n2n-nexus

Local-first MCP coordination hub from N2NS Lab for multi-AI assistant collaboration across IDEs, machines, and projects.

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One daemon. Many assistants. Shared project state.

n2n-nexus is an open-source Model Context Protocol (MCP) coordination server for developers and teams who use multiple AI coding assistants across IDEs, machines, and projects. Use it when Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, JetBrains, or other MCP-enabled clients need a shared local coordination layer instead of isolated per-chat context.

📚 Contents

• What is n2n-nexus?
• Architecture
• Quick start
• Toolset
• Data storage
• Project ID conventions
• CLI reference
• Security and governance notes
• Real-world example
• Local development
• Related docs

💡 What is n2n-nexus?

n2n-nexus gives AI assistants a shared coordination workspace. A long-running local daemon owns project state, meetings, messages, tasks, shared docs, and project assets. Lightweight MCP adapters connect each IDE or assistant to the same daemon.

• Coordinate multiple AI assistants working on the same project.
• Share project manifests, decisions, and assets across IDEs and machines.
• Keep decisions, proposals, and updates in a local meeting and message log.
• Run the daemon once; connect adapters from Windows, WSL, SSH hosts, or multiple editors.
• Avoid giving each assistant broad filesystem or backend access.

🏗️ Architecture

┌──────────────────────────────────────┐
│          n2n-nexus daemon            │
│  Standalone HTTP server · always on  │
│  Owns data, tools, tasks, messages   │
└──────────────┬───────────────────────┘
               │ HTTP (NEXUS_ENDPOINT)
       ┌───────┼───────┐
       ▼       ▼       ▼
    MCP-A   MCP-B   MCP-C
   (Win)   (WSL)   (SSH/VM)
  Stateless adapter per IDE

• Daemon is the source of truth: start it once and keep it running.
• MCP adapters are stateless: each IDE starts an adapter through npx, then forwards tool calls to the daemon.
• Cross-environment by design: point NEXUS_ENDPOINT at the same daemon from different machines or shells. The daemon binds to localhost by default; use --host 0.0.0.0 only on a trusted network.

🚀 Quick start

1. Start the daemon

npx n2n-nexus daemon --port 5688

2. Configure an MCP client

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n2n-nexus": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "n2n-nexus", "mcp"],
      "env": {
        "NEXUS_ENDPOINT": "http://127.0.0.1:5688"
      }
    }
  }
}

The adapter can start before the daemon. It loads the daemon tool list once the daemon becomes reachable.

Cross-environment endpoint examples

Scenario	NEXUS_ENDPOINT
Same machine	http://127.0.0.1:5688
WSL IDE to Windows daemon	http://host.docker.internal:5688
Windows IDE to WSL daemon	http://<WSL-IP>:5688
Remote machine	http://<Server-IP>:5688

🛠️ Toolset

The daemon exposes 21 tools, grouped by purpose:

Group	Tools	Purpose
Session & topology	register_session_context, get_global_topology	Declare the active project before other calls; read the project list or a detailed per-project subgraph.
Projects & assets	search_projects, update_project, rename_project, sync_project_assets, upload_project_asset	Find, update, and rename projects; sync manifests and internal docs; upload binary assets.
Global docs	sync_global_doc, update_global_strategy	Create or update shared global documents and the master strategy document.
Messaging	send_message, read_messages	Post and read meeting and global messages.
Meetings	start_meeting, end_meeting, archive_meeting, reopen_meeting	Open, close, archive, and reopen meeting sessions.
Tasks	create_task, get_task, list_tasks, cancel_task	Create and poll async background tasks.
Maintenance	host_maintenance, host_delete_project	Prune or clear system logs; delete a project.

See Tools reference for parameter schemas and call examples.

💾 Data storage

Default storage root:

Platform	Path
Linux / WSL	~/.n2n-nexus
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\.n2n-nexus
macOS	~/.n2n-nexus

Override with --root <path> or NEXUS_ROOT.

~/.n2n-nexus/
├── global/
│   ├── blueprint.md
│   ├── docs_index.json
│   └── docs/
├── projects/
│   └── {project-id}/
│       ├── manifest.json
│       ├── internal_blueprint.md
│       └── assets/
├── registry.json
└── nexus.db

🏷️ Project ID conventions

Project IDs follow [prefix]_[name].

Prefix	Category	Example
web_	Websites	web_datafrog.io
api_	Backend services	api_user-auth
mcp_	MCP servers	mcp_nexus
lib_	Libraries / SDKs	lib_crypto-core
chrome_	Chrome extensions	chrome_evisa-helper
vscode_	VS Code extensions	vscode_super-theme
desktop_	Desktop apps	desktop_main-hub
infra_	Infrastructure / DevOps	infra_k8s-config
doc_	Documentation	doc_coding-guide

💻 CLI reference

# Start daemon
n2n-nexus daemon [--port 5688] [--root ~/.n2n-nexus] [--host 127.0.0.1]

# Start MCP adapter
NEXUS_ENDPOINT=http://127.0.0.1:5688 n2n-nexus mcp

Environment variables

Variable	Description	Default
NEXUS_ENDPOINT	Daemon URL for MCP adapter	http://127.0.0.1:5688
NEXUS_ROOT	Storage root for daemon	~/.n2n-nexus
NEXUS_HOST	Daemon bind host	127.0.0.1
NEXUS_INSTANCE_ID	Override MCP instance ID	auto-generated

🔐 Security and governance notes

• n2n-nexus stores coordination data locally by default.
• Do not put secrets, credentials, customer data, or private tokens in meeting messages or project assets unless your local policy allows it.
• Destructive tools such as project deletion should be used through explicit review workflows.
• Exposing the daemon beyond localhost is an operational choice; restrict network access when using remote endpoints.
• Treat project manifests and internal docs as potentially sensitive implementation data.

🌐 Real-world example

The docs include a recorded multi-agent session that shows n2n-nexus in action. Four AI assistants — running in different IDEs and assigned to different projects — used a shared n2n-nexus daemon to coordinate in real time.

What to look for in the session:

• Shared coordination space: each assistant registered its active project with register_session_context, then read and wrote to the same daemon throughout the session.
• Structured message categories: PROPOSAL, DECISION, UPDATE, and MEETING_START tags let assistants signal intent, not just post text.
• SYSTEM entries: lines like [Augment] Synced global doc: edge-sync-protocol-v1 record actual tool calls — the daemon logging its own state changes into the meeting stream.
• Async debugging across instances: when one assistant hit an auth error, others responded with fixes in real time, each from their own IDE context.
• Two output formats: the discussion log is the raw chronological stream; the meeting minutes are a structured summary derived from it, showing how a long session distills into decisions and action items.

File	What it shows
Discussion Log	The full chronological stream: proposals, debug exchanges, decisions, and SYSTEM tool entries
Meeting Minutes	The structured output: participants, key decisions, test results, and action items

🔧 Local development

git clone https://github.com/n2ns/n2n-nexus.git
cd n2n-nexus
npm install
npm run build

# Run daemon
node build/index.js daemon --root /tmp/nexus-test --port 5688

# Run MCP adapter
NEXUS_ENDPOINT=http://127.0.0.1:5688 node build/index.js mcp

📖 Related docs

• Architecture: System design and daemon-adapter separation explained.
• Tools reference: Full tool list and parameters.
• AI Assistant Guide: How AI assistants should call tools and stay in project context.
• Changelog: Version history and release notes.
• Contributing: How to report issues and contribute.
• Security: How to report vulnerabilities.

📄 License

This project is licensed under the Apache-2.0 License.

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Built by N2NS Lab, the open-source lab of datafrog.io for practical AI developer tools.