> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.llmcontrols.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connect an Astra DB MCP server to LLM Controls

Use the MCP connection component to connect LLM Controls to a Datastax Astra DB MCP server.

1. Install an LTS release of [Node.js](https://docs.npmjs.com/downloading-and-installing-node-js-and-npm).
2. Create an [OpenAI](https://platform.openai.com/) API key.
3. Create an [Astra DB Serverless (Vector) database](https://docs.datastax.com/en/astra-db-serverless/databases/create-database.html#create-vector-database), if you don't already have one.
4. Get your database's **Astra DB API endpoint** and an **Astra DB application token** with the Database Administrator role. For more information, see [Generate an application token for a database](https://docs.datastax.com/en/astra-db-serverless/administration/manage-application-tokens.html#database-token).
5. Create a Simple agent starter project if you want to follow along with this guide. Otherwise, you can use an existing flow or create a new, blank flow.
6. Remove the **URL** tool, and then replace it with an MCP connection component. The flow should look like this:

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/devrel/3c4Ck_HlevcLlxoS/images/db.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=3c4Ck_HlevcLlxoS&q=85&s=8f52803a5c3a42e1cec1aae1dcb005c8" alt="Db Pn" width="4000" height="2450" data-path="images/db.png" />

7. In the **MCP connection** component, in the **MCP server** field, add the following code to connect to an Astra DB MCP server:
8. In the **MCP connection** component, in the **Env** fields, add variables for `ASTRA_DB_APPLICATION_TOKEN` and `ASTRA_DB_API_ENDPOINT` with the values from your Astra database.

<Note>
  **important**

  LLM Controls passes environment variables from the `.env` file to MCP, but not global variables declared in the UI. To add the values for `ASTRA_DB_APPLICATION_TOKEN` and `ASTRA_DB_API_ENDPOINT` as global variables, add them to LLM Controls' `.env` file at startup.
</Note>

9. To add another variable, click **Add More**.
10. In the **Agent** component, add your **OpenAI API key**.
11. Open the **Playground**, and then ask the agent, `What collections are available?`

Since LLM Controls is connected to your Astra DB database through the MCP, the agent chooses the correct tool and connects to your database to retrieve the answer.