OP
Database

OpenLink Generic ODBC Connectors MCP Server

Connect generic DBMS through ODBC drivers using the MCP server to enable seamless access, integration, and management of diverse databases.

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Quick Install
npx -y @OpenLinkSoftware/mcp-odbc-server

Overview

The OpenLink Generic ODBC Connectors MCP Server is a bridge that exposes relational database access (and other ODBC-supported sources) to MCP-capable clients and services. It leverages platform ODBC drivers and a lightweight server process to turn DSNs into programmatic endpoints that can be queried, inspected, and managed via standard web or application workflows.

This server is useful when you need to unify access to diverse DBMS engines through their ODBC drivers without embedding driver-specific logic into every client. It enables rapid integration for analytics, microservices, and tooling by translating between ODBC connections and a simple, consistent request/response model suitable for automation, REST front-ends, or model-context workflows.

Features

  • Bridge generic ODBC drivers to MCP-compatible clients
  • Use existing DSNs (odbc.ini / odbcinst.ini) for driver configuration
  • Execute SQL queries and return results in JSON/CSV-friendly formats
  • Schema and metadata inspection (catalog, tables, columns)
  • Connection pooling and basic concurrency handling
  • Logging and configurable request timeouts
  • Simple configuration file (YAML/JSON) and command-line overrides
  • Optional TLS and authentication integration points (configurable)

Installation / Configuration

Prerequisites:

  • ODBC driver manager (unixODBC or iODBC)
  • ODBC driver(s) for your target DBMS (vendor or third-party)
  • Build toolchain if compiling from source (see repo for details)

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/OpenLinkSoftware/mcp-odbc-server.git
cd mcp-odbc-server

Build or run (example, replace with repo-specific build steps):

# If a Makefile or build script is provided
make

# Or run an included binary (if supplied)
./mcp-odbc-server --config ./config.yaml

Example odbc.ini (DSN) configuration:

[MyPostgresDSN]
Driver = /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/odbc/libpsqlodbc.so
Servername = db.example.local
Port = 5432
Database = analytics
Username = dbuser
Password = secret

Example server config (config.yaml):

server:
  host: 0.0.0.0
  port: 8080
  tls: false

odbc:
  default_dsn: MyPostgresDSN
  max_connections: 10
  connect_timeout: 15

logging:
  level: info
  file: /var/log/mcp-odbc-server.log

Systemd unit example:

[Unit]
Description=MCP ODBC Server
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/mcp-odbc-server --config /etc/mcp-odbc/config.yaml
Restart=on-failure
User=mcp

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Testing an example query (illustrative HTTP request):

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/query \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"dsn":"MyPostgresDSN","sql":"SELECT id, name FROM customers LIMIT 10"}'

The server typically returns a structured JSON payload with rows and schema information.

Available Resources

  • GitHub repository: https://github.com/OpenLinkSoftware/mcp-odbc-server
  • ODBC driver managers:
    • unixODBC: http://www.unixodbc.org/
    • iODBC: http://www.iodbc.org/
  • Vendor ODBC drivers: consult your DBMS vendor (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MSSQL, Oracle, etc.)
  • MCP specification / client libraries: refer to the MCP ecosystem docs for client integration patterns

Configuration options summary:

SectionKeyPurpose
serverhost, port, tlsBind address, port and TLS enablement
odbcdefault_dsn, max_connectionsWhich DSN to use and connection pool sizing
logginglevel, fileLog verbosity and destination
securityauth_mode, tokensHooks for authentication (optional)

Use Cases

  • Expose legacy or vendor-specific databases to modern tooling: Run an MCP server in front of an older DB to present a consistent JSON query interface for analytics dashboards or ETL jobs.
  • Rapid prototyping of REST endpoints: Build microservices that forward SELECT statements through the MCP server instead of embedding ODBC logic in each service.
  • Federated access and mediation: Use multiple MCP servers or DSNs to aggregate results across heterogeneous systems for reporting or data virtualization.
  • Integration with automation and AI workflows: Provide standardized data access for model inputs, training datasets, or metadata harvesting using the server’s JSON responses.
  • Secure centralization of credentials: Keep DSN and driver configuration on the server host; clients call the MCP endpoint without needing driver credentials or binaries.

Notes and Best Practices

  • Always configure ODBC DSNs securely; avoid placing credentials in world-readable files.
  • Tune max_connections in the server config to match driver and DBMS capacity.
  • Use TLS and authentication when exposing the server across networks.
  • Test performance with realistic query patterns — ODBC drivers vary in behavior and feature support.
  • Consult the repository README and issues for implementation-specific run/build instructions and updates.
Tags:database