QUICK-START.md

MCP SQL Server - Quick Start Guide

🚀 Get Started in 3 Minutes

1. Install

npm install -g @bilims/mcp-sqlserver

2. Configure Claude Desktop

Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sqlserver": {
      "command": "mcp-sqlserver",
      "env": {
        "SQLSERVER_HOST": "your-server",
        "SQLSERVER_USER": "your-username",
        "SQLSERVER_PASSWORD": "your-password",
        "SQLSERVER_DATABASE": "your-database"
      }
    }
  }
}

3. Test in Claude Desktop

"Test the SQL Server connection"

📋 Essential Commands

First Time Setup

• "Test the SQL Server connection"
• "Show me server information"
• "List all databases"

Database Discovery

• "What tables are in this database?"
• "Describe the Users table structure"
• "Show me foreign key relationships"

Data Exploration

• "Give me a sample from the Orders table"
• "What are the largest tables?"
• "Show me tables with the most rows"

🔧 Common Configurations

Azure SQL Database

"env": {
  "SQLSERVER_HOST": "myserver.database.windows.net",
  "SQLSERVER_ENCRYPT": "true",
  "SQLSERVER_TRUST_CERT": "false"
}

On-Premises SQL Server

"env": {
  "SQLSERVER_HOST": "sql-server.company.com",
  "SQLSERVER_ENCRYPT": "true", 
  "SQLSERVER_TRUST_CERT": "true"
}

Local SQL Server Express

"env": {
  "SQLSERVER_HOST": "localhost\\SQLEXPRESS",
  "SQLSERVER_ENCRYPT": "false",
  "SQLSERVER_TRUST_CERT": "true"
}

🛠️ Available Tools

Tool	Purpose
test_connection	Test connectivity and permissions
list_databases	Show all databases
list_tables	Show tables in database/schema
describe_table	Get table structure details
execute_query	Run SELECT queries safely
get_foreign_keys	Show table relationships
get_server_info	Get SQL Server version info
get_table_stats	Get table size and row counts

🔒 Security Features

✅ Read-only operations only
✅ SQL injection protection
✅ Query validation
✅ Encrypted connections
✅ Row limits enforced

🆘 Troubleshooting

Connection Failed

1. Check server hostname/IP
2. Verify username/password
3. Confirm network access
4. Check firewall settings

Permission Denied

1. Ensure user has SELECT permissions
2. Check database exists
3. Verify schema access

Slow Queries

1. Use LIMIT in queries
2. Focus on specific tables
3. Check table sizes first

📚 More Help

• Full Documentation: README.md
• Usage Examples: examples/usage-examples.md
• Installation Guide: INSTALL.md
• GitHub: https://github.com/bilims/mcp-sqlserver
• npm: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@bilims/mcp-sqlserver

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