MCP Synaptic

What is MCP Synaptic?

MCP Synaptic is a memory-enhanced MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that provides a local RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) database and expiring memory capabilities. It is designed for developers who need to store temporary memories with configurable TTL, manage documents via vector search, and stream real-time events—all within the MCP ecosystem.

How to use MCP Synaptic?

Install Python 3.11+ and the UV package manager. Run uv sync to install dependencies, then uv run mcp-synaptic init to initialize the project and uv run mcp-synaptic server to start the server on http://localhost:8000. For containerized deployment, use docker-compose up --build. Configuration is managed through environment variables (see .env.example).

Key features of MCP Synaptic

• Expiring memories with configurable TTL and automatic cleanup
• Support for ephemeral, short-term, long-term, and permanent memory types
• Optional Redis backend for distributed memory storage
• ChromaDB-based vector database with semantic search
• API-based or local embedding models (sentence-transformers)
• Full MCP protocol, SSE, and WebSocket real-time communication
• Docker-ready with multi-service orchestration

Use cases of MCP Synaptic

• Store user preferences or session data that automatically expire after a set time
• Build AI assistants that can retrieve relevant documents via semantic search
• Develop multi-agent systems that share short-term context through memory
• Deploy memory-backed MCP servers in containerized environments

FAQ from MCP Synaptic

What embedding options does MCP Synaptic support?

MCP Synaptic supports API-based embeddings (lightweight, works with OpenAI-compatible endpoints) and local embeddings using PyTorch and sentence-transformers (heavier but no external dependency).

What is the default TTL for memories and how can I change it?

The default memory TTL is 3600 seconds (1 hour). You can change it via the DEFAULT_MEMORY_TTL_SECONDS environment variable.

Can I use MCP Synaptic without Docker?

Yes. You can run MCP Synaptic directly with Python 3.11+ and UV. Docker is optional and only needed for containerized deployments.

What happens when a memory expires?

Expired memories are automatically removed by a background cleanup process that runs at a configurable interval (default 300 seconds). Events are emitted via SSE when a memory expires.

Does MCP Synaptic require Redis?

No. Redis is optional and only needed if you want a distributed memory store. By default, MCP Synaptic uses SQLite and local ChromaDB storage.