Question 1

Do I need to install Keycloak separately?

Accepted Answer

Keycloak is required only if you want to run Wanaku with authentication enabled. You can: Run Keycloak locally using Podman/Docker (for development) Deploy Keycloak to OpenShift/Kubernetes (for production) Use an existing Keycloak instance If you don't need authentication (e.g., for local development or testing), you can set wanaku.http.auth=none and skip the Keycloak setup entirely. See Running Without Authentication.

Question 2

Can I run Wanaku without Kubernetes?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Wanaku can run standalone on any machine with Java. You can: Download pre-built binaries from the releases page Build from source Run locally for development and testing Kubernetes/OpenShift deployment is recommended for production but not required.

Question 3

What are the prerequisites for running Wanaku?

Accepted Answer

For development: Java 21 or later Maven 3.x Keycloak instance (optional — can run via Podman/Docker, or set wanaku.http.auth=none) For production deployment: OpenShift or Kubernetes cluster (optional but recommended) Keycloak instance (recommended for production; optional with wanaku.http.auth=none) Container runtime (Podman/Docker)

Question 4

What is the role of Keycloak in Wanaku?

Accepted Answer

Keycloak provides authentication and authorization for: Router management API and web UI access Service-to-service authentication between the router and capabilities Future support for fine-grained access control to tools and resources

Question 5

How does Wanaku communicate with capability services?

Accepted Answer

Wanaku uses gRPC for communication between the router backend and capability services. This provides efficient, type-safe communication with built-in support for streaming and bidirectional communication.

Question 6

What is a "capability" in Wanaku?

Accepted Answer

A capability is a service that provides specific functionality to the Wanaku router. Capabilities can be: Tool services: Provide executable tools (HTTP client, exec, Tavily search, etc.) Resource providers: Provide read access to resources (files, S3, FTP, etc.) MCP servers: Bridge to other MCP servers via HTTP

Question 7

Why does Wanaku use a router architecture instead of hosting tools directly?

Accepted Answer

The router architecture provides several advantages: Isolation: Each capability service runs independently, improving security and reliability Scalability: Services can be scaled independently based on demand Flexibility: Easy to add, remove, or update capabilities without affecting the router Language independence: Capability services can be written in any language that supports gRPC

Question 8

What's the difference between tools and resources in Wanaku?

Accepted Answer

Tools operate in a request/reply mode, performing processing on input (e.g., making HTTP requests, executing commands, querying databases) Resources provide read access to data without necessarily processing input (e.g., reading files, accessing S3 objects, reading Kafka topics)

Question 9

Is Wanaku open source?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Wanaku is open source and licensed under Apache 2.0. You can find the source code at github.com/wanaku-ai/wanaku.

Question 10

What is the Model Context Protocol (MCP)?

Accepted Answer

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open protocol that standardizes how applications provide context to Large Language Models (LLMs). It defines how tools, resources, and prompts are exposed and accessed by AI agents. Learn more at modelcontextprotocol.io.

Question 11

What does "Wanaku" mean?

Accepted Answer

The project name comes from the origins of the word "Guanaco," a camelid native to South America. The connection to Apache Camel (the integration framework used by Wanaku) makes this name particularly fitting.

Question 12

What is Wanaku?

Accepted Answer

Wanaku is an MCP (Model Context Protocol) Router that acts as a centralized hub for managing and governing how AI agents access tools and resources. It doesn't host tools or resources directly but instead routes requests to specialized capability services, providing unified access, security, and resource management for AI-enabled applications.

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