Prerequisites

Before installing A²D, ensure you have the following prerequisites in place.

Required Software

Node.js and npm

A²D requires Node.js 18 or higher with npm package manager.

Check if installed:

node --version
npm --version

Expected output:

v18.0.0 or higher
9.0.0 or higher

Installation:

brew install node

# Download installer from nodejs.org
# https://nodejs.org/

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nodejs npm

Git

Required for cloning the repository and version control.

Check if installed:

git --version

Installation:

brew install git

# Download from git-scm.com
# https://git-scm.com/download/win

sudo apt install git

Required Accounts

Supabase Account

Supabase provides the PostgreSQL database and authentication backend for A²D.

Sign up: supabase.com

Free tier includes:

• 2 projects
• 500 MB database storage
• 50,000 monthly active users
• 2 GB file storage
• Unlimited API requests

What you’ll need from Supabase:

• Project URL (e.g., https://your-project.supabase.co)
• Anonymous (public) API key (anon key)
• Service role (secret) API key

Creating a Supabase Project:

1. Sign up at supabase.com
2. Click “New Project”
3. Choose organization (or create one)
4. Enter project name and database password
5. Select region (choose closest to your users)
6. Wait for project to provision (~2 minutes)
7. Copy API keys from Project Settings → API

GitHub Account (Optional)

Required if you plan to:

• Fork the repository
• Contribute to the project
• Deploy with Vercel using GitHub integration
• Use GitHub Actions for CI/CD

Sign up: github.com/signup

Optional Accounts

Anypoint Platform Account

Required only if you want to publish MCP servers or Agent Cards to Anypoint Exchange.

Sign up: anypoint.mulesoft.com

Free trial available: 30 days with full features

What you’ll need:

• Organization ID (find in Anypoint Platform settings)
• Option 1: Client ID + Client Secret (OAuth2 - recommended)
• Option 2: Username + Password (Basic Auth)
• Appropriate permissions to publish assets to Exchange

Vercel Account (For Deployment)

Required only for deploying A²D to production.

Sign up: vercel.com/signup

Free tier includes:

• Unlimited projects
• 100 GB bandwidth per month
• Serverless function execution
• Automatic HTTPS and SSL
• Global CDN
• Preview deployments for PRs

Why Vercel:

• Native Next.js support
• Automatic deployments from GitHub
• Zero-config deployment
• Serverless functions at edge locations

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

Recommended for Development

• RAM: 8 GB or more for comfortable development
• Storage: 1 GB free space (for node_modules and build artifacts)
• Editor: VS Code with TypeScript and ESLint extensions
• Display: 1920×1080 or higher for optimal UI experience

Development Tools (Recommended)

Supabase CLI (Optional but Highly Recommended)

The Supabase CLI simplifies database migrations and local development.

Installation:

npm install -g supabase

Verify installation:

supabase --version

Benefits:

• Push database migrations automatically
• Link to remote projects
• Generate TypeScript types from schema
• Local Supabase development (advanced)

Documentation: docs.supabase.com/guides/cli

API Client (For Testing MCP Endpoints)

Helpful for testing MCP endpoints during development.

Options:

Text Editor / IDE

Recommended: Visual Studio Code with extensions

Essential VS Code Extensions:

• ESLint (code linting)
• Prettier (code formatting)
• TypeScript and JavaScript Language Features (built-in)
• Tailwind CSS IntelliSense (CSS utility autocomplete)

Optional VS Code Extensions:

• GitHub Copilot (AI code assistant)
• GitLens (enhanced Git features)
• Thunder Client (API testing)
• Database Client (view Supabase data)

Knowledge Prerequisites

Basic Knowledge Required

Helpful But Not Required

Verification Checklist

Before proceeding to installation, verify you have:

• Node.js 18+ installed
• npm installed and working
• Git installed
• Supabase account created
• Supabase project created
• Supabase API keys copied
• (Optional) Anypoint Platform credentials
• (Optional) Vercel account for deployment
• Text editor or IDE installed
• Terminal/command prompt access
• At least 500 MB free disk space

Firewall and Network Requirements

If you’re behind a corporate firewall or proxy, ensure access to:

Proxy Configuration:

If using a corporate proxy, configure npm:

npm config set proxy http://proxy.company.com:8080
npm config set https-proxy http://proxy.company.com:8080

Cost Estimate

Development (Local):

• Free: Use Supabase free tier and run locally

Production Deployment:

• Supabase: Free tier sufficient for small-medium usage
• Vercel: Free tier covers most use cases
• Domain: $10-15/year (optional)
• Anypoint Platform: $0 (30-day trial) or paid plan

Next Steps

Once you have all prerequisites in place:

1. Installation - Clone repository and install dependencies
2. Database Setup - Configure Supabase and run migrations
3. Configuration - Set up environment variables
4. Quick Start - Create your first MCP server

Having trouble? Check the Troubleshooting section or open an issue.