What This Category of Data Looks Like
Shipping port yield rate-related data primarily comes from real-time interfaces of port operation management systems, public datasets from national water transport regulatory authorities, and port fee announcements from international shipping industry bodies. There are two update schedules: real-time operation data is synchronized every 10 minutes, and daily operating yield data is compiled and released before 06:00 daily for the previous day. The data uses structured JSON format with three tiers: basic port information (including UN/LOCODE standard port codes, port names), current day operating indicators (berth occupancy duration, total berth hours, number of same-day berthing vessels), and yield calculation fields (container operation yield per TEU, storage fee execution rate). Field units are fixed as hours, TEU, and yuan per TEU, with no dynamically adjusted proportional fields.
Constraints on Tool Calling and Plugins
The multi-source nature of the data requires plugins to support at least 2 alternative data sources, to prevent service interruptions caused by a single interface outage. The differentiated update schedules for real-time and daily data require the tool calling workflow to distinguish caching strategies: the cache duration for real-time operation data must match its update frequency, while daily data can use a fixed daily cache. The standardized port code parameter requires plugins to pass UN/LOCODE format codes as query conditions; precise matching cannot be achieved using Chinese names. The fixed field units require plugins to carry clear unit identifiers when returning results, to avoid errors in downstream broadcasting or calculation. Additionally, the timeliness of port data requires the tool request timeout to cover normal network fluctuation scenarios, and should not be set too short.
Configuration Recommendations
| Configuration Item | Recommended Value | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
tool_cache_ttl | Set real-time interfaces to 600 seconds, daily report interfaces to 86400 seconds | Real-time data updates every 10 minutes, so cache should not exceed 10 minutes; daily data updates once per day, so cache can be retained for 24 hours |
tool_request_timeout | 10 seconds | Port data source interfaces typically respond in 3-7 seconds; setting 10 seconds covers normal network fluctuations |
fallback_tool_endpoints | Configure 2-3 public water transport data source addresses | A single data source carries outage risk; configuring multiple backups ensures service stability |
required_query_params | ["port_code"] | Port data requires UN/LOCODE standard codes for precise matching, avoiding errors from fuzzy queries |
response_field_mapping | Map English fields to business-appropriate names, for example {"daily_yield": "Daily Container Yield per TEU"} | Convert technical fields returned by interfaces into business-readable content, adapted for broadcasting scenarios |
max_retries | 2 times | Failures caused by network fluctuations can be recovered with 1 retry; excessive retries will increase broadcasting delay |
The parameter values provided on this page are common starting points for configuration. Actual values are affected by material form, data volume and business rules. Specific issues require case-by-case analysis, and it is recommended to test on your own samples before finalizing settings.
Three Common Misconfigurations
- Issue: Tool calls return empty results or missing fields. Cause: The
port_codeparameter inrequired_query_paramsis not configured, or the passed port name does not use UN/LOCODE codes, so the data source cannot match the corresponding data. - Issue: Tool requests time out, returning status code
504 Gateway Timeout. Cause:tool_request_timeoutis set to a value less than 5 seconds, which does not cover the normal response duration of port data sources, or no alternative data sources are configured, so the service cannot switch after a single interface outage. - Issue: The locally deployed MCP server cannot connect to the data source. Cause:
mcpserverproxyendpointis incorrectly filled with an external public network address, instead of using thelocalhost:portformat pointing to the local service, or the port number does not match the listening port of the local service.
How to Verify Proper Configuration
- Call the tool interface, pass a valid UN/LOCODE port code, and check if the returned results include the configured mapped fields, and if the field units match business requirements.
- Simulate network fluctuations by disconnecting the primary data source interface, and check if the tool automatically switches to the alternative data source and returns valid results.
- View the tool cache logs, confirm that the cache expiration time of the real-time indicator interface matches the configured
tool_cache_ttlvalue, and that the daily data cache refreshes automatically daily. - Test the MCP server proxy configuration, use a local command line tool to access the proxy address, and confirm that requests can be properly forwarded to the local data source service.
Question material comes from public community discussions. Configuration values are common starting points and should be measured against your own samples. Verified on 2026-09-14.