---
title: "MCP Tools Reference"
slug: "aia-mcp-tools"
description: "Reference information about available tools for Kentik's AI Advisor MCP Server, useful for custom integrations."
updated: 2026-04-06T15:33:05Z
published: 2026-04-06T15:33:05Z
canonical: "kb.kentik.com/aia-mcp-tools"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://kb.kentik.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# MCP Tools Reference

Kentik’s [**AI Advisor MCP Server**](/v1/docs/ai-advisor-mcp-server) exposes three tools for interacting with [**AI Advisor**](/v1/docs/ai-advisor):

- [**ask_question**](/v1/docs/aia-mcp-tools#askquestion)
- [**ask_followup**](/v1/docs/aia-mcp-tools#askfollowup)
- [**get_session_history**](/v1/docs/aia-mcp-tools#getsessionhistory)

> [!NOTE]
> **Note**: This reference and the [**MCP Payload Reference**](/v1/docs/aia-mcp-payload) are specifically for developers building custom AI agents or integrations with the Kentik MCP Server. Standard MCP clients like Claude Desktop handle these tools automatically in the background.

## **Rate Limits**

Because the MCP server uses the [**AI Advisor REST API**](/v1/docs/ai-advisor-api), standard [**rate limits**](/v1/docs/ai-advisor-api#rate-limiting) apply. The MCP server automatically handles periodic polling to respect these limits.

> [!WARNING]
> **IMPORTANT:** Use the `ask_followup` tool instead of creating new sessions via `ask_question` whenever possible to minimize API calls and maintain context.

## **ask_question**

Submit a new question to AI Advisor and create a new conversation session.

**Parameters**:

- `prompt` (string, required): Your question about the network

**Example**:

```json
{
  "prompt": "Show me all devices that are currently down"
}
```

**Returns**:

- AI-generated answer in Markdown format
- Session ID for follow-up questions
- Real-time progress updates during processing

**Typical Processing Time**: 5-30 seconds

## **ask_followup**

Ask a follow-up question in an existing conversation, maintaining context.

**Parameters**:

- `session_id` (string, required): UUID of the existing chat session.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note**: This value is dynamic and must be retrieved from the previous response.
- `prompt` (string, required): Your follow-up question.

**Example**:

```json
{
  "session_id": "019ab80d-f7a1-739b-99e0-803f501fdea9",
  "prompt": "What about their interface utilization?"
}
```

**Returns**:

- AI-generated answer with conversation context
- Updated session information

**Note**: The `session_id` is provided in the response from `ask_question`. Save it to continue the conversation.

## **get_session_history**

Retrieve the complete conversation history for a session.

**Parameters**:

- `session_id` (string, required): UUID of the chat session

**Example**:

```json
{
  "session_id": "019ab80d-f7a1-739b-99e0-803f501fdea9"
}
```

**Returns**: Formatted conversation history with all questions and answers.