stop_instance

SERVERMcp SOURCEhttps://compute.googleapis.com/mcp

High RISK CLASS

Category Execute

Parameters 33 required

Recommended Rate-limitedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/stop-instance.md

WHAT IT DOES

What stop_instance does on Mcp

AI agents invoke stop_instance to trigger actions in Mcp. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call: builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`name`	string	Yes	Required. Identifier. The instance name.
`zone`	string	Yes	Required. The zone of the instance.
`project`	string	Yes	Required. Project ID for this request.

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

RISK

Why stop_instance is rated High

Stopping a VM instance is an executable action that triggers an external operation on cloud infrastructure. While not immediately destructive (the instance can be restarted), it interrupts service availability and represents a material change to running infrastructure.

From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'Stops a Google Compute Engine virtual machine (VM) instance,' which is an operational action that triggers external infrastructure changes.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs stop_instance safely

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Mcp, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For stop_instance, this is the rule to start with:

stop_instance Rate-limited

stop_instance stays usable, but rate-capped: a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "stop_instance": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "stop_instance_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Mcp, apply this rule, and every stop_instance call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about stop_instance

What does the stop_instance tool do? +

Stops a Google Compute Engine virtual machine (VM) instance. Requires project, zone, and instance name as input. Proceed only if there is no error in response and the status of the operation is DONE without any errors. To get details of the operation, use the get_zone_operation tool. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Mcp MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

What parameters does stop_instance accept? +

stop_instance accepts 3 parameters: name, zone, project. Required: name, zone, project. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.

How do I enforce a policy on stop_instance? +

Register the MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for stop_instance: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Mcp. Nothing to install.

What risk level is stop_instance? +

stop_instance is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit stop_instance? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the stop_instance rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block stop_instance completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for stop_instance. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides stop_instance? +

stop_instance is provided by the MCP server (https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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