Qlik On-Prem MCP Server - AI Agent Connector for Qlik Sense Enterprise

OVERVIEW This container runs an MCP server for Qlik Sense Enterprise on Windows on Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Runtime (MCP protocol, port 8000, path /mcp, stateless HTTP). It connects to Qlik through a Qlik JWT virtual proxy. Configuration is done only with environment variables.

PREREQUISITES

• Qlik Sense Enterprise on Windows, reachable over HTTPS from the runtime.
• Access to the Qlik Management Console (QMC).

1. CREATE A KEY PAIR openssl genrsa -out qlik_jwt_key.pem 2048 openssl req -new -x509 -key qlik_jwt_key.pem -out qlik_jwt_cert.pem -days 825 -subj /CN=qlik-mcp

2. CREATE A JWT VIRTUAL PROXY IN QMC Virtual proxies, Create new. Prefix: jwt. Authentication method: JWT. Paste qlik_jwt_cert.pem as the JWT certificate. JWT attribute for user ID: userId. JWT attribute for user directory: userDirectory. Add a load balancing node, link the proxy to the central proxy and apply. Set QLIK_SERVER_URL to the proxy address, for example https://qlik.company.com/jwt 

3. CHOOSE AN AUTHENTICATION MODE Mode A - one Qlik user for all callers: Sign a JWT with qlik_jwt_key.pem (RS256) whose userId and userDirectory claims name an existing Qlik user, and set it as QLIK_JWT_TOKEN. All calls run as this user. Renew the token before it expires.

Mode B - each caller as their own Qlik user: Use an OpenID Connect identity provider, for example an Amazon Cognito user pool. Set MCP_IDP_ISSUER to its issuer URL, and MCP_IDP_CLIENT_IDS or MCP_IDP_AUDIENCE. Set QLIK_JWT_PRIVATE_KEY to the contents of qlik_jwt_key.pem and QLIK_USER_DIRECTORY to the Qlik user directory. The server validates each caller token and signs a short-lived Qlik JWT for that user, so Qlik security rules apply per user. A login such as jane@company.com  becomes user jane in that directory. Do not set QLIK_JWT_TOKEN in this mode.

4. CREATE THE AGENTCORE RUNTIME

• Create an agent runtime with the image URI from the launch page. Protocol: MCP.
• Enter the environment variables for the chosen mode.
• Mode B only: configure inbound auth with a JWT authorizer for the same identity provider, and add Authorization to the request header allowlist so the token reaches the container.
• Network: the runtime must reach your Qlik server, and in Mode B your identity provider. If LICENSE_KEY is set, it must also reach the license service. For Qlik inside a VPC, use VPC mode with outbound internet through a NAT gateway.

5. CONNECT AN MCP CLIENT Use the runtime invocation endpoint shown in the AgentCore console with streamable HTTP. Reuse the Mcp-Session-Id response header on later requests. In Mode B, send the caller access token as a Bearer token in the Authorization header.

6. VERIFY Ask the assistant to list your Qlik apps. If calls fail, check the CloudWatch logs:

• JWT rejected by the virtual proxy: check the certificate, the attribute names, the token expiry and that the user exists in Qlik.
• 401 or invalid token in Mode B: check MCP_IDP_ISSUER, MCP_IDP_CLIENT_IDS or MCP_IDP_AUDIENCE, and the header allowlist.
• license_expired: check LICENSE_KEY and access to the license service.

SECURITY No credentials are stored in the image. All secrets are supplied at launch. The container runs as a non-root user.