JDBC Database Connector MCP server for AI agents

CData's Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server for Basecamp enables Large Language Models (LLMs) like Claude Desktop to query live Basecamp data through a natural language interface. This read-only server connects to Basecamp data sources via the CData JDBC Driver, allowing LLMs to retrieve real-time information without needing to write SQL queries.

Installation

Prerequisites

Java Runtime Environment
CData JDBC Driver for Basecamp

Step-by-Step Setup

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/cdatasoftware/basecamp-mcp-server-by-cdata.git
cd basecamp-mcp-server-by-cdata

Build the server:
```
mvn clean install
```
This creates the JAR file: CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar
Download the CData JDBC Driver for Basecamp from CData's website
License the CData JDBC Driver:
- Navigate to the lib folder in the installation directory:
  - Windows: C:\Program Files\CData\CData JDBC Driver for Basecamp\
  - Mac/Linux: /Applications/CData JDBC Driver for Basecamp/
- Run the command:
```
java -jar cdata.jdbc.basecamp.jar --license
```
- Enter your name, email, and "TRIAL" (or your license key)
Configure your connection:
- Run the command to open the Connection String utility:
```
java -jar cdata.jdbc.basecamp.jar
```
- Configure the connection string and test it
- Copy the connection string for use in the next step

Create a configuration file (e.g., basecamp.prp) with the following properties:

Prefix=basecamp
ServerName=CDataBasecamp
ServerVersion=1.0
DriverPath=PATH\TO\cdata.jdbc.basecamp.jar
DriverClass=cdata.jdbc.basecamp.BasecampDriver
JdbcUrl=jdbc:basecamp:InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;
Tables=

Integration with Claude Desktop

Create a config file for Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json) with the MCP server entry:

Windows:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "basecamp-mcp": {
      "command": "PATH\\TO\\java.exe",
      "args": [
        "-jar",
        "PATH\\TO\\CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar",
        "PATH\\TO\\basecamp.prp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Linux/Mac:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "basecamp-mcp": {
      "command": "/PATH/TO/java",
      "args": [
        "-jar",
        "/PATH/TO/CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar",
        "/PATH/TO/basecamp.prp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Copy the config file to the appropriate directory:

Windows:

cp C:\PATH\TO\claude_desktop_config.json %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Linux/Mac:

cp /PATH/TO/claude_desktop_config.json /Users/{user}/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Restart Claude Desktop

Running the Server Standalone

To run the MCP Server independently:

java -jar /PATH/TO/CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar /PATH/TO/basecamp.prp

Note: The server uses stdio and can only be used with clients running on the same machine.

Usage

Once configured, you can ask Claude Desktop questions about your Basecamp data in natural language:

"How many open tickets do I have in the SUPPORT project?"
"Can you tell me what calendar events I have today?"

Available Tools

The MCP server provides the following tools:

basecamp_get_tables: Retrieves available tables in the data source
basecamp_get_columns: Lists columns for a specific table
basecamp_run_query: Executes a SQL SELECT query

Troubleshooting

If the MCP Server doesn't appear in Claude Desktop, fully quit the application and restart
Connection issues? Verify your connection string using the Connection String builder
For data source connection problems, contact the CData Support Team
For MCP server feedback or help, join the CData Community

How to install this MCP server

For Claude Code

To add this MCP server to Claude Code, run this command in your terminal:

claude mcp add-json "basecamp" '{"command":"java","args":["-jar","PATH/TO/CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar","PATH/TO/basecamp.prp"]}'

See the official Claude Code MCP documentation for more details.

For Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations and click "New MCP Server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "basecamp": {
            "command": "java",
            "args": [
                "-jar",
                "PATH/TO/CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar",
                "PATH/TO/basecamp.prp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explicitly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.

For Claude Desktop

To add this MCP server to Claude Desktop:

1. Find your configuration file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add this to your configuration file:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "basecamp": {
            "command": "java",
            "args": [
                "-jar",
                "PATH/TO/CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar",
                "PATH/TO/basecamp.prp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect