# Docker MCP Gateway
The Docker MCP Gateway is an open-source centralized proxy between AI clients and [[Model Context Protocol (MCP)]] servers, managing configuration, credentials, and access control. When a client requests a tool, the Gateway finds the responsible server, starts it as a Docker container if needed, injects credentials, enforces restrictions, and forwards the request. Servers run in isolated containers with restricted privileges, network, and resources.
## Key points
- Each server runs sandboxed in its own container with secrets injected at call time
- Built-in logging and call tracing for governance
- CLI plugin `docker mcp` (`~/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-mcp`); selects servers via `--profile`
- In Compose, exposed via `MCPGATEWAY_ENDPOINT=http://mcp-gateway:8811/sse`
## References
- https://docs.docker.com/ai/mcp-catalog-and-toolkit/mcp-gateway/
## Related
- [[Docker AI]]
- [[Docker]]
- [[Model Context Protocol (MCP)]]
- [[Docker MCP Catalog]]
- [[Docker MCP Toolkit]]
- [[Docker Agent]]