zoho-crm -by-cdata
This read-only MCP Server allows you to connect to Zoho CRM data from Claude Desktop through CData JDBC Drivers. For full CRUD support, check out the first managed MCP platform: CData Connect AI (https://www.cdata.com/ai/).
claude mcp add --transport stdio cdatasoftware-zoho-crm-mcp-server-by-cdata java -jar CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar /PATH/TO/zoho-crm.prp \ --env JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS="Optional: set if needed" \ --env CDATA_JDBC_ZOHCRM_JAR="Path to the CData JDBC driver JAR if required"
How to use
This MCP server provides a read-only interface to Zoho CRM data via the CData JDBC Driver. It wraps the driver in a simple MCP layer so large language models can query live Zoho CRM data through natural language requests, without needing to write SQL. The server runs as a local Java process and exposes tools that let clients discover available tables, inspect columns, and execute read queries. You’ll typically configure Claude Desktop (or any MCP client) to connect to the local Java process and use the built‑in tools to explore data in a controlled, read-only manner. The tooling layout follows a naming convention like {classname_dash}_get_tables, {classname_dash}_get_columns, and {classname_dash}_run_query, returning results in CSV for tables/columns and SQL results for queries.
How to install
Prerequisites:
- Java 8+ installed on your machine
- Maven (for building the server from source) if you choose to compile locally
Installation steps:
- Clone the repository and build the server (from the project root): mvn clean install This produces CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar
- Install the CData JDBC Driver for Zoho CRM:
- Download from https://www.cdata.com/drivers/zohocrm/download/jdbc
- Follow the installer instructions for your OS
- License the CData JDBC Driver:
- Navigate to the lib folder in the installation directory
- Run: java -jar cdata.jdbc.zohocrm.jar --license
- Enter your name, email, and a TRIAL/license key as prompted
- Prepare a .prp connection file (example zoho-crm.prp) with your JDBC connection details as guided by the driver documentation
- Run the MCP server locally: java -jar CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar /PATH/TO/zoho-crm.prp Note: The server uses stdio and is intended for local client use
- Configure your MCP client (e.g., Claude Desktop) to connect to the local server using the appropriate JSON-RPC or tool invocation format
Additional notes
Tips and caveats:
- This is a read-only MCP server; write/update/delete operations are not exposed.
- Ensure your zoho-crm.prp accurately reflects your JDBC connection string and driver class name.
- If Claude Desktop (or your client) cannot see the server, fully quit and relaunch the client after starting the Java process.
- For OAuth connections, you may need to complete browser-based authentication during driver setup.
- The built-in tools emit CSV for table/column listings and return query results; adapt your tooling to parse CSV accordingly.
- If you encounter connectivity issues, verify DriverPath and DriverClass in your .prp and ensure the driver jar is accessible to the JVM.
- You can customize the class/server name in the config to reflect your environment (e.g., zoho_crm_by_cdata).
- The README’s example JSON-RPC payloads show how to call zoho_crm_get_tables, zoho_crm_get_columns, and zoho_crm_run_query; replace zoho_crm with your actual server name if you rename it.
