frontend errors

• Ensure API is running
• Check browser console for errors
• Verify ManagingApi.ts includes LLM endpoints

Build errors

• Run dotnet restore in src/
• Ensure all NuGet packages are restored
• Check for version conflicts in project files

Example Queries

Simple Queries

"Show me my backtests"
"What's my best strategy?"
"List all my BTC backtests"

Filtered Queries

"Find backtests with a score above 85"
"Show me backtests from the last 30 days"
"List backtests with low drawdown (under 10%)"

Complex Queries

"What are my best performing ETH strategies with a winrate above 70%?"
"Find backtests using RSI indicator sorted by Sharpe ratio"
"Show me my top 5 backtests by growth percentage"

Next Steps

• Add more MCP tools for additional functionality
• Customize the chat UI to match your brand
• Implement chat history persistence
• Add streaming support for better UX
• Create custom tools for your specific use cases

Support

For issues or questions:

1. Check the logs in Managing.Api console
2. Review browser console for frontend errors
3. Verify API keys are correctly configured
4. Ensure all services are running

Additional Resources

• MCP Architecture Documentation
• Implementation Summary
• Model Context Protocol Spec