fix(designer): Route Standard built-in MCP through manifest path + v2 save-flow reliability

[Elaina-Lee]

Commit Type

• fix - Bug fix
• refactor - Code restructuring without behavior change
• test - Test-related changes

Risk Level

• Medium - Moderate changes, some user impact

What & Why

Built-in MCP tools on Standard were emitting inputs.Connection.{McpServerUrl,Authentication} inline — a shape PR #8953 introduced for Consumption but that leaked into Standard. The Standard backend expects inputs.connectionReference.connectionName referencing a key in connections.agentMcpConnections (the original v2 design from PR #8525). This caused save/validate failures on Standard, most notably when the user changed the tool's connection to a different existing one, and later surfaced two Standalone-side races that only affected designer v2's save flow.

The core fixes (serializer)

1. Route Standard through the manifest path (libs/designer{,-v2}/src/lib/core/actions/bjsworkflow/serializer.ts)

OperationManifestService.isSupported('McpClientTool', 'BuiltIn') returns true for both SKUs, so the built-in MCP intercept was doing the same work serializeManifestBasedOperation would have done for Standard — but forcing a Consumption-only inline Connection shape. Narrow the intercept to Consumption (renamed to isConsumptionBuiltInMcpClient, folded with the !rootState.workflow.workflowKind check), and let Standard fall through to the manifest branch. The manifest's referenceKeyFormat: 'mcpconnection' (see builtinmcpclient.ts) drives serializeHost to emit inputs.connectionReference.connectionName — the shape the Standard backend resolves against connections.agentMcpConnections.

serializeBuiltInMcpOperation was renamed to serializeConsumptionBuiltInMcpOperation with a header comment stating it's Consumption-only.

2. Defense in serializeHost's McpConnection case

The changeConnectionMapping reducer calls getExistingReferenceKey to reuse an existing referenceKey when the picker payload matches an existing MCP reference. That match can fail (root cause likely a difference in connectionProperties between the pre-loaded MCP reference and the picker's constructed payload), causing Redux to mint a fresh referenceKey (e.g. mcpclient-9) that has no matching entry in connections.agentMcpConnections. If the serializer emitted that minted name, the backend's eager MCP lookup would fail validate.

Extracted the resolution into a small exported helper — resolveMcpConnectionName(referenceKey, connectionId) — that prefers connection.id's last segment (by construction the agentMcpConnections key — see convertMcpConnectionDataToConnection in standard/connection.ts:807) and falls back to referenceKey when the id is missing or produces an empty segment (trailing slash). Called from serializeHost's McpConnection case in both v1 and v2.

Standalone-side v2 save-flow fixes

Once the serializer emitted correct names, two Standalone v2 issues remained that were hiding behind the earlier shape bug.

3. Drop the post-save invalidateQueries (laDesignerV2.tsx)

After every save, v2 called invalidateQueries(['workflowArtifactsStandard', workflowId]). Because the workflow query is actively mounted during editing, invalidation triggers an immediate async refetch. When the refetch completes, data.properties.files reference changes, cascading through the originalConnectionsData → connectionsData useMemos — the derived connectionsData is rebuilt as a fresh clone from server state. Any in-flight addConnectionInJson mutation for a subsequent new connection is wiped by the recomputation.

Symptom: user saves with mcpclient-N included, creates mcpclient-(N+1), autosave fires, but getConnectionsToUpdate sees no delta → returns undefined → deploy sends no connections.json → validate later fails with InvalidActionToolMcpConnection.

The stated goal ("next load fetches fresh data") is a no-op anyway because useWorkflowAndArtifactsStandard sets refetchOnMount: false; the invalidation only ever fired a refetch when the component was still mounted, which is exactly the race we're removing.

4. Hold connectionsData in state and merge on server updates (laDesignerV2.tsx)

After (3), existing workflows worked but brand new workflows still failed on the "user creates new MCP connection" flow. Root cause was the same object-replacement race but during the initial workflow-artifacts fetch:

1. Mount. Fetch pending, data = undefined, originalConnectionsData = {}, connectionsData useMemo → {}.
2. User creates mcpclient-N via wizard. addConnectionInJson mutates the current connectionsData in place.
3. Fetch completes. data reference changes → originalConnectionsData useMemo recomputes → connectionsData useMemo recomputes → fresh clone from server data, mutation wiped.
4. Save fires. Delta detection sees no diff → undefined returned → deploy skips connections.json → validate fails.

Existing workflows escape this because useWorkflowAndArtifactsStandard cached data is available synchronously on mount, so there's no fetch to race with.

Fix: promote connectionsData to useState. On any dep change, MERGE the server-computed version with the previous state via a module-level mergeConnectionsData helper — local per-category entries win over server. New connections mutated into prev survive the reconciliation regardless of when the fetch completes.

Why we removed the newAgentMcpConnections block from laDesigner{,V2}.tsx (PR #9296 cleanup)

PR #9296 added a branch inside the save flow's reference-remapping loop that mirrored the pattern used for managed API / service provider / agent categories:

} else if (reference?.connection?.id.startsWith('/connectionProviders/mcpclient/')) {
  const connectionKey = reference.connection.id.split('/').splice(-1)[0];
  newAgentMcpConnections[referenceKey] = connectionsData?.agentMcpConnections?.[connectionKey];
  delete connectionsData?.agentMcpConnections?.[connectionKey];
}

The pattern's purpose is a key remap on connections.json: move an entry from being keyed by the raw connection name to being keyed by the Redux referenceKey, because managed API / service provider / agent tool refs are emitted using the referenceKey (via @parameters('$connections')['<referenceKey>'] or manifest paths).

For MCP this branch was dead code and semantically wrong:

• It could never execute. The outer loop iterates Object.keys(workflowFromDesigner.connectionReferences), but getConnectionsDataToSerialize (serializer.ts:172-181) explicitly excludes built-in MCP operations from the emitted connectionReferences map. There are no MCP entries for the loop to see.
• Remapping would actively break MCP. agentMcpConnections is keyed by the raw connection name on the server (convertMcpConnectionDataToConnection builds connection.id as /${mcpclientConnectorId}/connections/${connectionKey}) and the backend eagerly validates tool refs against those exact keys. If the branch had fired and remapped agentMcpConnections["mcpclient-8"] → agentMcpConnections["mcpclient-8_1"] to match a Redux-uniquified referenceKey, backend lookup would fail. The raw connection name is the authoritative key for MCP — that's what the serializer defense above emits, and that's what should stay in connections.json.

The same .split('/').splice(-1)[0] string operation appears in the serializer defense (serializeHost McpConnection case) but for the opposite goal: extract the raw name and emit it in the tool ref so it matches the connections.json key that was never remapped. The laDesigner branch was making Redux the source of truth; the serializer defense makes connection.id the source of truth. For MCP, connection.id must win.

Test coverage additions

Unit tests (resolveMcpConnectionName.spec.ts in v1 and v2) — six cases each locking in the McpConnection defense:

• Divergent referenceKey vs connection.id → last segment wins (the core defense)
• Happy path (they agree)
• Undefined / empty connectionId → fallback to referenceKey
• Trailing-slash connectionId → fallback (spec caught a ?? vs || bug during authoring; fixed by the same commit)
• Connection.id without a leading slash → still resolves last segment

E2E tests (e2e/designer/mcpSerialization.spec.ts):

• Existing "serialize an Agent workflow ..." test extended: Managed MCP now asserts connectionReference.connectionName === 'office365' AND inputs.parameters.mcpServerPath === '/mcp/contacts'. Previously regressions on the swagger-path injection in serializeManagedMcpOperation would have been silent.
• New Consumption test (v1): toggles Plan to Consumption, loads AgentWithMcpConsumption.json, asserts inline Connection shape.
• New v2 mirror for Standard shape (Should serialize Standard built-in MCP as connectionReference on designer-v2) — catches drift between the two packages' serializers.
• New v2 mirror for Consumption shape — catches regressions on serializeConsumptionBuiltInMcpOperation in the v2 package specifically.

Consumption fixture (__mocks__/workflows/AgentWithMcpConsumption.json) — inline Connection shape with $connections.value structure, wired into LogicAppSelector under Agentic Workflows.

Standalone mergeConnectionsData is not unit-tested because Standalone is outside the vitest workspace (vitest.workspace.ts lists only libs/); E2E + manual HAR coverage stands in.

Other cleanup

• __mocks__/workflows/AgentWithMcp.json — flipped the built-in MCP tool's inputs.Connection (pre-fix buggy Standard shape) to inputs.connectionReference.connectionName (correct Standard shape). Round-trip previously appeared to work because the mock and the pre-fix buggy serializer agreed on the wrong shape.

Impact of Change

• Users: Standard workflows with built-in MCP tools save and validate reliably, including when the tool's connection is changed to a different existing one AND when a brand new connection is created mid-fetch on a fresh workflow. Consumption behavior is unchanged.
• Developers: Serializer dispatch is cleaner and self-documenting via explicit SKU-scoped names (isConsumptionBuiltInMcpClient, serializeConsumptionBuiltInMcpOperation). Standard reuses the manifest infrastructure like every other operation type. Standalone v2's connectionsData state model is now robust to in-flight fetch/mutation races.
• System: No new client-side workarounds in the workflow save flow (fullConnectionsForValidation was dropped once the shape bug was fixed at source). Backend validate works with the delta payload as it does for all other connection categories.

Test Plan

• Unit tests added: resolveMcpConnectionName covered in both libs/designer-v2/.../__test__/resolveMcpConnectionName.spec.ts and libs/designer/.../__test__/resolveMcpConnectionName.spec.ts — 6 cases each.
• E2E tests added/updated: e2e/designer/mcpSerialization.spec.ts — 7 tests total covering Standard v1, Standard v2, Consumption v1, Consumption v2, connection-reference exclusion, tool preservation, and UAMI identity round-trip.
• Manual testing across HARs 4, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17 covering:
  • Standard existing workflow + existing MCP connection (no-op save)
  • Standard existing workflow + change to different existing MCP connection
  • Standard existing workflow + create new MCP connection then save
  • Standard new workflow + create new MCP connection mid-fetch then save (the v2-only race)
  • Consumption round-trip via mock fixture

Follow-ups (not in this PR)

• Root-cause fix in getExistingReferenceKey (libs/designer-v2/.../utils/connectors/connections.ts) so it correctly matches the picker payload against pre-loaded MCP references. Once fixed, resolveMcpConnectionName becomes redundant and can be removed.
• If backend eager validation ever surfaces the same latent bug for agent tools (inputs.parameters.modelConfigurations.model1.referenceName), the fix would live at getConnectionsToUpdate (libs/designer-v2/.../utils/createhelper.ts) — split into delta-for-deploy vs full-for-validate callers.
• v1 (laDesigner.tsx) currently doesn't exhibit the same connectionsData race in practice, but shares the same useMemo derivation shape. If v1 turns out to hit the bug, the state + merge pattern from (4) can be ported over as-is.

Screenshots

v1 with existing mcp connection

v1 with new mcp connection

v2 with existing mcp connection

v2 with new mcp connection

[github-actions]

🤖 AI PR Validation Report

PR Review Results

Thank you for your submission! Here's detailed feedback on your PR title and body compliance:

✅ PR Title

• Current: fix(designer): Route Standard built-in MCP through manifest path + v2 save-flow reliability
• Issue: None. The title is specific, descriptive, and clearly explains the user impact.
• Recommendation: No change needed.

---

✅ Commit Type

• Properly selected (fix).
• Only one commit type is selected, which is correct.

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✅ Risk Level

• The selected risk level (Medium) matches the diff and the risk:medium label.
• No mismatch found between the PR body and labels.

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✅ What & Why

• Current: A detailed explanation of the serializer issue, Standalone save-flow races, and the resulting fixes.
• Issue: None — this is thorough and informative.
• Recommendation: No change needed.

---

✅ Impact of Change

• The impact section is filled in clearly and aligns with the code changes.
• Recommendation:
  • Users: Good as written.
  • Developers: Good as written.
  • System: Good as written.

---

✅ Test Plan

• Test coverage is present in the diff: unit tests and E2E tests were added/updated, and manual testing is documented.
• This satisfies the required test-plan criteria.

---

⚠️ Contributors

• No contributors were listed.
• Recommendation: If PMs, designers, or other engineers contributed ideas or validation, please add them here for credit. This is optional, but helpful.

---

✅ Screenshots/Videos

• Screenshots were provided and match the UI-facing nature of the change.
• No action needed.

---

Summary Table

Section	Status	Recommendation
Title	✅	No change needed
Commit Type	✅	Only one type selected (fix)
Risk Level	✅	Matches risk:medium label
What & Why	✅	No change needed
Impact of Change	✅	No change needed
Test Plan	✅	No change needed
Contributors	⚠️	Optional: add credit if applicable
Screenshots/Videos	✅	No change needed

---

Overall, this PR passes review for title/body compliance. The advised risk level remains medium and does not need to be raised.

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Last updated: Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:04:53 GMT

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Fixes Standard SKU built-in MCP tool serialization by routing it through the manifest-driven path (emitting inputs.connectionReference.connectionName), while keeping Consumption SKU behavior unchanged (inline inputs.Connection.{McpServerUrl,Authentication}), and adds an E2E regression test + fixture for the Consumption shape. Also improves Standalone SKU fidelity (unset kind for Consumption) and removes unreachable MCP remap code in Standalone’s Azure designer wrappers.

Changes:

• Update v1/v2 workflow serializer dispatch so built-in MCP tools use a Consumption-only serializer; Standard falls through to manifest-based serialization.
• Harden Standard MCP host serialization to derive connectionName from the MCP connection id’s last segment (authoritative agentMcpConnections key).
• Add Consumption mock workflow + E2E coverage; update Standard MCP expectations and make Standalone pass kind: undefined for Consumption.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 11 out of 11 changed files in this pull request and generated no comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
Localize/lang/strings.json	Removes unused localization entries related to workflow-name collision/reserved-name messages.
libs/designer/src/lib/core/actions/bjsworkflow/serializer.ts	Consumption-only built-in MCP serialization; Standard uses manifest path; MCP host serialization resolves connectionName from connection id.
libs/designer-v2/src/lib/core/actions/bjsworkflow/serializer.ts	Same serializer routing + MCP host connectionName resolution as v1.
e2e/designer/mcpSerialization.spec.ts	Updates Standard assertions to connectionReference shape; adds Consumption test asserting inline Connection shape is preserved.
apps/Standalone/src/designer/app/LocalDesigner/LogicAppSelector/LogicAppSelector.tsx	Adds new Consumption MCP fixture to the Local Designer workflow dropdown.
apps/Standalone/src/designer/app/LocalDesigner/localDesignerV2.tsx	Unsets kind when hostingPlan is Consumption to match real Consumption workflows.
apps/Standalone/src/designer/app/LocalDesigner/localDesigner.tsx	Same as above for v1 Local Designer.
apps/Standalone/src/designer/app/AzureLogicAppsDesigner/laDesignerV2.tsx	Removes dead/unreachable remap logic for agentMcpConnections.
apps/Standalone/src/designer/app/AzureLogicAppsDesigner/laDesigner.tsx	Removes dead/unreachable remap logic for agentMcpConnections.
mocks/workflows/AgentWithMcpConsumption.json	Adds Consumption fixture with inline inputs.Connection MCP shape.
mocks/workflows/AgentWithMcp.json	Updates Standard MCP built-in tool fixture to use inputs.connectionReference.

[github-actions]

📊 Coverage Check

The following changed files need attention:

⚠️ libs/designer-v2/src/lib/core/actions/bjsworkflow/serializer.ts - 37% covered (needs improvement)
⚠️ libs/designer/src/lib/core/actions/bjsworkflow/serializer.ts - 17% covered (needs improvement)

Please add tests for the uncovered files before merging.