ingest · Atlas MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What ingest does on Atlas

AI agents use ingest to create or update resources in Atlas — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Atlas environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why ingest needs a policy

The tool name 'ingest' strongly implies data ingestion — uploading or importing FHIR clinical documents into the MCP server's database or index. This is a Write operation as it creates new records. Severity is high because ingesting incorrect or malicious clinical data could have significant downstream effects on patient care decisions.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'ingest' with empty description. In FHIR/clinical document context, 'ingest' typically means importing/loading clinical documents into the system.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

ingest Rate-limited

ingest stays usable, but capped — an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "ingest": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "ingest_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Atlas, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about ingest

What does the ingest tool do? +

ingest. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Atlas MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on ingest? +

Register the Atlas MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for ingest: 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 Atlas. Nothing to install.

What risk level is ingest? +

ingest is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit ingest? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the ingest 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 ingest completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for ingest. 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 ingest? +

ingest is provided by the Atlas MCP server (rsanandres/atlas_mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.