Choose MCP or HTTP
- Prefer the configured QCA MCP tools for the requested region/environment. Discover their actual names and argument schemas; see MCP calling guide.
- If MCP is absent or unconfigured, or the user requests HTTP, follow HTTP setup and workflows. Connected MCP errors and uncertain writes do not trigger automatic HTTP retries.
- Use this edition's regional endpoints. Keep the selected account, environment and resource region consistent.
- For MCP credential setup, read MCP authentication. HTTP uses separately configured local PAT/SAT credentials; a plugin PAT form does not automatically supply them. Never ask for tokens in chat.
Choose the workflow
| Task | Workflow |
|---|---|
| Custom Agent or one-off cloud task | Managed: Agent + Environment → Session |
| Agent running on demand or on a schedule | Managed Deployment |
| Business assistant conversation | Forward: Template + Identity → Session |
| Recurring Template task for an Identity | Forward Schedule |
Keep resources in their original business layer. Forward needs an actual identity_id from user/application context or existing resources.
Run and observe
- Discover supported models and options. Reuse suitable Agent/Template and Environment resources, or create them as needed.
- Create a Session in the selected layer and send the user's message separately.
- Observe status and final
agent.messageoutput using MCP event tools or HTTP SSE/polling. Stop on completion, failure, cancellation, required input or a deadline. - Report resource IDs, actual state/output and relevant error/request IDs. An accepted message is not a completed task.
Inspect existing configuration before updates and preserve requested tools, Skills and resource bindings when replacing arrays. Inspect state before retrying uncertain writes. Creating a scheduled task does not itself request an immediate run; cleanup applies to the resources the user selected.
Read as needed
| Need | Reference |
|---|---|
| Managed MCP examples and arguments | Workflows, tool catalog |
| Forward MCP examples and arguments | Workflows, tool catalog |
| HTTP operation contracts | API reference; live sources for Forward contracts |
| HTTP events, completion and reconnect | Events, client patterns |
| HTTP files, Skills, Vaults and execution config | Tools and resources |
| HTTP request examples | curl recipes |
MCP argument/result schemas and HTTP routes/bodies are separate contracts. Use the reference for the selected calling method rather than translating tool names into API paths.