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Podlings MCP

An MCP server for accessing and analyzing Apache Software Foundation Incubator podling data from podlings.xml. It provides tools to query podling metadata, generate statistics, and analyze incubation trends over time.

glama
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Apr 19, 2026
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Podlings MCP

A small dependency-free MCP server for working with Apache Software Foundation Incubator podlings.xml data.

It exposes tools to:

  • load podling metadata from a URL or local XML file
  • list podlings with optional filtering
  • list current, graduated, and retired podlings
  • fetch details for a specific podling
  • return basic Incubator summary statistics
  • return mentor-count coverage statistics
  • analyze podling starts and active population over time
  • analyze yearly completion counts
  • analyze graduation rate over time
  • analyze graduation and retirement duration over time

If source is omitted, the server defaults to https://incubator.apache.org/podlings.xml.

The default ASF podlings XML source is cached locally for 24 hours. Set PODLINGS_MCP_CACHE_DIR to override the cache directory.

Requirements

  • Python 3.12+

Run

python3 server.py

The server uses stdio, so it is intended to be launched by an MCP client.

Test

python3 -m unittest discover -s tests -v

The tests cover parser behavior, tool functions, error cases, and a small end-to-end MCP stdio exchange.

Developer Commands

make format
make check-format
make test
make coverage
make lint
make typecheck
make check

Formatting and linting use ruff, including make check-format for CI-style format verification, and type checking uses mypy. See docs/architecture.md for the current module layout.

Example MCP client config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "podlings": {
      "command": "python3",
      "args": ["/Users/yourname/PodlingsMCP/server.py"]
    }
  }
}

Concepts and Defaults

  • sponsor_type defaults to incubator across the filtering and analytics tools.
  • completed means podlings that reached an end state: graduated or retired.
  • Count and rate timeline tools use podling enddate to place outcomes into a year.
  • Duration timeline tools use both startdate and enddate to calculate months to graduate or retire.
  • completed_podlings_by_year returns both lists by default, and the graduated_podlings_by_year and retired_podlings_by_year tools are convenience wrappers over that same lookup.

Tools

list_podlings

List podlings from podlings.xml.

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • status: optional exact status filter
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator
  • search: optional case-insensitive name/description/champion search
  • limit: optional max number of results to return

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

list_current_podlings

List podlings with status="current".

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator
  • search: optional case-insensitive name/description/champion search
  • limit: optional max number of results to return

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

list_graduated_podlings

List podlings with status="graduated".

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator
  • search: optional case-insensitive name/description/champion search
  • limit: optional max number of results to return

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

list_retired_podlings

List podlings with status="retired".

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator
  • search: optional case-insensitive name/description/champion search
  • limit: optional max number of results to return

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

get_podling

Return a single podling by name.

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • name: podling name

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

podling_stats

Return summary statistics for a podlings.xml source.

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

The stats include sponsor classification so you can distinguish:

  • incubator: sponsored by the Incubator
  • project: sponsored by another ASF project/PMC
  • unknown: no sponsor value was found

mentor_count_stats

Return mentor coverage and mentor-count distribution stats for a podlings.xml source.

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

raw_podlings_xml_info

Return source metadata and a small preview of parsed records for troubleshooting.

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

graduation_rate_over_time

Return yearly graduation and retirement counts plus graduation rate based on podling enddate.

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • start_year: optional inclusive start year filter
  • end_year: optional inclusive end year filter
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

podlings_started_over_time

Return yearly podling start counts based on startdate.

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • start_year: optional inclusive start year filter
  • end_year: optional inclusive end year filter
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

started_podlings_by_year

Return the podlings that started in a specific year.

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • year: required year to inspect
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

active_podlings_by_year

Return yearly active-podling counts based on lifecycle span.

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • start_year: optional inclusive start year filter
  • end_year: optional inclusive end year filter
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

active_podlings_in_year

Return the podlings that were active during a specific year.

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • year: required year to inspect
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

completion_rate_over_time

Return yearly completion rate using completed outcomes divided by active population.

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • start_year: optional inclusive start year filter
  • end_year: optional inclusive end year filter
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

completion_count_over_time

Return yearly completed podling counts based on enddate, split into graduated and retired outcomes.

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • start_year: optional inclusive start year filter
  • end_year: optional inclusive end year filter
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

completed_podlings_by_year

Return the podlings that completed in a specific year, split into graduated and retired outcomes.

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • year: required year to inspect
  • status: optional filter, graduated or retired
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

completed_podlings_in_range

Return the podlings that completed within an inclusive year range.

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • start_year: required inclusive start year
  • end_year: required inclusive end year
  • status: optional filter, graduated or retired
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

graduated_podlings_by_year

Return the podlings that graduated in a specific year.

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • year: required year to inspect
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

retired_podlings_by_year

Return the podlings that retired in a specific year.

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • year: required year to inspect
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

graduation_time_over_time

Return yearly time-to-graduate stats in months based on podling startdate and enddate, including average, median, and percentile views.

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • start_year: optional inclusive start year filter
  • end_year: optional inclusive end year filter
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

time_to_retirement_over_time

Return yearly time-to-retirement stats in months based on podling startdate and enddate, including average, median, and percentile views.

Arguments:

  • source: URL or local file path
  • start_year: optional inclusive start year filter
  • end_year: optional inclusive end year filter
  • sponsor_type: optional sponsor type filter, defaults to incubator

source is optional and defaults to the ASF Incubator podlings.xml URL.

Examples

List current incubator-sponsored podlings:

{
  "name": "list_current_podlings",
  "arguments": {}
}

Typical response:

{
  "returned": 1,
  "total_matching": 1,
  "podlings": [
    {
      "name": "ExampleOne",
      "status": "current",
      "sponsor_type": "incubator"
    }
  ]
}

Analyze graduation timing for project-sponsored podlings:

{
  "name": "graduation_time_over_time",
  "arguments": {
    "sponsor_type": "project"
  }
}

Analyze yearly completion counts for project-sponsored podlings:

{
  "name": "completion_count_over_time",
  "arguments": {
    "sponsor_type": "project"
  }
}

Typical response:

{
  "years": [
    {
      "year": 2024,
      "graduated": 1,
      "retired": 0,
      "completed": 1
    }
  ],
  "overall_completed": 1,
  "overall_graduated": 1,
  "overall_retired": 0
}

Analyze yearly start counts for incubator-sponsored podlings:

{
  "name": "podlings_started_over_time",
  "arguments": {}
}

Typical response:

{
  "years": [
    {
      "year": 2022,
      "started": 1
    },
    {
      "year": 2025,
      "started": 1
    }
  ],
  "overall_started": 2
}

Look up which podlings were active in a specific year:

{
  "name": "active_podlings_in_year",
  "arguments": {
    "year": 2023
  }
}

Typical response:

{
  "year": 2023,
  "active": ["ExampleThree"],
  "active_count": 1
}

Look up which podlings completed in a specific year:

{
  "name": "completed_podlings_by_year",
  "arguments": {
    "year": 2024,
    "sponsor_type": "project"
  }
}

Typical response:

{
  "year": 2024,
  "status_filter": "all",
  "graduated": ["ExampleTwo"],
  "retired": [],
  "completed": ["ExampleTwo"],
  "completed_count": 1
}

Look up which podlings completed in a year range:

{
  "name": "completed_podlings_in_range",
  "arguments": {
    "start_year": 2023,
    "end_year": 2024
  }
}

Typical response:

{
  "start_year": 2023,
  "end_year": 2024,
  "status_filter": "all",
  "graduated": [],
  "retired": ["ExampleThree"],
  "completed": ["ExampleThree"],
  "completed_count": 1
}

Look up just the podlings that retired in a specific year:

{
  "name": "retired_podlings_by_year",
  "arguments": {
    "year": 2023
  }
}

Typical response:

{
  "year": 2023,
  "status_filter": "retired",
  "graduated": [],
  "retired": ["ExampleThree"],
  "completed": ["ExampleThree"],
  "completed_count": 1
}

Look up just the podlings that graduated in a specific year:

{
  "name": "graduated_podlings_by_year",
  "arguments": {
    "year": 2024,
    "sponsor_type": "project"
  }
}

Typical response:

{
  "year": 2024,
  "status_filter": "graduated",
  "graduated": ["ExampleTwo"],
  "retired": [],
  "completed": ["ExampleTwo"],
  "completed_count": 1
}

Typical response:

{
  "years": [
    {
      "year": 2024,
      "graduated": 1,
      "total_months_to_graduate": 17,
      "average_months_to_graduate": 17.0,
      "median_months_to_graduate": 17.0,
      "p75_months_to_graduate": 17.0,
      "p90_months_to_graduate": 17.0
    }
  ],
  "overall_graduated": 1,
  "overall_average_months_to_graduate": 17.0
}

Analyze retirement timing for incubator-sponsored podlings after 2020:

{
  "name": "time_to_retirement_over_time",
  "arguments": {
    "start_year": 2021
  }
}

Typical response:

{
  "years": [
    {
      "year": 2023,
      "retired": 1,
      "total_months_to_retire": 16,
      "average_months_to_retire": 16.0,
      "median_months_to_retire": 16.0,
      "p75_months_to_retire": 16.0,
      "p90_months_to_retire": 16.0
    }
  ],
  "overall_retired": 1,
  "overall_average_months_to_retire": 16.0
}

Source examples

  • ASF URL: https://incubator.apache.org/podlings.xml
  • Local file: /path/to/podlings.xml

Notes

  • Remote sources are fetched with Python's standard library.
  • XML parsing targets the ASF Incubator podlings.xml structure directly.
  • Tools that accept sponsor_type default to incubator.
  • Valid sponsor_type values are incubator, project, and unknown.

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