So you’ve caught the Model Context Protocol (MCP) trend and decided that you want to expose an existing REST web service as MCP without writing a new service. What are your options?

In this guide, let’s take a look at the options available as of today (2025-09-01).

1. Add MCP Server to the service directly

This means to modify the service and add MCP server endpoints to it.

This option is available for some programing languages; Python, Typescript, Java, Go, etc. Check the list of available MCP SDKs here.

At high level, here’s what needs to be done:

• Add the relevant MCP SDK to the service,
• Add the code to expose MCP server endpoint – it can be as simple as adding some annotations, or write some server code to run it on a separate port.

This option is straightforward, but limited to the availability of MCP library for the programming language, and the service’s method of authentication (HTTP-based MCP server should use OAuth according to MCP specification).

2. Use a proxy

If, for any reasons, you can’t add MCP server to the service, then adding an MCP proxy layer proxy before the REST service is an alternative.

Under this option, there are several different ways of implementation:

2.1 MCP Gateway

Some cloud providers have this option, e.g. Azure API Management for AI, AWS Bedrock AgentCore Gateway. Similar to how API gateway works, the MCP gateway provides MCP endpoints in front the REST web service.

2.2 Lightweight MCP Server Proxy

This requires writing some code to create the proxy. There are several options to do this.

2.2.1 Autogenerate MCP server endpoints from Open API Spec (OAS) file

There are some libraries that can automatically convert REST endpoints described in Open API Spec (OAS) file as MCP endpoints. One example is FastMCP . This option is easy and fast because there’s no need to write each MCP endpoints manually. However, MCP is not REST API, and the result is not that polished.

2.2.2 Write proxy code manually

This option requires the most effort, because we need to write the proxy code using one of the MCP SDKs. It requires the most effort, but also provides the most control.

Once the MCP server proxy is done, it can be deployed as a remote server, or local.

Local executable can use npx (for node based server), uvx (for python based server), binary, etc.

Another local option worth mention separately is Docker. Wrapping the MCP server within a Docker container provides runtime simplicity (client doesn’t need to install programming specific server), and security (server runs on a container, not on client machine directly). Docker also recently introduced MCP catalog and toolkit (beta).

Conclusion

For now, these are the options to convert REST API to MCP server that I found. Let me know if there are other ones that I missed.

The post How to Convert REST Web Service APIs to MCP first appeared on djitz.com.

A summary of my experience when I took the exam:

• My computer setup:
  • Linux Ubuntu 18 on a laptop.
  • External 28″ 4K monitor (set to 2560×1440 resolution) as primary display and the laptop screen as secondary display.
  • External keyboard + mouse
  • External webcam
  • Main Chrome window for test on the external monitor, and use laptop monitor for K8s docs
• Joined 15 minutes early before the schedule
• Went through webcam and screen sharing, ID verification, room/desk inspection, and guidelines in about 5-10 minutes
• Had internet connection issues for the first 30 minutes ?

Test Taking Strategies

• Started with the questions having 5 points ≤ first
• I used the exam notepad to track the questions that I’ve answered and their points:

#Example 
1 - done - 5pts 
2 - 2 pts # skipped
3 - done - 9 pts 
...

• By the end of the exam, I had enough time to try to answer all of the questions having 5 pts or above (although I wasn’t able to fully complete one). When the time is over, I didn’t get a chance to answer only two questions having 2-3 pts.

Shortcuts

• Use mainly these two shortcuts:

$ alias k=kubectl
$ export do='--dry-run=client -o yaml'

• If I had to redo it, I’d add this one too:

$ alias cs='kubectl config set-context --current --namespace'

• Another handy command to remember:

$ kubectl command help (-h)

• Didn’t use any of the vim settings. Maybe they would help save some more time, but I didn’t practice using them enough.

Chrome bookmarks

• I used bookmarks I created myself and make sure I know where they link to before the exam.
• The bookmarks that I think everyone must have:
  • PersistentVolume and PersistentVolumeClaims YAML
  • Readiness and Liveness probes YAML
  • kubectl cheatsheet
  • Using ConfigMap and Secret (per env variable, all values, and using volume)
  • Job and CronJob YAML
  • NetworkPolicy YAML

Tmux

• I used Tmux for 1-2 questions.
• Not a must, but can be quite handy when we need to open more than one manifests at the same time.
• Just knowing basic Tmux commands is enough for me:

# start tmux
$tmux

# split screen horizontally
Ctrl+b %

# navigate between two tmux console
Ctrl+b (up) or (down)

My learning and practice resources

• Kubernetes Certified Application Developer (CKAD) with Tests on Udemy by KodeKloud
  • Great course that have a single purpose; make all of their students pass CKAD. I think almost everyone who have taken the course and the exam would agree with me.
• CKAD exercises questions on github by dgkanatsios
  • The best list of exercise questions. You’ve probably read this somewhere else, but I’m going to repeat it again; go through all the questions a few times. When you can answer all, or at least most, of the questions correctly, you should be ready for the exam.
• CKAD Practice Challenge on katacoda by liptanbiswas
  • Great extra practice questions on katacoda.

Summary

• Though it’s not easy, I like how CKAD questions are all lab questions, and not multiple choices. This make sure all the candidates have Kubernetes hands-on knowledge to pass the exam, not just knowing the theories.
• Thanks to other candidates before me who have shared their experiences and tips on how to pass the exam.
• Good luck for those who are going to take the exam.

The post CKAD Exam Experience and Tips first appeared on djitz.com.

TL;DR

Follow steps here: https://github.com/jhipster/generator-jhipster/issues/10184#issuecomment-541650501

Background

I know, I know, you probably wonder why are we even still talking about IE 11 in year 2020. However, for us developers who are working in a large company, it is the reality that we still need to face (hopefully for not too long).

Anyway, the same steps to enable IE 11 support for Angular 8 that you might’ve found on StackOverflow will not immediately work for JHipster application.

The good news is, thanks to JHipster community — especially @anthony-o, there is a list of steps that we can simply follow.

I shared the link to the original solution above, but I also post the actual steps that I did below.

Steps

1. Add babel to package.json file.

"@babel/core": "7.6.4",
"@babel/preset-env": "7.6.3",
"babel-loader": "8.0.6",

2. Add these import lines to polyfills.ts file:

import 'core-js/stable';
import 'regenerator-runtime/runtime';

3. Add these lines to webpack.common.js file:

{
  test: /.js/,
  use: {
    loader: 'babel-loader',
    options: {
      "presets": [
        [
          "@babel/preset-env",
          {
            "targets": {
              "firefox": "60",
              "ie": "11"
            },
            "useBuiltIns": "entry",
            "corejs": 3
          }
        ]
      ]
    }
  },
  exclude: /@babel(?:\/|\{1,2})runtime|core-js/,
},

4. Change target to es5 in tsconfig.json and tsconfig-aot.json .

5. Change all ecma: 6 to ecma: 5 on webpack.prod.js file. (This is the extra step added by @conquor.

6. Rerun or rebuild the application and try opening it on IE 11.

It’s working! (hopefully…)

Following these steps made my JHipster application support IE 11 browser. Hopefully, they do the same for you.

References

• JHipster Official Website: Tip — Provide Internet Explorer support
• JHipster Github Issues: Run project on IE 11

The post How to enable IE 11 support for JHipster applications on Angular 8 first appeared on djitz.com.

Reason #1 – Kubernetes is just going to get more important

Let’s face it, not all trends and hypes survive well on the IT landscape. Most of them come and go rapidly, so I believe we must choose carefully the technology that worthy of our time and effort investment.

I’ve heard of Kubernetes since 2017/2018 and watched Nigel Poulton’s Kubernetes course on Pluralsight. Since then, what I’ve observed is, Kubernetes has grown more and more relevant instead of going away.

No one can tell the future for sure, but I have a strong belief that Kubernetes skill and knowledge will be one of the important skills to have in the future.

Reason #2 – It’s getting adopted at my workplace

My employer is not known as a company that pick up the latest technology available, and I honestly think that it’s a better approach in general.

Why? Because of the statement I mentioned above; that a lot of the new technologies in IT come and go very quick. Waiting until a technology becomes stable and mature can be the best decision for most companies.

The fact that my employer is now starting to adopt Kubernetes means that it’s going to stay.

Also, now that I have spent a couple of weeks learning CKAD topics from multiple courses (KodeKloud’s CKAD course on Udemy, Pluralsight’s CKAD Path, and CNCF’s Kubernetes for Developers course), I have more confident in my understanding of Kubernetes basics and knowledge. This allows me to contribute better thoughts and ask better questions in discussions at work.

Reason #3 – CNCF Black Friday Promo

This is going to be a quick one.

On Black Friday, CNCF offered a good deal of CKAD exam + Kubernetes for Developers course for $199. The regular price of the exam itself is $300, and the bundle regular price is $499.

I thought it was a good deal so I decided to purchase it.

Although the Black Friday deal is already over, they do offer similar promo price from time to time, so you may want to be on the lookout for it.

Reason #4 – The Average Salary

Okay, let’s talk about the money.

Kubernetes skill is in demand, and the evidence can be seen in the average salary.

As of this writing, if you googled “kubernetes salary”, it’ll show +$144,000/year.

Yes, I understand that Kubernetes skill is not the only skill required by companies that are willing to pay that much.

Most likely, these jobs are DevOps engineer jobs, which we all know pay good money in general. They also might be Senior or Lead Developer positions, which, again, pay around that level.

Regardless, to me it means the skill is one of the desired skills that can command that amount of pay, and companies are willing to pay that much for people with Kubernetes skill to join their team.

Closing

Alright, those are the main reasons why I decided to take CKAD exam. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section. ?

The post Why I’m Going to Take CKAD Certification? first appeared on djitz.com.

Changes

• There will be two different type of JDK from Oracle:
  1. OpenJDK
  2. Oracle JDK
• Oracle JDK Java 11 won’t be free for production
• OpenJDK Java 11 will be free for production
  • But, free support and updates only will be for 6 months after Sept 18 (March 19)
  • To receive free support and updates after 6 months, user needs to move to Java 12 (scheduled to release on March 19, support and updates until Sept 19)
  • After Sept 19, to receive free support and updates after 6 months, user needs to move to Java 13
  • Rinse and repeat every 6 months

FAQ

How much is the Oracle JDK license cost?
> $25/mo/processor

I’m using Java 8 (either OpenJDK or Oracle JDK). Do I need to start paying license to Oracle starting Jan 2019?
> No, you can still continue using it. But, you won’t get any updates anymore.

How about Java 9 and 10?
> Don’t bother with these two Java version. Java 9 free updates are already over in March 2018. Java 10 free updates are already over in Sept 2018

Where to download OpenJDK?
> Here

I can’t update my Java version every 6 months, but I also can’t pay OracleJDK license cost. What are my options?
> Use other OpenJDK providers, such as; RedHat (paid), IBM (paid), AdoptOpenJDK (free)

Sources

• Java Is Still Free
• RedHat OpenJDK Life Cycle and Support Policy
• Do I need to pay for Java now?
• Java is still available at zero-cost
• Time to look beyond Oracle’s JDK

The post Oracle’s Java New Licensing Scheme for 2019 first appeared on djitz.com.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/scowltek/2886787076/

Summary (TL;DR):

DevOps: The Big Picture is an excellent course. In only 1.5 hours, Richard presented the background motivation for DevOps, the cultural changes necessary for organization to embrace DevOps, and the list of popular tools for each capabilities to support DevOps success.

This is certainly a recommended course for DevOps beginner, and those who wants to refresh their knowledge on basic DevOps knowledge.

If you want more than some quick intro videos on Youtube about DevOps, I recommend this 90 minutes course.

Review Details:

Content: 4.5/5

This course is spot on the topics of DevOps.

The first part talks about the challenges of most organization with their IT (I know most of you would immediately relate to some of these).

The second part talks about the mindset changes. This part is important, because DevOps is more than just a collection of automation tools (although it’s one of the main components). Organizations that wants to embrace DevOps have to embrace most, if not all, of the cultural shift presented here.

Last part (my favorite) is where he talks about the tools. No details on how to setup each tools here, but the list would provide some ideas of what toolsets are available to achieve the IT capabilities in automated fashion.

Presentation: 4/5

Good slides with photos to illustrate the author’s points. I like the use of fictitious company as an example, making the viewers less defensive and yet still able to relate to the IT organization pains and problems presented.

Richard also keeps the presentation engaging throughout the course.

Hands On: Not applicable

This course does not dig deeper into technical how-tos of DevOps. That’s perfect because the target audience of this course includes top management level and other non-technical team members.

Course Details

Link: https://www.pluralsight.com/courses/devops-big-picture 

Author: Richard Seroter (@rseroter)

Level: Beginner

Course Outline

• Problems That DevOps Solves
  • Introduction and Goals
  • Organization Characteristics
  • Organizational Pain
  • Identifying Waste
  • Introducing DevOps
  • Summary
• Making a DevOps Transition
  • Introduction
  • Change Culture
  • Change Culture: Start With Why
  • Change Culture: Empowerment
  • Change Culture: Accountability
  • Change Culture: Teamwork
  • Change Culture: Learning
  • Change Culture: Trust
  • Change Culture: Reinforcing Values
  • Change Organization
  • Change Organization: Gain Understanding
  • Change Organization: Recognizing Bottlenecks
  • Change Organization: Alter Team Structure
  • Change Organization: Streamline Procedures
  • Addressing DevOps Objections
  • Summary
• Introducing DevOps Automation
  • Introduction
  • The Tools
  • DevOps Technology Categories
  • DevOps Technologies: Collaboration
  • DevOps Technologies: Planning
  • DevOps Technologies: Issue Tracking
  • DevOps Technologies: Monitoring
  • DevOps Technologies: Configuration Management
  • DevOps Technologies: Source Control
  • DevOps Technologies: Dev Environments
  • DevOps Technologies: Continuous Integration
  • DevOps Technologies: Deployment
  • Summary

The post Course Review – DevOps: The Big Picture – Pluralsight first appeared on djitz.com.

NOTES: For other review question sets and resources, you may want to check Docker Certified Associate (DCA) Certification Test Resources page.

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NOTES: For other review question sets and resources, you may want to check Docker Certified Associate (DCA) Certification Test Resources page.

The post Docker Certified Associate (DCA) Test Review Questions Set 8 – Networking Part 2 first appeared on djitz.com.

NOTES: For other review question sets and resources, you may want to check Docker Certified Associate (DCA) Certification Test Resources page.

The post Docker Certified Associate (DCA) Test Review Questions Set 7 – Networking Part 1 first appeared on djitz.com.

NOTES: For other review question sets and resources, you may want to check Docker Certified Associate (DCA) Certification Test Resources page.

The post Docker Certified Associate (DCA) Test Review Questions Set 6 – Installation and Configuration Part 2 first appeared on djitz.com.