{"id":"istio-tcp-echo-server","name":"tcp-echo-server","homepage":"https://hub.docker.com/r/istio/tcp-echo-server","repo_url":"https://hub.docker.com/r/istio/tcp-echo-server","category":"devtools","subcategories":[],"tags":["tcp","networking","echo-server","testing","devtools","integration"],"what_it_does":"A simple TCP echo server: it listens for TCP connections and echoes back received data to the client. Typically used for testing network connectivity, framing, and client/server behavior.","use_cases":["Local network testing of TCP connectivity","Testing application-level protocols over TCP (echo as a stand-in)","Learning/demo of TCP server behavior and client handling","Debugging load balancers, proxies, or firewall rules for TCP traffic","Integration tests that need a deterministic TCP endpoint"],"not_for":["Production-grade services requiring authentication, authorization, encryption, or robust protocol semantics","Handling sensitive data without transport security and access controls","High-level API integrations that require REST/GraphQL/SDK support"],"best_when":"You need a lightweight, deterministic TCP endpoint for development, CI tests, or debugging network paths.","avoid_when":"You need secure, authenticated communication or production reliability guarantees beyond basic echo behavior.","alternatives":["netcat (nc) with shell scripting","socat (TCP relay/echo variants)","nginx stream module with echo/test backends","Elasticsearch/HTTP-based test endpoints are alternatives only if HTTP is acceptable (not TCP echo).","Language-specific TCP echo examples (e.g., Go/Python Node TCP echo servers)"],"af_score":31.5,"security_score":18.0,"reliability_score":20.0,"package_type":"mcp_server","discovery_source":["docker_mcp"],"priority":"low","status":"evaluated","version_evaluated":null,"last_evaluated":"2026-04-04T19:39:02.390170+00:00","interface":{"has_rest_api":false,"has_graphql":false,"has_grpc":false,"has_mcp_server":false,"mcp_server_url":null,"has_sdk":false,"sdk_languages":[],"openapi_spec_url":null,"webhooks":false},"auth":{"methods":[],"oauth":false,"scopes":false,"notes":"No authentication/authorization mechanisms are typically present for a minimal TCP echo server; access control would be external (network rules, firewall, container isolation)."},"pricing":{"model":null,"free_tier_exists":false,"free_tier_limits":null,"paid_tiers":[],"requires_credit_card":false,"estimated_workload_costs":null,"notes":"No pricing model applicable for a self-hosted open-source utility; costs are infrastructure only."},"requirements":{"requires_signup":false,"requires_credit_card":false,"domain_verification":false,"data_residency":[],"compliance":[],"min_contract":null},"agent_readiness":{"af_score":31.5,"security_score":18.0,"reliability_score":20.0,"mcp_server_quality":0.0,"documentation_accuracy":25.0,"error_message_quality":0.0,"error_message_notes":null,"auth_complexity":100.0,"rate_limit_clarity":0.0,"tls_enforcement":0.0,"auth_strength":0.0,"scope_granularity":0.0,"dependency_hygiene":40.0,"secret_handling":60.0,"security_notes":"Minimal TCP echo servers typically expose no TLS and no authentication. Treat as insecure by default; place behind a firewall/VPC boundary and use TLS termination at a proxy if needed. Security posture depends on the repo’s implementation and dependency CVE status, which is not observable from the provided prompt.","uptime_documented":0.0,"version_stability":30.0,"breaking_changes_history":30.0,"error_recovery":20.0,"idempotency_support":"false","idempotency_notes":"Echo operations are inherently stateful per connection/message; idempotency is not meaningfully defined (it mirrors what is sent).","pagination_style":"none","retry_guidance_documented":false,"known_agent_gotchas":["TCP echo is connection/session oriented—agents must manage socket lifecycles correctly (connect, send, read, close).","Message boundaries are not preserved by TCP; agents should handle streaming/partial reads.","Without timeouts, an agent may block on reads if the server/client expectations mismatch.","No built-in authentication/rate limiting; tests must be isolated to avoid unintended exposure."]}}