--- name: manage-freeze-windows description: >- Manage Harness deployment freeze windows via MCP. Create, list, get, update, and delete project-level freeze windows; toggle them Enabled/Disabled; and get or enable/disable the project-level global freeze. Use when asked about freeze windows, deployment freezes, change freezes, release blackouts, maintenance windows, holiday freezes, or to pause deployments. Trigger phrases: freeze window, deployment freeze, change freeze, release blackout, maintenance window, holiday freeze, pause deployments, block pipeline execution, global freeze. metadata: author: Harness version: 1.0.0 mcp-server: harness-mcp-v2 license: Apache-2.0 compatibility: Requires Harness MCP server (harness-mcp-v2) --- # Manage Freeze Windows Create and toggle Harness deployment freeze windows via MCP. A freeze window blocks pipeline executions within a time window so you can enforce change freezes for releases, holidays, or maintenance. ## MCP Tools Used | Tool | Resource Type | Purpose | |------|---------------|---------| | `harness_list` | `freeze_window` | List project freeze windows, filter by status / time / keyword | | `harness_get` | `freeze_window` | Get a single freeze window by identifier | | `harness_create` | `freeze_window` | Create a freeze window from YAML | | `harness_update` | `freeze_window` | Replace an existing freeze window's YAML definition | | `harness_delete` | `freeze_window` | Delete a freeze window | | `harness_execute` (action: `toggle_status`) | `freeze_window` | Enable / disable one or more freeze windows in bulk | | `harness_get` | `global_freeze` | Get the current project-level global freeze state | | `harness_execute` (action: `manage`) | `global_freeze` | Enable or disable the project global freeze from YAML | | `harness_schema` | `freeze_window` | Exact JSON Schema for the `create` / `update` body | Both resources are **project-scoped** — every call needs `org_id` and `project_id`. ## Freeze Window YAML Create/update bodies take a **raw freeze YAML string** passed as `body: { yaml: "" }`. The MCP server forwards it to the Harness API with `Content-Type: application/yaml`. ```yaml freeze: name: Q4 Release Freeze identifier: q4_release_freeze entityConfigs: - name: All Services entities: - type: Service filterType: All - type: Environment filterType: All - type: EnvType filterType: All - type: Org filterType: All - type: Project filterType: All status: Enabled # Enabled | Disabled description: "Change freeze for Q4 GA release" windows: - timeZone: America/Los_Angeles startTime: 2026-12-20 00:00 AM duration: 14d # e.g. 2h, 3d, 14d, 4w recurrence: type: Yearly # Daily | Weekly | Monthly | Yearly (optional) notificationRules: [] ``` Use `harness_schema(resource_type="freeze_window")` if you want the authoritative field list. Key rules: - `identifier` matches `^[a-zA-Z_][0-9a-zA-Z_]{0,127}$`. - `entityConfigs` is required and must match at least one deployment scope. - `windows[].duration` accepts `h`, `d`, `w` suffixes (no seconds). - `windows[].startTime` format: `YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm AM|PM` in the given `timeZone`. ## Instructions ### Step 1: List existing freeze windows ``` Call MCP tool: harness_list Parameters: resource_type: "freeze_window" org_id: "" project_id: "" freeze_status: "Enabled" # optional: Enabled | Disabled search_term: "release" # optional: keyword filter start_time: 1735689600000 # optional: epoch ms lower bound end_time: 1738368000000 # optional: epoch ms upper bound ``` ### Step 2: Get a freeze window by identifier ``` Call MCP tool: harness_get Parameters: resource_type: "freeze_window" resource_id: "" org_id: "" project_id: "" ``` ### Step 3: Create a freeze window ``` Call MCP tool: harness_create Parameters: resource_type: "freeze_window" org_id: "" project_id: "" body: yaml: | freeze: name: Holiday Freeze identifier: holiday_freeze entityConfigs: - name: All Services entities: - type: Service filterType: All - type: Environment filterType: All - type: EnvType filterType: All status: Enabled windows: - timeZone: America/Los_Angeles startTime: 2026-12-22 06:00 PM duration: 10d ``` ### Step 4: Update a freeze window `harness_update` performs a **full replace** of the YAML — include every field you want to keep. ``` Call MCP tool: harness_update Parameters: resource_type: "freeze_window" resource_id: "" org_id: "" project_id: "" body: yaml: "" ``` ### Step 5: Toggle status for one or many freeze windows ``` Call MCP tool: harness_execute Parameters: resource_type: "freeze_window" action: "toggle_status" org_id: "" project_id: "" status: "Enabled" # Enabled | Disabled body: freeze_ids: ["holiday_freeze", "q4_release_freeze"] ``` Pass an array of identifiers — toggle works in bulk. Use this instead of editing the YAML when you just need to flip enabled/disabled. ### Step 6: Delete a freeze window ``` Call MCP tool: harness_delete Parameters: resource_type: "freeze_window" resource_id: "" org_id: "" project_id: "" ``` ### Step 7: Read the project global freeze ``` Call MCP tool: harness_get Parameters: resource_type: "global_freeze" org_id: "" project_id: "" ``` Returns `{ status: "Enabled" | "Disabled", ... }`. The global freeze is a **singleton** — there is exactly one per project scope, no `resource_id` needed. ### Step 8: Enable or disable the global freeze ``` Call MCP tool: harness_execute Parameters: resource_type: "global_freeze" action: "manage" org_id: "" project_id: "" body: yaml: | freeze: name: Project Global Freeze identifier: _global_ status: Enabled # Enabled | Disabled entityConfigs: - name: All entities: - type: Service filterType: All - type: Environment filterType: All - type: EnvType filterType: All windows: - timeZone: UTC startTime: 2026-12-22 00:00 AM duration: 14d ``` The global freeze takes effect immediately when `status: Enabled` — pipelines at the project scope will start being blocked. ## Examples ### Create a two-week holiday freeze ``` /manage-freeze-windows Create a holiday freeze window called "Winter 2026 Shutdown" in org default, project payments, covering all services and environments, from 2026-12-22 6pm PT for 14 days. ``` ### Check what's currently blocking deployments ``` /manage-freeze-windows List every Enabled freeze window in project "payments" and also show me whether the project global freeze is on. ``` ### Bulk-disable all freezes for a hotfix ``` /manage-freeze-windows Disable all Enabled freeze windows in project "payments" temporarily so I can ship a hotfix. ``` ### Turn on the project global freeze ``` /manage-freeze-windows Enable the global freeze for project "payments" right now with a 4-hour duration in UTC — we're running incident response. ``` ### Audit scheduled freezes for a release ``` /manage-freeze-windows Show me every freeze window in project "release-ops" whose start_time is in the next 30 days. ``` ## Performance Notes - **Use `harness_schema(resource_type="freeze_window")`** to get the authoritative body schema before drafting new YAML — field names are case-sensitive and several fields (`entityConfigs`, `windows`, `notificationRules`) are required. - **Prefer `toggle_status` over `update`** when you only want to flip enabled/disabled — it avoids re-sending the full YAML and works in bulk. - **Freeze windows are project-scoped** — a window in project A does not affect project B. To freeze the whole org, create a freeze window in every project (or use `global_freeze` per project). - **`global_freeze` is a singleton per project** — there is no list/create/delete. `harness_get` reads it, `harness_execute(action="manage")` flips it on or off via YAML. - **Time zones matter** — `timeZone` is an IANA name (e.g. `America/Los_Angeles`, `Europe/Berlin`), not an offset. The server interprets `startTime` in that zone. - **Overlapping windows compound** — Harness evaluates every Enabled freeze window; if any match, the deployment is blocked. Disable rather than delete if you may re-enable later. ## Troubleshooting ### `body must include yaml (freeze YAML string with 'freeze:' root)` You passed the body as a plain YAML string or JSON object — the `bodyBuilder` expects the outer shape `body: { yaml: "" }`. Wrap your YAML string in a `yaml` key. ### `INVALID_REQUEST` on create - Check that `entityConfigs` is present and non-empty. `entityConfigs[].entities` must include at least `Service` and `Environment` (or `EnvType`) filters. - Verify `identifier` matches `^[a-zA-Z_][0-9a-zA-Z_]{0,127}$` — hyphens and dots are not allowed in identifiers. - `duration` values use suffixes (`2h`, `3d`, `14d`, `4w`) — raw numbers without a suffix are rejected. ### `DUPLICATE_IDENTIFIER` A freeze window with that identifier already exists at the same project scope. Either `harness_update` the existing one or pick a new identifier. ### Toggle fails with "body must include freeze_ids" `toggle_status` expects `body.freeze_ids` as an array of strings, even for a single window. Pass `body: { freeze_ids: ["my_freeze"] }`, not `body: "my_freeze"` or `resource_id: "my_freeze"`. ### Deployments still run during an Enabled freeze - Confirm the freeze `status` is `Enabled` and not `Disabled` — `harness_get` will show the current status. - Check the `windows[].startTime` and `duration` — if the current time is outside the window, the freeze is scheduled but not active. - Verify `entityConfigs` actually cover the service/environment you're deploying to — a freeze with `Service: filterType: NotEquals / entityRefs: [payments]` will not block `payments`. - Global project freeze and named freeze windows are independent — either one being `Disabled` is enough to let a deployment through if that's the only one matching. ### Can't delete a freeze window Active (currently firing) freeze windows cannot be deleted in some account tiers — `Disabled` them first via `toggle_status` then `harness_delete`.