Act-On MCP Server

How to use

You run a local MCP server on the same machine as your client and connect it through a standard MCP client. Start with a secured, read-only connection to Act-On data, then ask questions like “What is my open opportunities by industry?” or “Show me today’s calendar events.” The server exposes a small set of tools that let you list tables, inspect columns, and run read-only queries, so you can explore the data without writing SQL.

How to install

Prerequisites: you need a Java runtime and Maven for building the server.

# 1) Install Java (JDK) and Maven if you do not already have them
#    On macOS with Homebrew:
#      brew install openjdk@17 maven
#    On Debian/Ubuntu:
#      sudo apt-get update
#      sudo apt-get install openjdk-17-jdk maven
#    Verify:
#      java -version
#      mvn -v
```

```bash
# 2) Clone the MCP server
git clone https://github.com/cdatasoftware/act-on-mcp-server-by-cdata.git
cd act-on-mcp-server-by-cdata
```

```bash
# 3) Build the server
mvn clean install
```

```bash
# 4) Download and install the CData JDBC Driver for Act-On
#    Follow the provided link to obtain the driver package
#    http s://www.cdata.com/drivers/acton/download/jdbc
```

```bash
# 5) License the CData JDBC Driver
# Navigate to the lib folder inside the installation directory and run the license command
# Windows example (adjust path to your install):
java -jar cdata.jdbc.acton.jar --license
```

```bash
# 6) Configure the connection to Act-On using the Connection String utility
java -jar cdata.jdbc.acton.jar
# Test the connection and copy the resulting connection string for use later
```

```bash
# 7) Create a .prp file for your JDBC connection (example names and values)
# This example uses placeholders you should replace with real values
```

```text
# act-on.prp
Prefix=acton
ServerName=CDataActOn
ServerVersion=1.0
DriverPath=PATH\TO\cdata.jdbc.acton.jar
DriverClass=cdata.jdbc.acton.ActOnDriver
JdbcUrl=jdbc:acton:InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;
Tables=
```

```bash
# 8) Run the MCP server with the prepared .prp file
```
java -jar /PATH/TO/CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar /PATH/TO/act-on.prp

Additional setup notes

The server runs locally and uses the stdio interface, which means it is intended to be used with clients running on the same machine. If you need remote MCP access, consider a managed MCP platform instead.

Using Claude Desktop with the Act-On MCP server

To integrate with Claude Desktop, create a config file that points to the local MCP server. You place the Java command and arguments in the config to launch the MCP server with your prepared .prp file. Restart Claude Desktop after adding or updating the MCP server entry so the client can detect the new server.

Troubleshooting

If you cannot see your MCP server or the client cannot retrieve data, ensure you have fully quit and restarted the client after configuring the MCP entry. Verify the connection string string open a valid JDBC URL and that the act-on.prp file points to the correct driver JAR and path. If you encounter issues, consult the CData Support Team for guidance.

acton_mcp_get_tables

Retrieves a list of available tables from the Act-On data source. The output is a CSV where the first line contains column headers.

acton_mcp_get_columns

Retrieves a list of columns for a specified table. The output is CSV with headers on the first line.

acton_mcp_run_query

Executes a SQL SELECT query against the Act-On data source and returns the result set.