Containerize MCP Server

Optimize Docker build times using layer caching, multi-stage builds, BuildKit features, and dependency-first copy patterns. Applicable to R, Node.js, and Python projects. Use when Docker builds are slow due to repeated package installations, when rebuilds reinstall all dependencies on every code change, when image sizes are unnecessarily large, or when CI/CD pipeline builds are a bottleneck.

Build a custom MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that exposes domain-specific tools to AI assistants. Covers server implementation in Node.js or R, tool definitions, transport configuration, and testing with Claude Code. Use when you need to expose custom functionality beyond what mcptools provides, when building specialized domain-specific AI integrations, or when wrapping existing APIs or services as MCP tools.

Create multi-stage Dockerfiles that separate build and runtime environments for minimal production images. Covers builder/runtime stage separation, artifact copying, scratch/distroless/alpine targets, and size comparison. Use when production images are too large, when build tools are included in the final image, when you need separate dev and prod images from one Dockerfile, or when deploying to constrained environments like edge or serverless.

Create general-purpose Dockerfiles for Node.js, Python, Go, Rust, and Java projects. Covers base image selection, dependency installation, user permissions, COPY patterns, ENTRYPOINT vs CMD, and .dockerignore. Use when containerizing an application for the first time, creating a consistent build/runtime environment, preparing an app for cloud deployment or Docker Compose, or when no existing Dockerfile is present in the project.

Docker and container development agent skill and plugin for Dockerfile optimization, docker-compose orchestration, multi-stage builds, and container security hardening. Use when: user wants to optimize a Dockerfile, create or improve docker-compose configurations, implement multi-stage builds, audit container security, reduce image size, or follow container best practices. Covers build performance, layer caching, secret management, and production-ready container patterns.

Execute Azure deployments for ALREADY-PREPARED applications that have existing .azure/deployment-plan.md and infrastructure files. DO NOT use this skill when the user asks to CREATE a new application — use azure-prepare instead. This skill runs azd up, azd deploy, terraform apply, and az deployment commands with built-in error recovery. Requires .azure/deployment-plan.md from azure-prepare and validated status from azure-validate. WHEN: "run azd up", "run azd deploy", "execute deployment", "push to production", "push to cloud", "go live", "ship it", "bicep deploy", "terraform apply", "publish to Azure", "launch on Azure". DO NOT USE WHEN: "create and deploy", "build and deploy", "create a new app", "set up infrastructure", "create and deploy to Azure using Terraform" — use azure-prepare for these.