Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) MCP server

The Microsoft SQL Server MCP Server enables secure interaction with SQL Server databases, allowing AI assistants to list tables, read data, and execute SQL queries through a controlled interface. This makes database exploration and analysis safer and more structured.

Installation

The package automatically installs required system dependencies (like FreeTDS) when installed through MCP:

pip install mssql-mcp-server

Configuration

Set the following environment variables to connect to your SQL Server database:

MSSQL_SERVER=localhost
MSSQL_USER=your_username
MSSQL_PASSWORD=your_password
MSSQL_DATABASE=your_database

Usage

Using with Claude Desktop

Add this configuration to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mssql": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory", 
        "path/to/mssql_mcp_server",
        "run",
        "mssql_mcp_server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "MSSQL_SERVER": "localhost",
        "MSSQL_USER": "your_username",
        "MSSQL_PASSWORD": "your_password",
        "MSSQL_DATABASE": "your_database"
      }
    }
  }
}

Running as a Standalone Server

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Run the server
python -m mssql_mcp_server

Security Considerations

For secure database access:

• Never commit environment variables or credentials
• Create a dedicated SQL Server login with minimal permissions
• Never use sa credentials or administrative accounts
• Restrict database access to only necessary operations
• Enable logging for audit purposes
• Conduct regular security reviews of database access
• Consider implementing query whitelisting for production use
• Monitor and log all database operations

Features

The Microsoft SQL Server MCP Server provides these capabilities:

• List available SQL Server tables as resources
• Read table contents
• Execute SQL queries with proper error handling
• Secure database access through environment variables
• Comprehensive logging

How to add this MCP server to 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 > MCP and click "Add new global MCP server".

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

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "cursor-rules-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "cursor-rules-mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

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 explictly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.