MySQL

What is MySQL MCP Server?

MySQL MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) implementation designed to facilitate secure and structured interaction between AI applications (hosts/clients) and MySQL databases. It acts as a server component that enables AI applications to explore and analyze MySQL databases safely through a controlled interface. It is not intended to be a standalone server but rather a communication protocol implementation.

How to use MySQL MCP Server?

Manual Installation:

pip install mysql-mcp-server

Installing via Smithery (for Claude Desktop):

npx -y @smithery/cli install mysql-mcp-server --client claude

Configuration:

Set the following environment variables:

MYSQL_HOST=localhost
MYSQL_PORT=3306
MYSQL_USER=your_username
MYSQL_PASSWORD=your_password
MYSQL_DATABASE=your_database

Usage with Claude Desktop:

Add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mysql": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "path/to/mysql_mcp_server",
        "run",
        "mysql_mcp_server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "MYSQL_HOST": "localhost",
        "MYSQL_PORT": "3306",
        "MYSQL_USER": "your_username",
        "MYSQL_PASSWORD": "your_password",
        "MYSQL_DATABASE": "your_database"
      }
    }
  }
}

Usage with Visual Studio Code:

Add the following to your mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
      "mysql": {
            "type": "stdio",
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": [
                "--from",
                "mysql-mcp-server",
                "mysql_mcp_server"
            ],
      "env": {
        "MYSQL_HOST": "localhost",
        "MYSQL_PORT": "3306",
        "MYSQL_USER": "your_username",
        "MYSQL_PASSWORD": "your_password",
        "MYSQL_DATABASE": "your_database"
      }
    }
  }
}

Key Features of MySQL MCP Server

• Resource Listing: Lists available MySQL tables as resources.
• Table Content Reading: Allows reading the contents of tables.
• SQL Query Execution: Executes SQL queries with robust error handling.
• Secure Database Access: Ensures secure database access through environment variables.
• Comprehensive Logging: Provides extensive logging for monitoring and auditing.

Use Cases of MySQL MCP Server

• AI Application Integration: Enables AI applications to securely interact with MySQL databases.
• Database Exploration for AI: Facilitates safer and more structured database exploration by AI models.
• Data Analysis by AI: Allows AI applications to perform data analysis on MySQL databases through a controlled interface.

FAQ about MySQL MCP Server

Q: Is MySQL MCP Server designed to be used as a standalone server?

A: No, MySQL MCP Server is not designed to be used as a standalone server. It functions as a communication protocol implementation between AI applications and MySQL databases.

Q: How can I debug MySQL MCP Server?

A: While not intended to be run standalone, you can debug MySQL MCP Server using the MCP Inspector. Install dependencies (pip install -r requirements.txt) and then use the MCP Inspector for debugging.

Q: What are the key security considerations when using MySQL MCP Server?

A: Key security considerations include never committing environment variables or credentials, using a database user with minimal required permissions, considering query whitelisting for production use, and monitoring/logging all database operations. It is crucial to follow the principle of least privilege and refer to the MySQL Security Configuration Guide for detailed best practices.

MySQL MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) implementation that enables secure interaction with MySQL databases. This server component facilitates communication between AI applications (hosts/clients) and MySQL databases, making database exploration and analysis safer and more structured through a controlled interface.

Note: MySQL MCP Server is not designed to be used as a standalone server, but rather as a communication protocol implementation between AI applications and MySQL databases.

Features

• List available MySQL tables as resources
• Read table contents
• Execute SQL queries with proper error handling
• Secure database access through environment variables
• Comprehensive logging

Installation

Manual Installation

pip install mysql-mcp-server

Installing via Smithery

To install MySQL MCP Server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install mysql-mcp-server --client claude

Configuration

Set the following environment variables:

MYSQL_HOST=localhost     # Database host
MYSQL_PORT=3306         # Optional: Database port (defaults to 3306 if not specified)
MYSQL_USER=your_username
MYSQL_PASSWORD=your_password
MYSQL_DATABASE=your_database

Usage

With Claude Desktop

Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mysql": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "path/to/mysql_mcp_server",
        "run",
        "mysql_mcp_server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "MYSQL_HOST": "localhost",
        "MYSQL_PORT": "3306",
        "MYSQL_USER": "your_username",
        "MYSQL_PASSWORD": "your_password",
        "MYSQL_DATABASE": "your_database"
      }
    }
  }
}

With Visual Studio Code

Add this to your mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
      "mysql": {
            "type": "stdio",
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": [
                "--from",
                "mysql-mcp-server",
                "mysql_mcp_server"
            ],
      "env": {
        "MYSQL_HOST": "localhost",
        "MYSQL_PORT": "3306",
        "MYSQL_USER": "your_username",
        "MYSQL_PASSWORD": "your_password",
        "MYSQL_DATABASE": "your_database"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: Will need to install uv for this to work

Debugging with MCP Inspector

While MySQL MCP Server isn't intended to be run standalone or directly from the command line with Python, you can use the MCP Inspector to debug it.

The MCP Inspector provides a convenient way to test and debug your MCP implementation:

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt
# Use the MCP Inspector for debugging (do not run directly with Python)

The MySQL MCP Server is designed to be integrated with AI applications like Claude Desktop and should not be run directly as a standalone Python program.

Development

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/designcomputer/mysql_mcp_server.git
cd mysql_mcp_server
# Create virtual environment
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # or `venv\Scripts\activate` on Windows
# Install development dependencies
pip install -r requirements-dev.txt
# Run tests
pytest

Security Considerations

• Never commit environment variables or credentials
• Use a database user with minimal required permissions
• Consider implementing query whitelisting for production use
• Monitor and log all database operations

Security Best Practices

This MCP implementation requires database access to function. For security:

1. Create a dedicated MySQL user with minimal permissions
2. Never use root credentials or administrative accounts
3. Restrict database access to only necessary operations
4. Enable logging for audit purposes
5. Regular security reviews of database access

See MySQL Security Configuration Guide for detailed instructions on:

• Creating a restricted MySQL user
• Setting appropriate permissions
• Monitoring database access
• Security best practices

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Always follow the principle of least privilege when configuring database access.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request