mcp-odbc-server

This document covers the set up and use of a generic ODBC server for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), referred to as an mcp-odbc server. It has been developed to provide Large Language Models with transparent access to ODBC-accessible data sources via a Data Source Name configured for a specific ODBC Connector (also called an ODBC Driver).

This MCP Server for ODBC is a small TypeScript layer built on top of node-odbc. It routes calls to the host system's local ODBC Driver Manager via node.js (specifically using npx for TypeScript).

While the examples that follow are oriented toward the Virtuoso ODBC Connector, this guide will also work with other ODBC Connectors. We *strongly* encourage code contributions and submissions of usage demos related to other database management systems (DBMS) for incorporation into this project.

1. Check the node.js version. If it's not 21.1.0 or higher, upgrade or install explicitly using:

   nvm install v21.1.0

1. Install MCP components using:

   npm install @modelcontextprotocol/sdk zod tsx odbc dotenv

1. Set the nvm version using:

   nvm alias default 21.1.0

1. Run

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

1. Change directory

   cd mcp-odbc-server

1. Run

   npm init -y

1. Run

   npm install @modelcontextprotocol/sdk zod tsx odbc dotenv

1. Check installation configuration (i.e., location of key INI files) by running:

   odbcinst -j

1. List available data source names (DSNs) by running:

   odbcinst -q -s

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