KDB-X MCP Server (TypeScript)

This is a TypeScript implementation of the KDB-X MCP Server that enables end users to query KDB-X data through natural language, providing production-grade resources, prompts, and tools for seamless data interaction.

This package is publicly available on npm and can be installed with:

npm install kdb-x-mcp-server-ts

Built on an extensible framework with configurable templates, it allows for intuitive extension with custom integrations tailored to your specific needs.

The server leverages a combination of curated resources, intelligent prompts, and robust tools to provide appropriate guardrails and guidance for both users and AI models interacting with KDB-X.

Features

• SQL Interface to KDB-X: Run SELECT SQL queries against KDB-X databases
• Built-In Query Safety Protection: Automatic detection and blocking of dangerous SQL operations like INSERT, DROP, DELETE etc.
• Smart Query Result Optimization: Smart result truncation (max 1000 rows) with clear messaging about data limits
• SQL Query Guidance for LLM: Comprehensive LLM-ready MCP resource with syntax examples and best practices
• Database Schema Discovery: Explore and understand your database tables and structure using the included MCP resource
• Auto-Discovery System: Automatic discovery and registration of tools, resources, and prompts
• Resilient Connection Management: Robust KDB-X connection handling with automatic retry logic and connection caching
• Vector Similarity Search: Perform semantic search on KDB-X tables using embeddings
• Hybrid Search: Combine vector and sparse text search for enhanced results
• TypeScript & Modern Tooling: Built with TypeScript, featuring strict type checking and modern development practices

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20.0.0 or higher
• A KDB-X/KDB+ Service listening on a host and port that will be accessible to the MCP Server
• An MCP Client installed (e.g., Claude Desktop, GitHub Copilot in VSCode)

Installation

Install from npm (Recommended)

This package is publicly available on npm and can be installed directly:

npm install kdb-x-mcp-server-ts

After installation, you can use the CLI command:

kdbx-mcp-server

Or import it in your TypeScript/JavaScript project:

import { KdbxMcpServer } from 'kdb-x-mcp-server-ts';

Install from Source

Alternatively, you can clone and build from source:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/KxSystems/kdb-x-mcp-server-ts.git
cd kdb-x-mcp-server-ts

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

Configuration

Configuration can be provided via:

1. Command line arguments (highest priority)
2. Environment variables
3. .env file
4. Default values

Environment Variables

MCP Options:

• KDBX_MCP_SERVER_NAME - Name identifier for the MCP server instance (default: KDBX_MCP_Server)
• KDBX_MCP_LOG_LEVEL - Logging verbosity level: DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR, CRITICAL (default: INFO)
• KDBX_MCP_TRANSPORT - Communication protocol: stdio or streamable-http (default: streamable-http)
• KDBX_MCP_PORT - HTTP server port (default: 8000)
• KDBX_MCP_HOST - HTTP server bind address (default: 127.0.0.1)

Database Options:

• KDBX_DB_HOST - KDB-X server hostname or IP address (default: 127.0.0.1)
• KDBX_DB_PORT - KDB-X server port number (default: 5000)
• KDBX_DB_USERNAME - Username for KDB-X authentication (default: empty)
• KDBX_DB_PASSWORD - Password for KDB-X authentication (default: empty)
• KDBX_DB_TLS - Enable TLS for KDB-X connections (default: false)
• KDBX_DB_TIMEOUT - Timeout in seconds for KDB-X connection attempts (default: 1)
• KDBX_DB_RETRY - Number of connection retry attempts on failure (default: 2)
• KDBX_DB_EMBEDDING_CSV_PATH - Path to embeddings CSV (default: src/mcp_server/utils/embeddings.csv)
• KDBX_DB_METRIC - Distance metric for vector similarity search: CS, L2, IP (default: CS)
• KDBX_DB_K - Default number of results from vector searches (default: 5)

Usage

Using the CLI (After npm install)

If you installed the package from npm, you can use the CLI command directly:

# Using defaults
kdbx-mcp-server

# Using environment variables
export KDBX_MCP_PORT=7001
export KDBX_DB_RETRY=4
kdbx-mcp-server

# Using command line arguments
kdbx-mcp-server --mcp.port 7001 --db.retry 4

Using as a Library

You can also import and use the server programmatically in your TypeScript/JavaScript project:

import { KdbxMcpServer, loadAppSettings, setupLogging } from 'kdb-x-mcp-server-ts';

// Load configuration
const config = loadAppSettings();

// Setup logging
const logger = setupLogging(config.mcp.logLevel);

// Create and start the server
const server = new KdbxMcpServer(config, logger);
await server.start();

Running from Source

If you cloned the repository:

# Using defaults
npm start

# Using environment variables
export KDBX_MCP_PORT=7001
export KDBX_DB_RETRY=4
npm start

# Using command line arguments
npm start -- --mcp.port 7001 --db.retry 4

Development Mode

# Run with hot reload (from source)
npm run dev

Tools

kdbx_run_sql_query

Execute SQL SELECT queries against KDB-X database.

Parameters:

• query (string, required): SQL SELECT query string to execute

Returns:

• JSON object with query results (max 1000 rows)

kdbx_similarity_search

Perform vector similarity search on a KDB-X table (requires AI libs).

Parameters:

• table_name (string, required): Name of the table to search
• query (string, required): Text query to convert to vector and search
• n (number, optional): Number of results to return

Returns:

• Dictionary containing search results

kdbx_hybrid_search

Perform hybrid search combining vector similarity and sparse text search (requires AI libs).

Parameters:

• table_name (string, required): Name of the table to search
• query (string, required): Text query to convert to vectors
• n (number, optional): Number of results to return

Returns:

• Dictionary containing search results

Resources

kdbx://tables

Get comprehensive overview of all database tables with schema information and sample data.

file://guidance/kdbx-sql-queries

SQL query syntax guidance and examples for executing queries against KDB-X.

Prompts

kdbx_table_analysis

Generate a detailed analysis prompt for a specific table.

Parameters:

• table_name (string, required): Name of the table to analyze
• analysis_type (string, optional): Type of analysis - statistical or data_quality (default: statistical)
• sample_size (number, optional): Suggested sample size for data exploration (default: 100)

Embedding Configuration

Before using similarity search features, configure embedding models in the embeddings CSV file.

The file should have the following columns:

• table - Table name
• embedding_column - Column name containing dense embeddings
• embedding_provider - Provider name (e.g., openai, sentence_transformers)
• embedding_model - Model name
• sparse_embedding_column - Column name for sparse embeddings (optional)
• sparse_index_name - Sparse index name (optional)
• sparse_tokenizer_provider - Sparse tokenizer provider (optional)
• sparse_tokenizer_model - Sparse tokenizer model (optional)

Supported Embedding Providers

• OpenAI: Requires OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable
• SentenceTransformers: Uses @xenova/transformers for local model execution

Development

Project Structure

src/
├── cli.ts              # CLI entry point
├── server.ts           # Main server class
├── settings.ts         # Configuration management
├── tools/              # MCP tools
│   ├── kdbx-run-sql-query.ts
│   └── kdbx-sim-search.ts
├── resources/          # MCP resources
│   ├── kdbx-database-tables.ts
│   └── kdbx-sql-query-guidance.ts
├── prompts/            # MCP prompts
│   └── kdbx-table-analysis.ts
└── utils/              # Utility functions
    ├── kdbx.ts         # KDB-X connection handling
    ├── embeddings.ts   # Embedding providers
    ├── format-utils.ts # Data formatting
    └── logging.ts      # Logging setup

Key Components

1. Configuration Management (src/settings.ts)

• Uses Zod for schema validation
• Supports environment variables, CLI arguments, and .env files
• Type-safe configuration with proper defaults

2. Server Architecture (src/server.ts)

• Main KdbxMcpServer class that orchestrates the entire server
• Handles connection validation, tool/resource/prompt registration
• Supports both stdio and streamable-http transports (stdio fully implemented)
• Uses the latest MCP SDK (@modelcontextprotocol/sdk) with high-level APIs

3. Tools (src/tools/)

• kdbx_run_sql_query: SQL query execution with safety checks
• kdbx_similarity_search: Vector similarity search (requires AI libs)
• kdbx_hybrid_search: Hybrid vector + sparse text search (requires AI libs)

4. Resources (src/resources/)

• kdbx://tables: Database schema overview
• file://guidance/kdbx-sql-queries: SQL query guidance

5. Prompts (src/prompts/)

• kdbx_table_analysis: Table analysis prompt generator

6. Utilities (src/utils/)

• kdbx.ts: KDB-X connection management (needs implementation)
• embeddings.ts: Embedding provider system (OpenAI, SentenceTransformers)
• format-utils.ts: Data formatting and display utilities
• logging.ts: Winston-based logging setup

MCP SDK Integration

The code uses the official @modelcontextprotocol/sdk package with the latest high-level APIs:

• Tools: Uses server.registerTool() with Zod schemas for type-safe parameter validation
• Resources: Uses server.registerResource() with metadata configuration
• Prompts: Uses server.registerPrompt() with argument schemas
• All handlers use the modern McpServer class instead of the deprecated Server class

Adding New Tools

1. Create a new file in src/tools/
2. Implement the tool registration function using server.registerTool()
3. Export and register in src/tools/index.ts

Adding New Resources

1. Create a new file in src/resources/
2. Implement the resource registration function using server.registerResource()
3. Export and register in src/resources/index.ts

Adding New Prompts

1. Create a new file in src/prompts/
2. Implement the prompt registration function using server.registerPrompt()
3. Export and register in src/prompts/index.ts

Development Workflow

1. Install dependencies: npm install
2. Build: npm run build
3. Run: npm start or npm run dev (for development with hot reload)
4. Type check: npm run type-check
5. Lint: npm run lint
6. Format: npm run format

KDB-X Connection

Important: This TypeScript implementation requires a KDB-X client library for Node.js. The current implementation includes placeholder code in src/utils/kdbx.ts that needs to be completed with an actual KDB-X client.

Implementation Requirements

You will need to:

1. Find or create a KDB-X client library for Node.js

   • The Python version uses pykx which is a Python binding
   • For Node.js, options include:
     • A native Node.js binding (C++ addon)
     • An HTTP-based client if KDB-X supports HTTP queries
     • A TCP/IP socket client implementing the KDB protocol

2. Implement the connection logic

   • Replace the KDBConnectionImpl class in src/utils/kdbx.ts with actual connection code
   • Implement the query() method to execute KDB queries
   • Handle connection retry logic (already structured)
   • Implement connection caching (already structured)
   • The Python version uses q-language queries like:

     conn('{r:.s.e x;`rowCount`data!(count r;.j.j y sublist r)}', sqlQuery, maxRows)

   • You'll need to translate this to your chosen client library's API

3. Test the connection

   • Verify connection establishment
   • Test query execution
   • Validate result parsing

Testing the Implementation

Before the server can fully function, you'll need to:

1. Implement the KDB-X client connection
2. Test with a running KDB-X instance
3. Verify tool execution
4. Test resource access
5. Validate prompt generation

Next Steps for Implementation

1. Research KDB-X Node.js clients: Look for existing libraries or create bindings
2. Implement connection layer: Complete src/utils/kdbx.ts
3. Test with real KDB-X instance: Verify all functionality
4. Add error handling: Enhance error messages for production use
5. Performance optimization: Add connection pooling, query caching if needed

Testing

# Run type checking
npm run type-check

# Run linter
npm run lint

# Format code
npm run format

Troubleshooting

KDB-X Connection Issues

• Verify KDB-X service is running and accessible
• Check host and port configuration
• Ensure SQL interface is loaded (run .s.init[] in KDB-X session)
• For AI tools, ensure AI libs are loaded (run .ai:use\kx.ai` in KDB-X session)

Embedding Issues

• Verify embedding CSV configuration file exists and is properly formatted
• Check that required environment variables are set (e.g., OPENAI_API_KEY)
• Ensure embedding models are accessible

Port Already in Use

• Change the port using --mcp.port or KDBX_MCP_PORT
• Stop the service using the port

License

MIT

Architecture & Implementation Details

Differences from Python Version

• Type Safety: TypeScript's type system provides compile-time safety
• Async/Await: Async/await patterns are used throughout
• Module System: Uses ES modules
• Configuration: Uses Zod instead of Pydantic for schema validation
• Logging: Uses Winston instead of Python's logging module

Architecture Decisions

1. Modular Design: Each tool/resource/prompt is in its own file for maintainability
2. Type Safety: Strict TypeScript configuration ensures type safety
3. Error Handling: Comprehensive error handling with proper logging
4. Extensibility: Easy to add new tools/resources/prompts following the established patterns
5. Modern MCP SDK: Uses the latest @modelcontextprotocol/sdk with high-level registration APIs

Embedding Providers

Two embedding providers are implemented:

1. OpenAI Provider: Requires OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable
2. SentenceTransformers Provider: Uses @xenova/transformers for local execution

Both support:

• Dense embeddings (vector representations)
• Sparse embeddings (token counts for BM25-style search)

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.