What is an MCP Server? Why not use a regular API?

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a protocol developed by Anthropic, specifically designed for AI assistants to access external tools. Compared to a regular API, MCP offers:

• A standardized tool description format.
• A better AI integration experience.
• Automated permission management.
• Built-in security mechanisms.

Why choose stdio mode instead of HTTP API?

stdio mode offers the following advantages:

• More secure: No need to open network ports.
• Simpler: No need to configure network and authentication.
• Lighter: Direct process communication provides better performance.
• More isolated: Each client has an independent process.

Can I connect to a remote MySQL database?

Yes! Just specify the remote host address when connecting:

Please connect to the remote database:

• Host: 192.168.1.100
• Port: 3306
• Username: remote_user
• Password: remote_password
• Database: remote_db

Are other databases supported?

Currently, only MySQL is supported, but the architecture is designed to be extensible. Future plans include support for:

• PostgreSQL
• SQLite
• SQL Server
• Oracle

How do I back up and restore configurations?

bash

Back up configuration

cp ~/.vscode/mcp-settings.json ~/mcp-backup.json

Restore configuration

cp ~/mcp-backup.json ~/.vscode/mcp-settings.json

Can write operations be supported?

For security reasons, only read operations are supported by default. If write operations are needed, you can:

1. Modify src/database.ts to remove security restrictions.
2. Rebuild the project.
3. ⚠️ Note: This increases data risk, please operate with caution.

How do I monitor the MCP server status?

bash

Check the process

ps aux | grep “mysql-mcp”

Check the port (HTTP mode)

netstat -an | grep 3100

View the log

tail -f ~/.vscode/logs/mcp-mysql.log