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GitHub MCP Read-Only Adoption Plan

GitHub MCP Read-Only Adoption Plan

Purpose

This plan defines how Synkronyx must adopt GitHub MCP capabilities for read-only operational workflows while preserving GitHub CLI paths for write operations that manage environments, secrets, and repository variables.

Decision Summary

  • GitHub MCP must be used for read-only checks and summaries.
  • GitHub MCP must be used for pull request and issue analysis workflows.
  • GitHub MCP must be used for repository search and diagnostics.
  • GitHub CLI must remain the system of record for mutation flows in this repository, including environment create or delete, secret writes, and repository variable writes.

Scope

In scope:

  • Read-only drift reporting for GitHub repository state.
  • Read-only analysis of pull requests, issues, and notifications.
  • Read-only search and diagnostics over repository metadata and code references.

Out of scope:

  • Replacing existing GitHub CLI scripts that write to GitHub environments, secrets, and variables.
  • Changing local hook enforcement behavior for commit and push.

Implementation Plan

1. Use MCP for Read-Only Workloads

  • Implement MCP-backed drift checks and summaries.
  • Implement MCP-backed pull request and issue analysis workflows.
  • Implement MCP-backed repository search and diagnostics.

2. Keep GitHub CLI for Write Paths

  • Keep scripts/sync-github-docs-environments.ps1 on GitHub CLI for environment, secret, and variable updates.
  • Keep scripts/ad-hoc/CleanGitHubEnvironments.ps1 on GitHub CLI for environment cleanup.
  • Keep scripts/join-project.ps1 on GitHub CLI for local authentication bootstrap.

3. Add Thin Orchestration Wrappers

  • Add one orchestrator script for each MCP read-only workload family.
  • Wrappers must only read and summarize state, and must not write to GitHub resources.
  • Wrappers must return non-zero exit codes when required checks fail.

4. Add Quality Gates

  • Add a repository task for MCP read-only drift diagnostics.
  • Add a repository task for MCP pull request and issue analysis.
  • Include both tasks in local and CI quality checks where read-only diagnostics are required.

5. Rollout and Hardening

  • Run MCP workflows in parallel with existing GitHub CLI diagnostics for one rollout cycle.
  • Compare outputs and resolve mismatches before making MCP diagnostics the default read-only path.
  • Keep an explicit fallback to GitHub CLI read-only commands until MCP parity is verified.

Work Packages

WP1: Drift Checks and Summaries

Deliverables:

  • MCP drift summary script.
  • Baseline report template with pass or fail criteria.

Acceptance criteria:

  • Script produces deterministic output for the same repository state.
  • Script never attempts to create, update, or delete remote resources.

WP2: Pull Request and Issue Analysis

Deliverables:

  • MCP pull request analysis script.
  • MCP issue analysis script.

Acceptance criteria:

  • Scripts provide actionable findings ordered by severity.
  • Scripts include links to affected pull request or issue resources.

WP3: Repository Search and Diagnostics

Deliverables:

  • MCP repository search and diagnostics script.

Acceptance criteria:

  • Script supports targeted search prompts for symbols, files, and patterns.
  • Script output is concise, repeatable, and suitable for automation logs.

Milestones

  • M1: Plan approved and scripts scaffolded.
  • M2: MCP read-only drift checks operational.
  • M3: MCP pull request and issue analysis operational.
  • M4: MCP repository search and diagnostics operational.
  • M5: Read-only MCP workflows declared default with GitHub CLI fallback retained.

Risks and Controls

  • Risk: MCP and GitHub CLI may return different read models at specific times. Control: Run both during rollout and compare outputs before default cutover.

  • Risk: Scope creep from read-only diagnostics into write automation. Control: Enforce read-only boundaries in wrappers and code review gates.

  • Risk: Team adoption friction. Control: Add tasks, examples, and short runbooks for each MCP workload.

Success Metrics

  • At least 90 percent of read-only GitHub diagnostics run through MCP workflows.
  • Zero production secret or environment mutations executed by MCP wrappers.
  • Reduced mean time to diagnose pull request and issue state regressions.

Operating Rule

MCP must handle read-only GitHub diagnostics and analysis. GitHub CLI must handle GitHub write automation until an explicitly approved replacement exists.