Flowise & MCP Server Setup Guide

0. Demo & Github Repo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FuRXpLHpaM — https://github.com/sto0ka/flowise-aws-ses —

This guide explains how to set up a Flowise environment with an MCP server that sends emails via AWS SES. It covers installing Docker and Node.js, setting up your project directories, configuring Flowise with Docker Compose, and running the MCP server automatically using PM2. This guide is fully replicable on any Ubuntu system.

1. Install Docker and Docker Compose

a. Install Docker’s Dependencies and Official GPG Key

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y ca-certificates curl
sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings
sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc

b. Add the Docker Repository to Apt Sources

echo   "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu   $(. /etc/os-release && echo "${UBUNTU_CODENAME:-$VERSION_CODENAME}") stable" |   sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null
sudo apt-get update

c. Install Docker Engine, CLI, and Compose Plugin

sudo apt-get install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

d. Add Your User to the Docker Group

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Log out and log back in (or run newgrp docker) for the changes to take effect.

2. Install Node.js and npm

a. Install Prerequisites

sudo apt install -y build-essential

b. Install Node.js (LTS, e.g., Node 18)

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

c. Verify Installation

node -v
npm -v

3. Set Up the Project Directory Structure

Create a main project directory with subdirectories for Flowise data and your MCP server:

mkdir -p ~/flowise/flowise_data
mkdir -p ~/flowise/mcp-server
cd ~/flowise

4. Create Configuration Files

a. Flowise Environment File (.env)

Create a file ~/flowise/.env:

nano ~/flowise/.env

Add the following (adjust as needed):

# Add any credentials you intend to use now or later
# AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=
# AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=

b. MCP Server Files

Navigate to the MCP server folder:

cd ~/flowise/mcp-server

i. Initialize a New Node.js Project and edit package.json

npm init -y
rm package.json
nano package.json

Paste the provided package.json content.

{
  "name": "mcp-server",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "type": "module",
  "main": "server.js",
  "scripts": {
    "start": "node server.js"
  },
  "keywords": [],
  "author": "",
  "license": "ISC",
  "dependencies": {
    "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk": "^1.7.0",
    "dotenv": "^16.4.7",
    "express": "^4.21.2",
    "nano": "^10.1.4",
    "nodemailer": "^6.10.0",
    "zod": "^3.24.2"
  }
}

ii. Create server.js

nano server.js

Paste the provided server.js content. Make sure you edit CREDENTIALS and AWS Region. https://github.com/sto0ka/flowise-aws-ses/blob/main/server.js

5. Create Docker Compose File for Flowise & Opensearch

In the main project directory (~/flowise), create or update docker-compose.yaml:

nano ~/flowise/docker-compose.yaml

Paste the provided docker-compose.yaml content. Make sure you update passwords!

services:
  opensearch:
    image: opensearchproject/opensearch:latest
    container_name: opensearch
    environment:
      - discovery.type=single-node
      - plugins.ml_commons.only_run_on_ml_node=false
      - OPENSEARCH_INITIAL_ADMIN_PASSWORD=your_password
      - DISABLE_SECURITY_PLUGIN=true
      - OPENSEARCH_JAVA_OPTS=-Xms2g -Xmx2g
    ports:
      - "9200:9200"
      - "9600:9600"
    networks:
      - flowise-net

  flowise:
    image: flowiseai/flowise:latest
    container_name: flowise
    env_file: .env
    environment:
      - DEBUG=flowise:*
      - LOG_LEVEL=debug
      - FLOWISE_USERNAME=admin
      - FLOWISE_PASSWORD=your_password
    volumes:
      - "./flowise_data:/root/.flowise"
      - "./mcp-server:/mnt/mcp-server"
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    networks:
      - flowise-net

networks:
  flowise-net:
    driver: bridge

6. Deploy Docker Stack

From the main project directory:

cd ~/flowise
docker compose up -d

Verify the Volume Mount

docker exec -it flowise sh
ls /mnt/mcp-server
exit

You should see server.js inside. If not, check your paths and edit docker-compose if required.

7. Set Up PM2 to Run the MCP Server Automatically

Since you’re running the MCP server outside of Docker, use PM2 to manage it.

a. Install PM2 Globally

sudo npm install -g pm2

b. Start the MCP Server with PM2

cd ~/flowise/mcp-server
pm2 start server.js --name mcp-email

c. Configure PM2 for Auto-Start on Reboot

pm2 startup
# Execute the SUDO command provided by PM2
pm2 save
pm2 restart mcp-email

8. Configure Flowise Custom MPC Tool Node

Inside Flowise, set up the custom MPC tool node with this command:

{
  "command": "node",
  "args": ["/mnt/mcp-server/server.js"]
}

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Summary

This guide provides a step-by-step walkthrough for setting up a Flowise environment integrated with an MCP server that sends emails via AWS SES. It covers:

• Installing Docker (with Docker Compose) and Node.js on an Ubuntu system.
• Organizing project directories and creating essential configuration files.
• Initializing a Node.js project for the MCP server.
• Deploying the Docker stack and verifying volume mounts.
• Configuring PM2 to automatically manage and restart the MCP server.

This setup is fully replicable on any Ubuntu system, with clear instructions on adjusting credentials and environment variables prior to production deployment.

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