Integration azure

/integration-azure — connect Azure to a remote Hermes (SSH-first)

You are the engineer connecting Microsoft Azure to a self-hosted Hermes agent on the user's VPS. You (the AI agent — Hermes, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini, any of them) work over SSH as root against the VPS. The user only does the two things a machine cannot:

1. Mint the Entra ID service principal in their tenant (az ad sp create-for-rbac).
2. Confirm RBAC scope and role (least-privilege Reader on a single resource group is the default).

Everything else — secret storage, stdio MCP registration, gateway reload, verification — runs on the VPS via SSH, idempotently.

Honest auth picture (verified 2026-06): Azure is NOT the typical hstack remote-HTTP MCP case.

• Microsoft's first-party server is @azure/mcp (package @azure/mcp, image mcr.microsoft.com/azure-sdk/azure-mcp, source github.com/microsoft/mcp). It runs as a local stdio process (npx -y @azure/mcp@latest server start), NOT a hosted HTTPS endpoint. There is no first-party remote MCP base URL to bearer-auth against, so the remote-HTTP /hermes-mcp-add probe-and-bearer flow does not apply here.
• Auth is not a static API key. The server uses DefaultAzureCredential. For a headless container the correct path is an Entra ID service principal via three env vars: AZURE_TENANT_ID, AZURE_CLIENT_ID, AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET, plus the production-hardening flag AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod to block interactive browser fallback.

So Path A here is: register @azure/mcp as a stdio MCP inside the Hermes container with ${AZURE_*} indirection; the SP secret lives only in ~/.hermes/.env.

---

Before you start — gather (ask once, in one batch)

Variable	What	Where to get it
$VPS_IP	IP/hostname of the VPS running Hermes	User's hosting dashboard
$VPS_USER	SSH user (typically root)	User's hosting dashboard
$AZURE_TENANT_ID	Entra ID tenant GUID	tenant field of az ad sp create-for-rbac output
$AZURE_CLIENT_ID	Service principal app ID (GUID)	appId field of the same output
$AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET	SP client secret	password field of the same output
RBAC scope	Resource group + role	User picks; default Reader on one RG

Have the user mint the SP on a machine with Azure CLI logged in:

# Least-privilege: scope to one resource group, role Reader (Contributor only if writes needed).
az ad sp create-for-rbac \
  --name "hermes-agent" \
  --role Reader \
  --scopes /subscriptions/<sub-id>/resourceGroups/<rg-name>

Docs: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/developer/azure-mcp-server/get-started and the auth guide at https://github.com/microsoft/mcp/blob/main/docs/Authentication.md.

Confirm SSH access before doing anything:

ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new -o BatchMode=yes \
    "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "echo ok" 2>&1 | grep -q '^ok$' \
  || { echo "ABORT: SSH to $VPS_USER@$VPS_IP failed. Run /setup-ssh-keys first."; exit 1; }

---

Step 1 — verify Hermes is reachable on the VPS

ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" '
  set -e
  if command -v hermes >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    hermes --version
  elif docker ps --format "{{.Names}}" | grep -q hermes; then
    AGENT=$(docker ps --filter name=hermes --format "{{.Names}}" | head -1)
    docker exec "$AGENT" hermes --version
  else
    echo "FAIL: hermes not found on host or in container"; exit 1
  fi
' || { echo "ABORT: Hermes is not installed/running. Run /hermes-install first."; exit 1; }

Expected: 0.15.x or 0.17.x.

---

Step 2 — idempotency check (skip if already wired)

ALREADY=$(ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "hermes mcp list 2>/dev/null | grep -ci azure" || echo 0)
if [ "$ALREADY" -gt 0 ] && [ "${FORCE:-0}" != "1" ]; then
  echo "Azure is already wired. Set FORCE=1 to rewire."
  exit 0
fi

---

Step 3 — DRY RUN preview (always show before writing)

cat <<EOF
DRY RUN — the following will happen on $VPS_USER@$VPS_IP:
  1. Write AZURE_TENANT_ID (length ${#AZURE_TENANT_ID}, prefix ${AZURE_TENANT_ID:0:4}...) via 'hermes config set'
  2. Write AZURE_CLIENT_ID (length ${#AZURE_CLIENT_ID}, prefix ${AZURE_CLIENT_ID:0:4}...) via 'hermes config set'
  3. Write AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET (length ${#AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET}, prefix ${AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET:0:2}...) via 'hermes config set'
  4. Write AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod (blocks interactive browser fallback)
  5. chmod 600 ~/.hermes/.env
  6. Register stdio MCP: hermes mcp add azure --command npx --args -y,@azure/mcp@latest,server,start
  7. Reload gateway: hermes gateway stop && hermes gateway run (sleep 12 — first npx download)
  8. Verify in logs: grep -i "registered.*azure|DefaultAzureCredential"
  9. Smoke test: subscription list via SP token → expect 200

The client secret is NEVER printed in plaintext.
EOF

Wait for user confirmation (or skip if AUTO_APPROVE=1).

---

Step 4 — write the secret (chmod 600, no echo, no logging)

ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "hermes config set AZURE_TENANT_ID '$AZURE_TENANT_ID'"
ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "hermes config set AZURE_CLIENT_ID '$AZURE_CLIENT_ID'"
ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "hermes config set AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET '$AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET'"
ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "hermes config set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS 'prod'"
ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "chmod 600 ~/.hermes/.env"

Verify each key landed (each line prints 1, never the value):

ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "
  for k in AZURE_TENANT_ID AZURE_CLIENT_ID AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS; do
    grep -c \"^\${k}=\" ~/.hermes/.env
  done
"

If any line is 0, roll back and abort.

If your Hermes build has no config set subcommand, use the safe sed pattern with | delimiter (Azure secrets routinely contain /, +, =):

ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "
  f=~/.hermes/.env
  touch \$f
  for k in AZURE_TENANT_ID AZURE_CLIENT_ID AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS; do
    grep -q \"^\${k}=\" \$f || printf '%s=\n' \"\$k\" >> \$f
  done
  sed -i 's|^AZURE_TENANT_ID=.*|AZURE_TENANT_ID=$AZURE_TENANT_ID|'           \$f
  sed -i 's|^AZURE_CLIENT_ID=.*|AZURE_CLIENT_ID=$AZURE_CLIENT_ID|'             \$f
  sed -i 's|^AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET=.*|AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET=$AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET|' \$f
  sed -i 's|^AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=.*|AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod|'         \$f
  chmod 600 \$f
"

---

Step 5 — register the Azure MCP server

Pick the path that matches the Hermes build on the VPS. Path A is preferred.

Path A (preferred) — official @azure/mcp stdio server with SP env indirection

ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "
  hermes mcp add azure \
    --command npx \
    --args '-y,@azure/mcp@latest,server,start' \
    --env 'AZURE_TENANT_ID=\${AZURE_TENANT_ID}' \
    --env 'AZURE_CLIENT_ID=\${AZURE_CLIENT_ID}' \
    --env 'AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET=\${AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET}' \
    --env 'AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=\${AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS}'
"

This writes a stdio entry to config.yaml referencing only ${AZURE_*} placeholders — the real values stay in ~/.hermes/.env. The flag names vary by Hermes version; run hermes mcp add --help and match its stdio syntax if unsure. If the build did not template the env: block, edit config.yaml so the azure: entry looks like:

azure:
  command: npx
  args: ["-y", "@azure/mcp@latest", "server", "start"]
  env:
    AZURE_TENANT_ID: ${AZURE_TENANT_ID}
    AZURE_CLIENT_ID: ${AZURE_CLIENT_ID}
    AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET: ${AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET}
    AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS: ${AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS}
  enabled: true

To avoid first-boot latency on every restart, pin a version after confirming it on npm: replace @azure/mcp@latest with @azure/mcp@<pinned-version>.

Path B (fallback) — Azure Resource Manager REST API with SP-issued bearer

If the Hermes build is HTTP-MCP-only and cannot spawn a stdio command, use ARM directly. There is no first-party hosted Azure MCP URL — do not invent one. Mint a token from the service principal at runtime and call ARM:

• Token endpoint: https://login.microsoftonline.com/${AZURE_TENANT_ID}/oauth2/v2.0/token with grant_type=client_credentials, scope=https://management.azure.com/.default, client_id=${AZURE_CLIENT_ID}, client_secret=${AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET}.
• ARM base URL: https://management.azure.com
• Auth header: Authorization: Bearer <token-from-above>
• API version: append ?api-version=2022-12-01 (or current) to every ARM request.

Do NOT try to hermes mcp add an Azure URL with a static bearer header — there is no hosted MCP endpoint and the bearer would expire within an hour anyway.

---

Step 6 — reload the gateway (stop + run, NOT restart)

gateway restart does NOT reliably re-read .env. Always use stop + run. First boot also downloads @azure/mcp via npx, so allow extra time before polling.

ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "hermes gateway stop || true"
sleep 2
ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "hermes gateway run --daemon"
sleep 12

---

Step 7 — verify registration in logs (poll up to 30s)

REGISTERED=0
for i in $(seq 1 6); do
  if ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "hermes logs 2>&1 | tail -200" \
       | grep -qiE "registered.*tool.*azure|MCP server.*azure.*(ok|ready)|Azure\.Identity"; then
    REGISTERED=1
    echo "OK: azure registered in gateway logs."
    break
  fi
  sleep 5
done
[ "$REGISTERED" = "1" ] || { echo "FAIL: azure not in logs after 30s. Rolling back."; rollback; exit 1; }

A DefaultAzureCredential failed to retrieve a token line means the SP env vars did not land in the stdio child process — re-check Step 4 and the ${...} indirection in config.yaml.

---

Step 8 — live API smoke test (inside the container so the secret stays on the VPS)

Mint a token from the SP and hit ARM subscriptions. A 200 proves auth, transport, and RBAC end-to-end; an empty value array still counts as success (the SP just has no in-scope subscriptions yet — not a wiring failure).

HTTP=$(ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" '
  set -e
  . ~/.hermes/.env
  TOKEN=$(curl -sS -X POST \
    "https://login.microsoftonline.com/${AZURE_TENANT_ID}/oauth2/v2.0/token" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" \
    -d "grant_type=client_credentials" \
    -d "client_id=${AZURE_CLIENT_ID}" \
    -d "client_secret=${AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET}" \
    -d "scope=https://management.azure.com/.default" \
    | sed -n "s/.*\"access_token\":\"\([^\"]*\)\".*/\1/p")
  [ -n "$TOKEN" ] || { echo 000; exit 0; }
  curl -sS -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" \
    "https://management.azure.com/subscriptions?api-version=2022-12-01" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer ${TOKEN}"
')
case "$HTTP" in
  200) echo "OK: Azure ARM reachable and SP token valid." ;;
  401) echo "FAIL: SP secret invalid or expired. Re-mint and re-check Step 4."; rollback; exit 1 ;;
  403) echo "FAIL: SP authenticated but RBAC denies subscriptions. Confirm role+scope."; exit 1 ;;
  000) echo "FAIL: token mint failed (tenant/client/secret mismatch). Re-check Step 4."; rollback; exit 1 ;;
  *)   echo "WARN: unexpected HTTP $HTTP from ARM. Check manually." ;;
esac

An end-to-end check from the chat interface, once registered:

@<agent> using azure, list my resource groups

---

Rollback (auto-runs on any failure above)

rollback() {
  ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "hermes mcp remove azure 2>/dev/null || true"
  ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "
    for k in AZURE_TENANT_ID AZURE_CLIENT_ID AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS; do
      hermes config unset \$k 2>/dev/null || sed -i \"/^\${k}=/d\" ~/.hermes/.env
    done
  "
  ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "hermes gateway stop; sleep 2; hermes gateway run --daemon"
  echo "Rolled back. Azure is no longer wired."
}

---

Pitfalls

#	Pitfall	Why it bites	Prevention
1	Expecting a static AZURE_API_KEY	Azure has no per-tenant API key; credential is an Entra ID app	Always SP: tenant/appId/secret triple
2	Wiring a remote https://...azure... MCP URL with a bearer	No first-party hosted Azure MCP exists	Use stdio Path A, or ARM REST Path B with runtime-minted token
3	Interactive browser hang in headless container	Without AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod, DefaultAzureCredential falls back to InteractiveBrowserCredential	Always set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod
4	Over-broad RBAC scope	Agent inherits all SP permissions; Contributor on subscription can delete resources	Start Reader on one resource group; widen only on request
5	SP secret expiry	az ad sp create-for-rbac defaults to ~1 year; tools start returning 401	Re-mint and re-run Step 4 when 401 appears
6	First-run latency	npx @azure/mcp@latest downloads on first boot; short sleep races registration	Step 6 sleeps 12s; pin version to skip download on subsequent boots
7	gateway restart to pick up env	Restart does NOT reliably re-read .env	Always stop + run
8	echo >> .env instead of config set / sed	Can glue onto a prior line without trailing newline; SSH silently corrupts	Always hermes config set (or sed with `
9	Secret in config.yaml instead of .env	World-readable; SP-secret leak; not reloaded by runtime	Only ~/.hermes/.env, chmod 600, ${AZURE_*} indirection in YAML
10	sed with / delimiter on SP secrets	Secrets contain /, +, = — / delimiter breaks the substitution	Always use | delimiter
11	Container vs host confusion	Adding key inside container is invisible to host sshd	Check whoami; hostname first; exit container if needed
12	Skipping the verify step	"Silent success" — config written, child process never started	Always poll hermes logs and run the ARM smoke test

---

Definition of done

• SSH to $VPS_USER@$VPS_IP succeeded
• Hermes version verified on the VPS (0.15.x / 0.17.x)
• Idempotency check passed (or FORCE=1 overrode)
• Dry-run shown; user approved (or AUTO_APPROVE=1)
• AZURE_TENANT_ID, AZURE_CLIENT_ID, AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET, AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod all in ~/.hermes/.env, chmod 600
• Secrets NOT in config.yaml and NOT echoed in chat (only ${AZURE_*} indirection in YAML)
• SP scoped least-privilege (Reader unless writes explicitly requested)
• MCP registered via Path A (stdio @azure/mcp) or ARM REST documented via Path B
• Gateway reloaded with stop + run (NOT restart); 12s sleep to allow npx download
• Logs show registered N tool(s) for 'azure' within 30s, no DefaultAzureCredential failed
• Smoke test: SP-token mint + GET /subscriptions returned 200
• Rollback function defined and proven (re-run with FORCE=1 rewires cleanly)

See reference/TROUBLESHOOTING.md for gateway, env-reload, and MCP registration failure modes.