xml-documents -by-cdata

This MCP server exposes live data from XML Documents via the CData JDBC Driver as a read-only MCP interface. After configuring and running the server, clients can query the underlying XML data without writing SQL. The server presents a set of tools that let you discover what data is available and then read from it: get_tables to list available tables, get_columns to inspect table columns, and run_query to execute selective reads (SQL SELECT statements) against the data source. The server operates over stdio, so it should be on the same machine as clients like Claude Desktop or other MCP-enabled clients. To use, start the server with the appropriate .prp file and then issue JSON-RPC tool calls such as xml_documents_get_tables, xml_documents_get_columns, or xml_documents_run_query to retrieve data in CSV or structured responses.

Prerequisites:

• Java Runtime Environment (JRE) or JDK installed on the host
• Access to the CData JDBC Driver for XML Documents and a valid license
• A prepared JDBC connection string and corresponding .prp file for your environment

Installation steps:

1. Build the MCP server JAR (as described by the project):

   • git clone https://github.com/cdatasoftware/xml-documents-mcp-server-by-cdata.git
   • cd xml-documents-mcp-server-by-cdata
   • mvn clean install
   • This creates CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar

2. Install the CData JDBC Driver for XML Documents and license it per the driver docs:

   • Download the driver from the CData site and follow the license steps (install path depends on OS)
   • Run the license command as documented to enable the driver

3. Create your .prp file (e.g., xml-documents.prp) with the JDBC settings and connection details as shown in the README. This file is consumed by the MCP server to connect to your data source.

4. Run the MCP server:

   • java -jar /path/to/CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar /path/to/xml-documents.prp
   • Note: The server uses stdio for communication; ensure your client can connect on the same machine.

5. Configure your MCP client (e.g., Claude Desktop) to include the server entry with the path to the JAR and the .prp file, using the config example provided in the README.

Tips and common notes:

• This is a read-only MCP server. For full create/update/delete capabilities, see the full MCP server version referenced in the README.
• The server runs via stdio, so it must be on the same machine as clients that invoke the tools.
• Use the provided tool names (e.g., xml_documents_get_tables, xml_documents_get_columns, xml_documents_run_query) in JSON-RPC requests to interact with the data.
• If you change the data source or connection settings, update the xml-documents.prp file accordingly and restart the MCP server.
• Ensure the JDBC driver is licensed and accessible at the path specified in the .prp file (DriverPath).
• Troubleshooting steps include verifying the server process is running, confirming the PRP path is correct, and ensuring the client has the correct JSON-RPC payloads for the tools.