MCP Server
Data Island includes a built-in Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that lets AI assistants like Claude, ChatGPT, and Copilot interact with your data directly. Ask questions in natural language and get back SQL-powered answers.
What is MCP?
The Model Context Protocol is an open standard that allows AI assistants to connect to external data sources and tools. Instead of copying data into a chat window, MCP gives the AI direct, permission-aware access to query your tables, explore schemas, and store findings.
Open source: MCP is an open protocol maintained by Anthropic. Any AI assistant that supports MCP can connect to Data Island.
Setup with Claude Desktop
Add the Data Island MCP server to your Claude Desktop configuration file.
macOS
Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"dataisland": {
"command": "supertable",
"args": ["mcp", "start"],
"env": {
"SUPERTABLE_ORGANIZATION": "my-org",
"SUPERTABLE_SUPERUSER_TOKEN": "your-token",
"SUPERTABLE_API_URL": "http://localhost:8050"
}
}
}
}Windows
Edit %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json with the same configuration.
After saving the config, restart Claude Desktop. You should see the Data Island tools appear in the tool picker.
Available Tools
The MCP server exposes 24 tools organized into four categories.
Discovery (6 tools)
Explore your data landscape without writing any code.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
list_tables |
List all available tables with row counts and metadata |
describe_table |
Get full schema with column names, types, and descriptions |
get_table_stats |
Retrieve storage size, partition count, and version info |
sample_data |
Preview a random sample of rows from a table |
list_versions |
Show the version history of a table |
search_columns |
Find columns matching a name or type pattern across all tables |
Query (6 tools)
Run SQL, profile data, and get type-aware results.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
execute_query |
Run a SQL query and return results as a table |
explain_query |
Show the query execution plan |
profile_column |
Get min, max, mean, nulls, unique count for a column |
count_rows |
Fast row count for a table or filtered subset |
time_travel_query |
Query data as of a specific timestamp or version |
compare_versions |
Diff two versions of a table to see what changed |
Feedback (6 tools)
Store analysis results and annotate findings for collaboration.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
store_finding |
Save an analysis finding with title, description, and evidence |
list_findings |
Retrieve previously stored findings |
annotate_column |
Add a description or tag to a column |
annotate_table |
Add a description or tag to a table |
flag_quality_issue |
Report a data quality issue for a table or column |
suggest_query |
Get SQL query suggestions based on the table schema |
State (6 tools)
Persist conversation context across sessions.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
save_context |
Persist the current analysis context for future sessions |
load_context |
Restore a previously saved context |
list_contexts |
List all saved analysis contexts |
delete_context |
Remove a saved context |
save_query_bookmark |
Bookmark a useful query for reuse |
list_bookmarks |
List all saved query bookmarks |
Example Conversation
Here is what interacting with Data Island through an AI assistant looks like.
User:
What tables do I have, and which one has the most rows?
Claude:
I'll check your tables using the Data Island MCP tools.
Used tool: list_tables
You have 5 tables. The largest is events with 2.4 million rows, followed by sensors with 840,000 rows.
User:
Show me a breakdown of event types from last week.
Claude:
Used tool: execute_query with SQL:
SELECT event_type, COUNT(*) FROM events WHERE timestamp > NOW() - INTERVAL '7 days' GROUP BY event_type ORDER BY 2 DESC
Security
The MCP server respects all RBAC policies configured in Gatekeeper. The AI assistant can only access tables and operations that the configured token allows. No data leaves your infrastructure.
Important: Use a scoped API key with minimal permissions for the MCP server, not the superuser token. Grant read-only access unless the assistant needs to write data.