Frequently Asked Questions about SAP Sybase MCP Server for Claude Desktop

Q: What is an MCP Server? A: MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open protocol that standardizes how applications provide context to LLMs (Large Language Models). An MCP Server acts as a bridge, allowing AI models like Claude Desktop to access and interact with external data sources, such as SAP Sybase.

Q: What is the purpose of the SAP Sybase MCP Server? A: This MCP Server allows Claude Desktop to query live SAP Sybase data supported by the CData JDBC Driver for SAP Sybase. It exposes SAP Sybase data as a relational SQL model, enabling LLMs to retrieve information using natural language questions.

Q: Is this MCP Server read-only? A: Yes, the described server build in this documentation is read-only MCP server.

Q: What is CData JDBC Driver for SAP Sybase? A: CData JDBC Driver connects to SAP Sybase by exposing them as relational SQL models.

Q: Do I need to know SQL to use this server? A: No, you can ask natural language questions to retrieve live information, eliminating the need for SQL.

Q: Where can I find a read/write MCP Server? A: CData offers a free (beta) read/write MCP Server for SAP Sybase.

Q: What are the prerequisites for setting up the server? A: You need the following components to setup the server:

• Installed Java Development Kit (JDK)
• Maven
• CData JDBC Driver for SAP Sybase
• Claude Desktop

Q: How do I configure the connection to SAP Sybase? A: You need to configure the connection using the CData JDBC Driver’s Connection String utility and create a .prp file with the connection details.

Q: How do I add the MCP Server to Claude Desktop? A: You need to modify the claude_desktop_config.json file to include the new MCP Server, specifying the path to the JAR file and the configuration file.

Q: What if I cannot see my CData MCP Server in Claude Desktop? A: Ensure that you have fully quit and restarted Claude Desktop (using Task Manager on Windows or Activity Monitor on Mac).

Q: What kind of questions can I ask Claude Desktop once the server is set up? A: You can ask questions about the underlying data system. For example:

• “What is the correlation between my closed won opportunities and the account industry?”
• “How many open tickets do I have in the SUPPORT project?”
• “Can you tell me what calendar events I have today?”

Q: What tools are available in the MCP Server? A: The available tools are:

• {servername}_get_tables - Retrieves a list of tables.
• {servername}_get_columns - Retrieves a list of columns for a table.
• {servername}_run_query - Execute a SQL SELECT query.

Q: Do I need to call the tools explicitly? A: No, the AI client (e.g. Claude) will use these tools behind the scenes based on your natural language questions.

Q: What should I do if Claude Desktop is unable to retrieve data? A: Double check your connection string and ensure you have configured the connection properly. Use the Connection String builder to create the connection string (see above) and copy the connection string into the property (.prp) file.

Q: What license is used for this MCP server? A: This MCP server is licensed under the MIT License.

Q: Where can I get help if I have trouble using the MCP server? A: Join the CData Community for support and feedback.