Merge pull request #358 from koic/ping_server_to_client

Support server-to-client `ping` per MCP specification

Author: koic

README.md

@@ -1253,6 +1253,25 @@ A `ping` request has no parameters, and the receiver MUST respond promptly with
 Servers respond to incoming `ping` requests automatically - no setup is required.
 Any `MCP::Server` instance replies with an empty result.
 
+Servers can also send `ping` requests to the client via `ServerSession#ping`.
+Inside a tool handler that receives `server_context:`, call `ping` on it:
+
+```ruby
+class HealthCheckTool < MCP::Tool
+  description "Verifies the client is still responsive"
+
+  def self.call(server_context:)
+    server_context.ping # => {} on success
+
+    MCP::Tool::Response.new([{ type: "text", text: "client is alive" }])
+  end
+end
+```
+
+`#ping` raises `MCP::Server::ValidationError` when the client returns a `result`
+that is not a Hash. Transport-level errors (e.g., the client returning a JSON-RPC error)
+propagate as exceptions raised by the transport layer.
+
 #### Client-Side
 
 `MCP::Client` exposes `ping` to send a ping to the server:

lib/mcp/server.rb

@@ -67,6 +67,11 @@ def initialize(method_name)
       end
     end
 
+    # Raised when a client response fails server-side validation, e.g., a success response
+    # whose `result` field is missing or has the wrong type. This is distinct from a
+    # client-returned JSON-RPC error.
+    class ValidationError < StandardError; end
+
     include Instrumentation
     include Pagination
 

lib/mcp/server_context.rb

@@ -59,6 +59,28 @@ def list_roots
       end
     end
 
+    # Sends a `ping` request to the originating client to verify it is still responsive.
+    # Per the MCP spec, the client MUST respond promptly with an empty result.
+    #
+    # @return [Hash] An empty hash on success.
+    # @raise [Server::ValidationError] If the response `result` is not a Hash.
+    # @raise [NoMethodError] If the session does not support sending pings.
+    #
+    # @example
+    #   def self.call(server_context:)
+    #     server_context.ping # => {}
+    #     # ...
+    #   end
+    #
+    # @see https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-11-25/basic/utilities/ping
+    def ping
+      if @notification_target.respond_to?(:ping)
+        @notification_target.ping(related_request_id: @related_request_id)
+      else
+        raise NoMethodError, "undefined method 'ping' for #{self}"
+      end
+    end
+
     # Delegates to the session so the request is scoped to the originating client.
     # Falls back to `@context` (via `method_missing`) when `@notification_target`
     # does not support sampling.

lib/mcp/server_session.rb

@@ -106,6 +106,14 @@ def list_roots(related_request_id: nil)
       send_to_transport_request(Methods::ROOTS_LIST, nil, related_request_id: related_request_id)
     end
 
+    # Sends a `ping` request scoped to this session.
+    def ping(related_request_id: nil)
+      result = send_to_transport_request(Methods::PING, nil, related_request_id: related_request_id)
+      raise Server::ValidationError, "Response validation failed: invalid `result`" unless result.is_a?(Hash)
+
+      result
+    end
+
     # Sends a `sampling/createMessage` request scoped to this session.
     def create_sampling_message(related_request_id: nil, **kwargs)
       params = @server.build_sampling_params(client_capabilities, **kwargs)

test/mcp/server_context_test.rb

@@ -67,6 +67,30 @@ class ServerContextTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       assert_raises(NoMethodError) { server_context.list_roots }
     end
 
+    test "ServerContext#ping delegates to notification_target" do
+      notification_target = mock
+      notification_target.expects(:ping).with(related_request_id: nil).returns({})
+
+      context = mock
+      progress = Progress.new(notification_target: notification_target, progress_token: nil)
+
+      server_context = ServerContext.new(context, progress: progress, notification_target: notification_target)
+
+      result = server_context.ping
+
+      assert_equal({}, result)
+    end
+
+    test "ServerContext#ping raises NoMethodError when notification_target does not respond" do
+      notification_target = mock
+      context = mock
+      progress = Progress.new(notification_target: notification_target, progress_token: nil)
+
+      server_context = ServerContext.new(context, progress: progress, notification_target: notification_target)
+
+      assert_raises(NoMethodError) { server_context.ping }
+    end
+
     test "ServerContext#create_sampling_message delegates to notification_target over context" do
       notification_target = mock
       notification_target.expects(:create_sampling_message).with(

test/mcp/server_session_ping_test.rb

@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require "test_helper"
+
+module MCP
+  class ServerSessionPingTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
+    class MockTransport < Transport
+      attr_reader :requests
+      attr_accessor :response, :error_to_raise
+
+      def initialize(server)
+        super
+        @requests = []
+        @response = {}
+        @error_to_raise = nil
+      end
+
+      # Matches real transports: returns the `result` body directly (not the full envelope).
+      def send_request(method, params = nil, session_id: nil, related_request_id: nil)
+        @requests << { method: method, params: params, session_id: session_id, related_request_id: related_request_id }
+        raise @error_to_raise if @error_to_raise
+
+        @response
+      end
+
+      def send_response(response); end
+      def send_notification(method, params = nil); end
+      def open; end
+      def close; end
+      def handle_request(request); end
+    end
+
+    setup do
+      @server = Server.new(name: "test_server", version: "1.0.0")
+      @mock_transport = MockTransport.new(@server)
+      @server.transport = @mock_transport
+    end
+
+    test "#ping sends request through transport and returns the result hash" do
+      session = ServerSession.new(server: @server, transport: @mock_transport)
+
+      result = session.ping
+
+      assert_equal({}, result)
+      assert_equal(1, @mock_transport.requests.size)
+
+      request = @mock_transport.requests.first
+      assert_equal(Methods::PING, request[:method])
+      assert_nil(request[:params])
+    end
+
+    test "#ping passes related_request_id through when session_id is set" do
+      session = ServerSession.new(server: @server, transport: @mock_transport, session_id: "session-1")
+
+      session.ping(related_request_id: "req-abc")
+
+      request = @mock_transport.requests.first
+      assert_equal("session-1", request[:session_id])
+      assert_equal("req-abc", request[:related_request_id])
+    end
+
+    test "#ping raises ValidationError when result is nil" do
+      @mock_transport.response = nil
+      session = ServerSession.new(server: @server, transport: @mock_transport)
+
+      error = assert_raises(Server::ValidationError) { session.ping }
+      assert_equal("Response validation failed: invalid `result`", error.message)
+    end
+
+    test "#ping raises ValidationError when result is the wrong type" do
+      @mock_transport.response = "ok"
+      session = ServerSession.new(server: @server, transport: @mock_transport)
+
+      error = assert_raises(Server::ValidationError) { session.ping }
+      assert_equal("Response validation failed: invalid `result`", error.message)
+    end
+
+    test "#ping propagates transport-level errors" do
+      @mock_transport.error_to_raise = StandardError.new("read timeout")
+      session = ServerSession.new(server: @server, transport: @mock_transport)
+
+      error = assert_raises(StandardError) { session.ping }
+      assert_equal("read timeout", error.message)
+    end
+
+    test "#ping succeeds without a client capability declaration" do
+      session = ServerSession.new(server: @server, transport: @mock_transport)
+      assert_nil(session.client_capabilities)
+
+      assert_equal({}, session.ping)
+    end
+  end
+end