MCP ClickHouse: Database Operations + Cloud Management

A comprehensive Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides two distinct capabilities:

1. Database Operations - Connect to and query any ClickHouse database (local, cloud, or self-hosted)
2. Cloud Management - Complete ClickHouse Cloud infrastructure management via API

🚀 Quick Start

Start with our step-by-step tutorial:

👉 Complete Setup Tutorial - Transform Claude into a powerful ClickHouse data agent

For experienced users, jump to the Quick Configuration section below.

📚 Table of Contents

• 🚀 Quick Start
• 📚 Table of Contents
• 🎯 Choose Your Use Case
• 🌟 Why This Server?
• ✨ Capabilities Overview
• 🔒 Safety Features
• ⚡ Quick Configuration
• 📦 Installation
• ⚙️ Configuration Guide
• 🛠️ Available Tools
• 💡 Usage Examples
• 🔧 Development
• 🐛 Troubleshooting
• 📄 License

🎯 Choose Your Use Case

This MCP server supports two independent use cases. You can use one or both:

📊 Database Operations Only

For: Data analysis, querying, and exploration of ClickHouse databases

• Connect to any ClickHouse instance (local, self-hosted, or ClickHouse Cloud)
• Execute read-only queries safely
• Explore database schemas and metadata
• Setup: Database connection credentials only

☁️ Cloud Management Only

For: Managing ClickHouse Cloud infrastructure programmatically

• Create, configure, and manage cloud services
• Handle API keys, members, and organizations
• Monitor usage, costs, and performance
• Setup: ClickHouse Cloud API keys only

🔄 Both Combined

For: Complete ClickHouse workflow from infrastructure to data

• Manage cloud services AND query the databases within them
• End-to-end data pipeline management
• Setup: Both database credentials and cloud API keys

🌟 Why This Server?

This repository significantly improves over the original ClickHouse MCP server:

[!WARNING] Security Notice: The original ClickHouse MCP server (v0.1.10) has a critical security flaw where run_select_query can execute ANY SQL operation including DROP, DELETE, INSERT, etc., despite its name suggesting it only runs SELECT queries. This server implements proper query filtering and safety controls.

✨ Capabilities Overview

📊 Database Operations (3 Tools)

Connect to and query any ClickHouse database:

• List databases and tables with detailed metadata
• Execute SELECT queries with safety guarantees (read-only mode)
• Explore schemas including column types, row counts, and table structures
• Works with: Local ClickHouse, self-hosted instances, ClickHouse Cloud databases, and the free SQL Playground

☁️ Cloud Management (50+ Tools)

Complete ClickHouse Cloud API integration:

• Organizations (5 tools): Manage settings, metrics, private endpoints
• Services (12 tools): Create, scale, start/stop, configure, delete cloud services
• API Keys (5 tools): Full CRUD operations for programmatic access
• Members & Invitations (8 tools): User management and access control
• Backups (4 tools): Configure and manage automated backups
• ClickPipes (7 tools): Data ingestion pipeline management
• Monitoring (3 tools): Usage analytics, costs, and audit logs
• Network (6 tools): Private endpoints and security configuration

🔒 Safety Features

This MCP server includes comprehensive safety controls to prevent accidental data modification or infrastructure changes:

📊 Database Safety

• Automatic Read-Only Mode: All database queries run with readonly = 1 by default
• Query Filtering: Only SELECT, SHOW, DESCRIBE, and EXPLAIN queries are allowed
• Manual Override: Set CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=false to enable write operations when needed

☁️ Cloud Management Safety

• Protected Operations: Destructive cloud operations (delete, stop) can be enabled
• Safe Mode: Set CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=false to allow infrastructure changes
• Audit Trail: All operations are logged for accountability

🛡️ Security Best Practices

• Minimal Privileges: Create dedicated users with limited permissions
• SSL by Default: Secure connections enabled automatically
• Environment Variables: Sensitive credentials never hardcoded
• Timeout Controls: Prevent runaway queries and operations

⚡ Quick Configuration

Claude Desktop Setup

1. Open your Claude Desktop configuration file:

   • macOS:~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
   • Windows:%APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Choose your configuration based on your use case:

For Your Own ClickHouse Server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chmcp": {
      "command": "/path/to/uv",
      "args": ["run", "--with", "chmcp", "--python", "3.13", "chmcp"],
      "env": {
        "CLICKHOUSE_HOST": "your-server.com",
        "CLICKHOUSE_PORT": "8443",
        "CLICKHOUSE_USER": "your-username",
        "CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD": "your-password",
        "CLICKHOUSE_SECURE": "true",
        "CLICKHOUSE_READONLY": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

For ClickHouse Cloud Database

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chmcp": {
      "command": "/path/to/uv",
      "args": ["run", "--with", "chmcp", "--python", "3.13", "chmcp"],
      "env": {
        "CLICKHOUSE_HOST": "your-instance.clickhouse.cloud",
        "CLICKHOUSE_USER": "default",
        "CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD": "your-database-password",
        "CLICKHOUSE_SECURE": "true",
        "CLICKHOUSE_READONLY": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

For Free Testing (SQL Playground)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chmcp": {
      "command": "/path/to/uv",
      "args": ["run", "--with", "chmcp", "--python", "3.13", "chmcp"],
      "env": {
        "CLICKHOUSE_HOST": "sql-clickhouse.clickhouse.com",
        "CLICKHOUSE_PORT": "8443",
        "CLICKHOUSE_USER": "demo",
        "CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD": "",
        "CLICKHOUSE_SECURE": "true",
        "CLICKHOUSE_READONLY": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chmcp": {
      "command": "/path/to/uv",
      "args": ["run", "--with", "chmcp", "--python", "3.13", "chmcp"],
      "env": {
        "CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_ID": "your-cloud-key-id",
        "CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_SECRET": "your-cloud-key-secret"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note:CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY defaults to true (monitoring-only mode). Add "CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY": "false" for full access.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chmcp": {
      "command": "/path/to/uv",
      "args": ["run", "--with", "chmcp", "--python", "3.13", "chmcp"],
      "env": {
        "CLICKHOUSE_HOST": "your-instance.clickhouse.cloud",
        "CLICKHOUSE_USER": "default",
        "CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD": "your-database-password",
        "CLICKHOUSE_SECURE": "true",
        "CLICKHOUSE_READONLY": "true",
        "CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_ID": "your-cloud-key-id",
        "CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_SECRET": "your-cloud-key-secret"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: This enables database analysis (readonly) + full cloud management. Add "CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY": "true" for monitoring-only mode.

3. Important: Replace /path/to/uv with the absolute path to your uv executable (find it with which uv on macOS/Linux)

4. Restart Claude Desktop to apply the changes

📦 Installation

Option 1: Using uv (Recommended)

# Install via uv (used by Claude Desktop)
uv add chmcp

Option 2: Manual Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/oualib/chmcp.git
cd chmcp

# Install core dependencies
pip install .

# Install with development dependencies
pip install ".[dev]"

# Install with test dependencies
pip install ".[test]"

# Install with documentation dependencies
pip install ".[docs]"

# Install with all optional dependencies
pip install ".[dev,test,docs]"

# Set up environment variables
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your configuration

⚙️ Configuration Guide

📊 Database Configuration

Set these environment variables to enable database operations:

Required Variables

CLICKHOUSE_HOST=your-clickhouse-host.com   # ClickHouse server hostname
CLICKHOUSE_USER=your-username              # Username for authentication
CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD=your-password          # Password for authentication

Safety & Security Variables

CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=true                   # Enable read-only mode (recommended)
                                           # true: Only SELECT/SHOW/DESCRIBE queries allowed
                                           # false: All SQL operations permitted

Optional Variables (with defaults)

CLICKHOUSE_PORT=8443                        # 8443 for HTTPS, 8123 for HTTP
CLICKHOUSE_SECURE=true                      # Enable HTTPS connection
CLICKHOUSE_VERIFY=true                      # Verify SSL certificates
CLICKHOUSE_CONNECT_TIMEOUT=30               # Connection timeout in seconds
CLICKHOUSE_SEND_RECEIVE_TIMEOUT=300         # Query timeout in seconds
CLICKHOUSE_DATABASE=default                 # Default database to use

[!CAUTION] Security Best Practice: Always use CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=true in production environments. Create a dedicated database user with minimal privileges for MCP connections. Avoid using administrative accounts.

☁️ Cloud API Configuration

Set these environment variables to enable cloud management:

Required Variables

CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_ID=your-cloud-key-id          # From ClickHouse Cloud Console
CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_SECRET=your-cloud-key-secret  # From ClickHouse Cloud Console

Safety & Security Variables

CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=false            # Cloud operation mode (default: false)
                                           # true: Only read operations (list, get, metrics)
                                           # false: All cloud operations permitted (create, update, delete)

Optional Variables (with defaults)

CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_API_URL=https://api.clickhouse.cloud   # API endpoint
CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_TIMEOUT=30                             # Request timeout
CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_SSL_VERIFY=true                        # SSL verification

[!WARNING] Cloud Safety: By default, CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=false allows all infrastructure operations. Set to true in production to prevent accidental infrastructure changes. When disabled, Claude can create, modify, and delete cloud services, which may incur costs or cause service disruptions.

🔑 Getting ClickHouse Cloud API Keys

1. Log into ClickHouse Cloud Console
2. Navigate to Settings → API Keys
3. Click Create API Key
4. Select appropriate permissions:
   • Admin: Full access to all resources
   • Developer: Service and resource management
   • Query Endpoints: Limited to query operations
5. Copy the Key ID and Key Secret to your configuration

🔒 Safety Configuration Examples

# Database - read-only queries only
CLICKHOUSE_HOST=your-instance.clickhouse.cloud
CLICKHOUSE_USER=readonly_user
CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD=secure-password
CLICKHOUSE_SECURE=true
CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=true

# Cloud - monitoring and inspection only (explicitly set to true)
CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_ID=your-cloud-key-id
CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_SECRET=your-cloud-key-secret
CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=true

# Database - all operations allowed
CLICKHOUSE_HOST=localhost
CLICKHOUSE_USER=default
CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD=clickhouse
CLICKHOUSE_SECURE=false
CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=false

# Cloud - full infrastructure management
CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_ID=dev-key-id
CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_SECRET=dev-key-secret
CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=false

# Database - read-only for data analysis
CLICKHOUSE_HOST=analytics.company.com
CLICKHOUSE_USER=analyst
CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD=analyst-password
CLICKHOUSE_SECURE=true
CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=true

# Cloud - monitoring only, no infrastructure changes
CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_ID=monitoring-key-id
CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_SECRET=monitoring-key-secret
CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=true

Example Configurations

# Database only - full access for development
CLICKHOUSE_HOST=localhost
CLICKHOUSE_USER=default
CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD=clickhouse
CLICKHOUSE_SECURE=false
CLICKHOUSE_PORT=8123
CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=false

# Database connection - read-only
CLICKHOUSE_HOST=your-instance.clickhouse.cloud
CLICKHOUSE_USER=default
CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD=your-database-password
CLICKHOUSE_SECURE=true
CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=true

# Cloud management - monitoring only (explicitly set to true)
CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_ID=your-cloud-key-id
CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_SECRET=your-cloud-key-secret
CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=true

If you encounter SSL certificate verification issues:

# Disable SSL verification for database
CLICKHOUSE_VERIFY=false
CLICKHOUSE_SECURE=false  # Use HTTP instead of HTTPS
CLICKHOUSE_PORT=8123     # HTTP port instead of 8443

# Disable SSL verification for cloud API
CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_SSL_VERIFY=false

🛠️ Available Tools

📊 Database Tools (3 tools)

These tools work with any ClickHouse database when database configuration is provided:

• list_databases() - List all available databases
• list_tables(database, like?, not_like?) - List tables with detailed metadata including schema, row counts, and column information
• run_query(query) - Execute queries with safety controls:
  • Read-only mode (CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=true): Only SELECT, SHOW, DESCRIBE, EXPLAIN queries
  • Full access mode (CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=false): All SQL operations including INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE, DROP

[!NOTE] Query Safety: When CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=true, all queries automatically run with readonly = 1 setting and are filtered to prevent data modification operations.

☁️ Cloud Management Tools (50+ tools)

These tools work with ClickHouse Cloud when API credentials are provided. Tool availability depends on the CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY setting:

🔍 Read-Only Operations (Available when CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=true)

Organization Monitoring (3 tools)

• cloud_list_organizations() - List available organizations
• cloud_get_organization(organization_id) - Get organization details
• cloud_get_organization_metrics(organization_id, filtered_metrics?) - Get Prometheus metrics

Service Monitoring (3 tools)

• cloud_list_services(organization_id) - List all services in organization
• cloud_get_service(organization_id, service_id) - Get detailed service information
• cloud_get_service_metrics(organization_id, service_id, filtered_metrics?) - Get service performance metrics

Resource Inspection (8 tools)

• cloud_list_api_keys(organization_id) - List all API keys (metadata only)
• cloud_get_api_key(organization_id, key_id) - Get API key details
• cloud_list_members(organization_id) - List organization members
• cloud_get_member(organization_id, user_id) - Get member details
• cloud_list_invitations(organization_id) - List pending invitations
• cloud_get_invitation(organization_id, invitation_id) - Get invitation details
• cloud_list_backups(organization_id, service_id) - List service backups
• cloud_get_backup(organization_id, service_id, backup_id) - Get backup details

Configuration Inspection (5 tools)

• cloud_get_backup_configuration(organization_id, service_id) - Get backup configuration
• cloud_get_private_endpoint_config(organization_id, service_id) - Get private endpoint configuration
• cloud_list_clickpipes(organization_id, service_id) - List ClickPipes
• cloud_get_clickpipe(organization_id, service_id, clickpipe_id) - Get ClickPipe details
• cloud_get_available_regions() - Get supported regions

Analytics & Monitoring (3 tools)

• cloud_list_activities(organization_id, from_date?, to_date?) - Get audit logs
• cloud_get_activity(organization_id, activity_id) - Get activity details
• cloud_get_usage_cost(organization_id, from_date, to_date) - Get usage analytics

⚠️ Write Operations (Available only when CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=false)

Organization Management (2 tools)

• cloud_update_organization(organization_id, name?, private_endpoints?) - Update organization settings
• cloud_get_organization_private_endpoint_info(organization_id, cloud_provider, region) - Get private endpoint info

Service Management (9 tools)

• cloud_create_service(organization_id, name, provider, region, ...) - Create new service
• cloud_update_service(organization_id, service_id, ...) - Update service settings
• cloud_update_service_state(organization_id, service_id, command) - Start/stop services
• cloud_update_service_scaling(organization_id, service_id, ...) - Configure scaling (legacy)
• cloud_update_service_replica_scaling(organization_id, service_id, ...) - Configure replica scaling
• cloud_update_service_password(organization_id, service_id, ...) - Update service password
• cloud_create_service_private_endpoint(organization_id, service_id, id, description) - Create private endpoint
• cloud_delete_service(organization_id, service_id) - Delete service

API Key Management (3 tools)

• cloud_create_api_key(organization_id, name, roles, ...) - Create new API key
• cloud_update_api_key(organization_id, key_id, ...) - Update API key properties
• cloud_delete_api_key(organization_id, key_id) - Delete API key

User Management (3 tools)

• cloud_update_member_role(organization_id, user_id, role) - Update member role
• cloud_remove_member(organization_id, user_id) - Remove member
• cloud_create_invitation(organization_id, email, role) - Send invitation
• cloud_delete_invitation(organization_id, invitation_id) - Cancel invitation

Infrastructure Management (12 tools)

• cloud_update_backup_configuration(organization_id, service_id, ...) - Update backup settings
• cloud_create_clickpipe(organization_id, service_id, name, description, source, destination, field_mappings?) - Create ClickPipe
• cloud_update_clickpipe(organization_id, service_id, clickpipe_id, ...) - Update ClickPipe
• cloud_update_clickpipe_scaling(organization_id, service_id, clickpipe_id, replicas?) - Scale ClickPipe
• cloud_update_clickpipe_state(organization_id, service_id, clickpipe_id, command) - Control ClickPipe state
• cloud_delete_clickpipe(organization_id, service_id, clickpipe_id) - Delete ClickPipe
• cloud_list_reverse_private_endpoints(organization_id, service_id) - List reverse private endpoints
• cloud_create_reverse_private_endpoint(organization_id, service_id, ...) - Create reverse private endpoint
• cloud_get_reverse_private_endpoint(organization_id, service_id, reverse_private_endpoint_id) - Get details
• cloud_delete_reverse_private_endpoint(organization_id, service_id, reverse_private_endpoint_id) - Delete endpoint
• cloud_create_query_endpoint_config(organization_id, service_id, roles, open_api_keys, allowed_origins) - Create query config
• cloud_delete_query_endpoint_config(organization_id, service_id) - Delete query config

[!CAUTION] Production Warning: Write operations can create billable resources, modify running services, or delete infrastructure. Always use CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=true in production unless infrastructure changes are specifically required.

💡 Usage Examples

📊 Database Operations Examples

Safe Analysis Mode

# With CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=true (recommended for production)
# Only analytical queries are allowed

# Explore database structure
databases = list_databases()
print(f"Available databases: {[db['name'] for db in databases]}")

# Get detailed table information
tables = list_tables("my_database")
for table in tables:
    print(f"Table: {table['name']}, Rows: {table['total_rows']}")

# Execute analytical queries safely
result = run_query("""
    SELECT 
        date_trunc('day', timestamp) as day,
        count(*) as events,
        avg(value) as avg_value
    FROM my_table 
    WHERE timestamp >= '2024-01-01'
    GROUP BY day
    ORDER BY day
""")

# These queries would be blocked in readonly mode:
# run_query("DROP TABLE my_table")  # ❌ Blocked
# run_query("INSERT INTO my_table VALUES (1)")  # ❌ Blocked
# run_query("UPDATE my_table SET value = 0")  # ❌ Blocked

Full Access Mode

# With CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=false (development only)
# All SQL operations are allowed

# Data modification operations
run_query("""
    CREATE TABLE test_table (
        id UInt32,
        name String,
        created_at DateTime
    ) ENGINE = MergeTree()
    ORDER BY id
""")

run_query("INSERT INTO test_table VALUES (1, 'test', now())")
run_query("UPDATE test_table SET name = 'updated' WHERE id = 1")

☁️ Cloud Management Examples

Monitoring Mode (Safe)

# With CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=true (recommended for production)
# Only monitoring and inspection operations

# Monitor organization resources
orgs = cloud_list_organizations()
for org in orgs:
    services = cloud_list_services(org['id'])
    print(f"Organization: {org['name']}, Services: {len(services)}")
    
    # Get service metrics
    for service in services:
        metrics = cloud_get_service_metrics(org['id'], service['id'])
        print(f"Service {service['name']} metrics: {metrics}")

# Monitor costs and usage
usage = cloud_get_usage_cost(
    organization_id="org-123",
    from_date="2024-01-01",
    to_date="2024-01-31"
)
print(f"Monthly cost: ${usage['total_cost']}")

# Audit recent activities
activities = cloud_list_activities(
    organization_id="org-123",
    from_date="2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"
)
print(f"Recent activities: {len(activities)} events")

# These operations would be blocked in readonly mode:
# cloud_create_service(...)  # ❌ Blocked
# cloud_delete_service(...)  # ❌ Blocked  
# cloud_update_service_state(...)  # ❌ Blocked

Infrastructure Management (Full Access)

# With CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=false (use with caution)
# All infrastructure operations allowed

# Create a production service with full configuration
service = cloud_create_service(
    organization_id="org-123",
    name="analytics-prod",
    provider="aws",
    region="us-east-1",
    tier="production",
    min_replica_memory_gb=32,
    max_replica_memory_gb=256,
    num_replicas=3,
    idle_scaling=True,
    idle_timeout_minutes=10,
    ip_access_list=[
        {"source": "10.0.0.0/8", "description": "Internal network"},
        {"source": "203.0.113.0/24", "description": "Office network"}
    ]
)

# Start the service and monitor status
cloud_update_service_state(
    organization_id="org-123",
    service_id=service['id'],
    command="start"
)

# Set up automated backups
cloud_update_backup_configuration(
    organization_id="org-123",
    service_id=service['id'],
    backup_period_in_hours=24,
    backup_retention_period_in_hours=168,  # 7 days
    backup_start_time="02:00"
)

🔄 Safe Combined Workflow Example

# Production-safe configuration for monitoring and analysis
# CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=true + CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=true

# 1. Monitor existing cloud infrastructure
orgs = cloud_list_organizations()
org_id = orgs[0]['id']

services = cloud_list_services(org_id)
active_services = [s for s in services if s['state'] == 'running']
print(f"Active services: {len(active_services)}")

# 2. Analyze data from running services
for service in active_services:
    # Check service health
    metrics = cloud_get_service_metrics(org_id, service['id'])
    
    # Analyze data (read-only queries)
    if service['endpoints']:
        # Connect to database (would use service endpoint)
        result = run_query("""
            SELECT 
                database,
                table,
                sum(rows) as total_rows,
                sum(bytes_on_disk) as disk_usage
            FROM system.parts
            WHERE active = 1
            GROUP BY database, table
            ORDER BY total_rows DESC
            LIMIT 10
        """)
        
        print(f"Top tables in {service['name']}: {result}")

# 3. Generate usage report
usage = cloud_get_usage_cost(
    organization_id=org_id,
    from_date="2024-01-01",
    to_date="2024-01-31"
)

activities = cloud_list_activities(org_id)
recent_changes = [a for a in activities if 'create' in a.get('action', '').lower()]

print(f"""
Monthly Report:
- Total Cost: ${usage.get('total_cost', 'N/A')}
- Active Services: {len(active_services)}
- Recent Infrastructure Changes: {len(recent_changes)}
""")

🔧 Development

Local Development Setup

1. Start ClickHouse for testing:

   cd test-services
   docker compose up -d
   

2. Create environment file:

   cat > .env << EOF
   # Database configuration (development mode)
   CLICKHOUSE_HOST=localhost
   CLICKHOUSE_PORT=8123
   CLICKHOUSE_USER=default
   CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD=clickhouse
   CLICKHOUSE_SECURE=false
   CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=false
   
   # Cloud configuration (optional, safe mode)
   CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_ID=your-key-id
   CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_SECRET=your-key-secret
   CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=true
   EOF
   

3. Install and run:

   uv sync                               # Install dependencies
   source .venv/bin/activate            # Activate virtual environment
   mcp dev chmcp/mcp_server.py          # Start for testing
   # OR
   python -m chmcp.main                 # Start normally
   

Testing Safety Features

# Test read-only database mode
CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=true python -m chmcp.main

# Test cloud monitoring mode  
CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=true python -m chmcp.main

# Test full access mode (development only)
CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=false CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=false python -m chmcp.main

Project Structure

chmcp/
├── __init__.py                 # Package initialization
├── main.py                     # Entry point
├── mcp_env.py                  # Database environment configuration
├── mcp_server.py              # Main server + database tools (3 tools)
├── cloud_config.py            # Cloud API configuration
├── cloud_client.py            # HTTP client for Cloud API
└── cloud_tools.py             # Cloud MCP tools (50+ tools)

Running Tests

uv sync --all-extras --dev              # Install dev dependencies
uv run ruff check .                     # Run linting
docker compose up -d                    # Start test ClickHouse
uv run pytest tests                     # Run tests

🐛 Troubleshooting

📊 Database Connection Issues

Problem: Can't connect to ClickHouse database

• ✅ Verify CLICKHOUSE_HOST, CLICKHOUSE_USER, and CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD
• ✅ Test network connectivity: telnet your-host 8443
• ✅ Check firewall settings allow connections on the specified port
• ✅ For SSL issues, try setting CLICKHOUSE_VERIFY=false
• ✅ Ensure database user has appropriate SELECT permissions

Problem: SSL certificate verification fails

# Temporarily disable SSL verification
CLICKHOUSE_VERIFY=false
CLICKHOUSE_SECURE=false  # Use HTTP instead of HTTPS
CLICKHOUSE_PORT=8123     # HTTP port instead of 8443

Problem: Queries are being blocked

• ✅ Check if CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=true is preventing write operations
• ✅ For development, temporarily set CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=false
• ✅ Review query for prohibited operations (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE, DROP)
• ✅ Use SHOW, DESCRIBE, EXPLAIN, or SELECT queries instead

☁️ Cloud API Issues

Problem: Cloud tools not working

• ✅ Verify CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_ID and CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_SECRET are correct
• ✅ Check API key permissions in ClickHouse Cloud Console
• ✅ Ensure API key is active and not expired
• ✅ For SSL issues, try setting CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_SSL_VERIFY=false

Problem: "Operation not permitted" errors

• ✅ Check if CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=true is blocking write operations
• ✅ For infrastructure management, set CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=false
• ✅ Verify API key has sufficient permissions for the requested operation
• ✅ Review operation type: monitoring operations work in readonly mode, management operations require write access

Problem: "Organization not found" errors

• ✅ List organizations first: cloud_list_organizations()
• ✅ Verify your API key has access to the organization
• ✅ Check that you're using the correct organization ID format

🔧 General Issues

Problem: Tools missing in Claude

• ✅ Database tools require database configuration (CLICKHOUSE_HOST, etc.)
• ✅ Cloud tools require API configuration (CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_KEY_ID, etc.)
• ✅ Check Claude Desktop configuration file syntax
• ✅ Restart Claude Desktop after configuration changes
• ✅ Verify uv path is absolute in configuration

Problem: Safety features not working as expected

• ✅ Confirm environment variables are properly set: echo $CLICKHOUSE_READONLY
• ✅ Check boolean values are strings: "true" not true in JSON config
• ✅ Restart the MCP server after changing readonly settings
• ✅ Test with simple operations first to verify behavior

Problem: Import errors or missing dependencies

# Reinstall with latest dependencies
uv sync --force
# Core dependencies with force reinstall
pip install . --force-reinstall

# With development dependencies
pip install ".[dev]" --force-reinstall

# With all optional dependencies
pip install ".[dev,test,docs]" --force-reinstall

# Editable install with force reinstall
pip install -e ".[dev]" --force-reinstall

🔒 Safety Configuration Troubleshooting

Problem: Want to enable write operations temporarily

# For database operations
export CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=false
# For cloud operations  
export CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=false
# Restart MCP server

Problem: Accidentally enabled write mode in production

# Immediately disable write operations
export CLICKHOUSE_READONLY=true
export CLICKHOUSE_CLOUD_READONLY=true
# Restart MCP server
# Review audit logs: cloud_list_activities()

Problem: Unclear which operations are blocked

• ✅ Database readonly mode blocks: INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE, DROP, ALTER, TRUNCATE
• ✅ Database readonly mode allows: SELECT, SHOW, DESCRIBE, EXPLAIN, WITH (read-only)
• ✅ Cloud readonly mode blocks: create_, update_, delete_*, start/stop services
• ✅ Cloud readonly mode allows: list_, get_, metrics, monitoring, analytics

📄 License

This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0. See the LICENSE file for details.

Developed by Badr Ouali