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AI - System Parameter

New 7.4.0

Starting with Nodinite 7.4.0, the AI Assistant and MCP server ship as part of the standard installation. The AI System Parameter is a JSON configuration that controls the in-product AI feature flags and related AI-gated capabilities for the Nodinite Web Client. It exposes separate flags for the integrated AI chat experience, optional AI guidance inside Architecture Diagrams and C4 Diagrams, and BizTalk-specific AI workflows.

  • AI Assistant and MCP server are included in the standard Nodinite license
  • EnableMcpChat, EnableDiagramAiAssistance, and EnableAiForBizTalk let you control chat, diagram AI, and BizTalk-specific AI workflows separately
  • All three flags are disabled by default until you are ready to turn on the relevant capability
  • The MCP server ships as a standalone website with a per-environment port assignment in the Nodinite portal
  • External MCP clients still need their own MCP setup, and BizTalk-specific questions also require EnableAiForBizTalk
  • The JSON structure is designed to grow as additional AI feature flags are introduced

Important

The AI system parameter controls in-product AI surfaces and selected AI-gated capabilities in the environment. It does not register or configure an external MCP client. If you want VS Code, Claude Desktop, Cline, or another external client to query Nodinite, complete the separate MCP Endpoint setup. BizTalk-specific MCP capabilities additionally require EnableAiForBizTalk, and built-in Diagram Assistance remains available even when AI is disabled.

AI System Parameter
Example of the AI System parameter in the Nodinite Web Client. The same JSON value now controls separate feature flags for the chat widget, optional diagram AI, and BizTalk-specific AI workflows.

System Parameter Name Data Type Values / Example Comment
AI JSON JSON object (see example below) Default = {"EnableMcpChat":false,"EnableDiagramAiAssistance":false,"EnableAiForBizTalk":false}

Which Flag Controls What?

Capability Flag Also required Notes
AI Assistant chat widget EnableMcpChat AI provider configuration Controls whether the integrated AI chat widget is visible in the Web Client.
AI Assistance in Diagram Assistance EnableDiagramAiAssistance AI provider configuration and Architecture Diagrams availability Controls whether the AI Assistance tab is visible inside C4 Diagram Assistance.
BizTalk-specific MCP capabilities and BizTalk C4 generation EnableAiForBizTalk Administrator access and BizTalk availability Controls BizTalk environment discovery, BizTalk MCP tools, and BizTalk C4 generation flows. When the key is absent, it is treated as false. External clients still need their own MCP registration.
External MCP clients None MCP client setup VS Code, Claude Desktop, Cline, and custom clients always need their own MCP configuration. The AI system parameter does not register external clients.
Built-in Diagram Assistance None Architecture Diagrams availability Built-in Suggestions, Coverage, and Review Impacts stay deterministic and available without AI.

What the AI System Parameter Does Not Control

The AI system parameter does not replace or simplify these separate responsibilities:

  • external MCP client registration in mcp.json or an equivalent client configuration file
  • the AI model or provider used by an external MCP client
  • the general availability of Architecture Diagrams, C4 Diagrams, or built-in Diagram Assistance in the environment
  • ordinary BizTalk monitoring and collection outside the AI-enabled BizTalk workflows

Use the AI system parameter when you want the in-product AI experience in the Nodinite Web Client. Use MCP Endpoint when you want an external AI client to connect.

How It Works

The MCP server is a standalone web site that ships with the Nodinite installation. Its port number is assigned per environment entry directly in the Nodinite portal, allowing multiple environments to run side-by-side on the same host without port conflicts. The AI system parameter controls which AI surfaces in the Nodinite Web Client are visible to users and whether BizTalk-specific AI workflows are available in the environment. External MCP clients connect through their own client-side MCP registration.

graph LR WC[" AI Assistant\nWeb Client chat"] C4[" Diagram Assistance\nAI Assistance tab"] EXT[" External MCP client\nVS Code, Claude Desktop, Cline"] MCP[" MCP Server\nStandalone website"] LLM[" AI provider\nOLLAMA, Azure OpenAI, OpenAI"] ENV[" Environment entry\nPort assignment"] WC -->|"EnableMcpChat"| MCP C4 -->|"EnableDiagramAiAssistance"| MCP EXT -->|"Separate MCP setup"| MCP ENV -->|"Assigned port"| MCP MCP --> LLM

The AI system parameter decides which in-product AI surfaces are visible in the Nodinite Web Client. External MCP clients still need their own MCP setup, even when they target the same environment for Repository, Architecture Diagram, or BizTalk questions. BizTalk-specific MCP capabilities remain unavailable until EnableAiForBizTalk is enabled.

JSON Configuration Structure

The default configuration keeps AI chat, diagram AI, and BizTalk-specific AI workflows disabled:

{"EnableMcpChat":false,"EnableDiagramAiAssistance":false,"EnableAiForBizTalk":false}

To enable the AI Assistant chat widget in the Web Client:

{"EnableMcpChat":true,"EnableDiagramAiAssistance":false,"EnableAiForBizTalk":false}

To enable both the AI Assistant chat widget and optional AI Assistance in Diagram Assistance:

{"EnableMcpChat":true,"EnableDiagramAiAssistance":true,"EnableAiForBizTalk":false}

To enable BizTalk-specific MCP capabilities and BizTalk C4 generation without turning on the Web Client chat:

{"EnableMcpChat":false,"EnableDiagramAiAssistance":false,"EnableAiForBizTalk":true}

To enable all released AI-related flags in one environment:

{"EnableMcpChat":true,"EnableDiagramAiAssistance":true,"EnableAiForBizTalk":true}

Feature Flags

Flag Type Default Description
EnableMcpChat boolean false Controls the visibility of the AI Chat widget in the Nodinite Web Client. When true, the chat widget appears in the bottom-right corner of the portal.
EnableDiagramAiAssistance boolean false Controls the visibility of the AI Assistance tab in Diagram Assistance for Architecture Diagrams and C4 Diagrams. When true, users can access AI guidance in the diagram workspace after the provider has been configured.
EnableAiForBizTalk boolean false Controls BizTalk-specific AI workflows, including BizTalk MCP capability discovery, BizTalk environment and application tools, and administrator BizTalk C4 generation flows. External MCP clients still need their own MCP registration, and when this key is missing it is treated as disabled.

Note

The JSON structure is intentional — future Nodinite versions can add more AI feature flags to this same parameter without requiring a new system parameter.

Prerequisites by Feature

Before enabling the AI Assistant, diagram AI, or BizTalk-specific AI workflows:

  1. Administrator Access – You must be a member of the built-in Administrator Role to change system parameters. BizTalk-specific AI workflows are also intended for administrators.
  2. LLM Provider Configuration – When EnableMcpChat or EnableDiagramAiAssistance is set to true, an administrator must configure the LLM / AI provider in Administration → Settings → AI Assistant before the AI-powered experience is functional. See AI Assistant for provider setup.
  3. External MCP Client Setup – If you want VS Code, Claude Desktop, Cline, or another external client, complete the separate MCP Endpoint setup. This is still required for BizTalk questions from an external client.
  4. Port Assignment – The MCP server port must be assigned in the Nodinite portal for each environment entry. Contact your system administrator or refer to your installation documentation.
  5. Architecture Diagrams Availability – EnableDiagramAiAssistance only affects the AI experience inside Diagram Assistance. The Architecture Diagrams feature itself must also be available in the environment.
  6. BizTalk Availability – EnableAiForBizTalk only enables BizTalk-specific AI workflows when the environment has active BizTalk data available. If the key is missing, BizTalk AI is treated as disabled.

If you only want external MCP access from VS Code or another client, go to MCP Endpoint instead. The Web Client AI flags are not the client registration mechanism.

For POC and Non-Sensitive Data Environments

For a quick proof of concept or on installations with non-sensitive data, you can use the limited free cloud service at ollama.com to get started without any local infrastructure.

Caution

The ollama.com cloud service is not intended for production-grade systems or any environment containing sensitive, confidential, or personally identifiable data. For production use, run OLLAMA locally on your own infrastructure, or use an approved cloud provider (Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, GitHub Models) with an appropriate enterprise agreement.

For Production Environments

Use one of the supported AI providers with appropriate data governance controls in place:

Provider Type Data Location Best For
OLLAMA (local) Local Your infrastructure Sensitive data, strict compliance, air-gapped environments
Azure OpenAI Cloud Microsoft cloud Enterprise Azure environments with existing agreements
OpenAI Cloud OpenAI cloud General purpose with broad model selection
GitHub Models Cloud GitHub cloud Developer teams and GitHub-native workflows

Important Notices

AI Hallucination

Warning

AI-related services may produce incorrect or misleading responses — a phenomenon known as "hallucination." Always verify AI-generated answers before acting on them, especially for critical decisions affecting production systems.

Potential Additional Costs

Note

Using third-party AI services (Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, GitHub Models, ollama.com cloud) may incur additional costs based on the provider's pricing model (typically per-token). Review your chosen provider's pricing before enabling in production. Running OLLAMA locally on your own infrastructure is free.

License

The AI Assistant and MCP server are included in the standard Nodinite license at no additional charge. Third-party AI provider costs are separate and billed directly by the respective provider.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find more solutions and answers in the Nodinite System Parameters FAQ and the Troubleshooting user guide.

How do I change the value?

To update a pre-defined System Parameter, follow the steps in 'How do I change the System Parameters'.

I enabled EnableMcpChat but the chat widget is not visible — why?

Check the following:

  1. Provider not configured — Navigate to Administration → Settings → AI Assistant and verify an LLM provider has been configured with a valid endpoint and model.
  2. Browser cache — Hard refresh with Ctrl+F5 (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac).
  3. Role permissions — Verify your user account has the appropriate permissions to use the AI Assistant.

I enabled EnableDiagramAiAssistance but AI Assistance is not visible — why?

Check the following:

  1. Provider not configured — The diagram AI experience uses the same provider configured in Administration → Settings → AI Assistant.
  2. Architecture Diagrams not available — The AI flag does not turn on Architecture Diagrams by itself. Verify the feature is enabled in your environment.
  3. Wrong workspace — Open Diagram Assistance from a Diagram Set or C4 Designer. The flag does not add AI to unrelated pages.
  4. Browser cache — Hard refresh the browser after saving the updated JSON.

I enabled EnableAiForBizTalk but BizTalk tools are still unavailable — why?

Check the following:

  1. Administrator access — BizTalk-specific AI workflows are intended for administrators.
  2. No active BizTalk environment — The environment must have active BizTalk data available before the BizTalk tools can answer anything useful.
  3. External client not configured — For VS Code, Claude Desktop, Cline, and similar tools, you still need the separate MCP Endpoint setup.
  4. Key missing or unchanged — When EnableAiForBizTalk is absent from the JSON, it is treated as false.

Do I need EnableMcpChat or EnableDiagramAiAssistance to use an external MCP client?

No. External MCP clients use their own setup path. Register the nodinite-mcp server in the client, validate the connection, and then ask the questions you need. Use EnableMcpChat only for the integrated AI Assistant chat and EnableDiagramAiAssistance only for the AI Assistance tab in Diagram Assistance. If you want BizTalk-specific MCP capabilities, enable EnableAiForBizTalk as well.

Does enabling AI require a restart?

No service restart is required when changing the AI system parameter. The change takes effect after saving.

Can multiple environments share the same MCP server?

No. Each environment entry in the Nodinite portal has its own port assignment for the MCP server, allowing multiple environments to run independently on the same host.

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