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Workday MCP Server

This read-only MCP Server allows you to connect to Workday data from Claude Desktop through CData JDBC Drivers. For full CRUD support, check out the first managed MCP platform: CData Connect AI (https://www.cdata.com/ai/).

Installation

Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.

Configuration

View docs

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cdatasoftware-workday-mcp-server-by-cdata": {
      "command": "java",
      "args": [
        "-jar",
        "CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar",
        "/PATH/TO/Salesforce.prp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

You have a read-only MCP Server that exposes Workday data through the CData JDBC Driver, enabling you to query live Workday information using natural language questions via MCP-enabled clients. This server wraps the JDBC driver and presents Workday data through a simple MCP interface so you can ask questions and receive live results without writing SQL.

How to use

Start by configuring an MCP client to connect to your local MCP server. You will run the server locally and point your client to the Java process that hosts the MCP endpoint.

Once the server is running, you can issue natural language questions like: “What are my open opportunities by industry?” or “How many calendar events do I have today?” The MCP server exposes a set of tools to retrieve tables, list columns, and run queries, allowing the client to read data from Workday through the MCP interface.

How to install

Prerequisites: install Java Runtime Environment (JRE) or Java Development Kit (JDK) compatible with the MCP server. You will also need Maven to build the server.

# Install Java (if not already installed)
# Example on Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y default-jre

# Install Maven
sudo apt-get install -y maven

Clone the project, build the server, and generate the runnable JAR.

git clone https://github.com/cdatasoftware/workday-mcp-server-by-cdata.git
cd workday-mcp-server-by-cdata
mvn clean install

Obtain, license, and configure the CData JDBC Driver for Workday. This enables the JDBC connection to Workday data.

Configure your JDBC connection and prepare a properties file for the MCP server. You will create a file like workday.prp with the required fields.

Prefix=workday
ServerName=CDataWorkday
ServerVersion=1.0
DriverPath=PATH\TO\cdata.jdbc.workday.jar
DriverClass=cdata.jdbc.workday.WorkdayDriver
JdbcUrl=jdbc:workday:InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;
Tables=

Running the server

Run the MCP server on its own process. The server uses standard IO (stdio) and should be started on the same machine as your client.

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

Configuration notes

The MCP server is designed for local use with standard IO. Ensure you terminate any existing client sessions before starting a new session so the MCP server can appear to the client.

Troubleshooting

If you cannot see the MCP server in your client, fully quit the client and restart it so the MCP server appears. If data retrieval fails, recheck the connection string and ensure the prp file contains the correct JDBC URL and driver path. If issues persist, contact support or consult the community resources for MCP users.

Tools & usage notes

The MCP server provides tools to explore and query the data. The defined tools are named using the server identifier, and you can use them to list tables, list columns, and run SQL queries against Workday data.

Available tools

workday_get_tables

Retrieves a list of available tables from the Workday data source. The output is CSV with column headers on the first line.

workday_get_columns

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

workday_run_query

Executes a SQL SELECT query against the Workday data through the MCP server.