Apache Pinot + Amazon Q CLI: Complete MCP Integration

Apache Pinot is a MCP server that MCP server for Apache Pinot real-time analytics database with SQL query capabilities and metadata access.

When integrated with Amazon Q CLI, you can:

• List and inspect Apache Pinot tables
• View and analyze table segments
• Retrieve and analyze table schemas

This guide provides step-by-step instructions to set up Apache Pinot in Amazon Q CLI, including configuration, examples, and troubleshooting.

What You'll Achieve

After completing this setup:

• Apache Pinot will be fully integrated and operational
• You can use Apache Pinot tools directly in Amazon Q CLI
• All Apache Pinot capabilities will be available for your workflows
• Access to 5 different tools

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

• Apache Pinot broker hostname
• Apache Pinot broker port
• Amazon Q CLI installed and configured
• Compatible operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Installation

Step 1: Install Apache Pinot

Configuration

Step 2: Configure Amazon Q CLI

1. Install Amazon Q CLI

Download and install Q CLI for your platform

Visit: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazonq/latest/qdeveloper-ug/command-line-installing.html

2. Authenticate

Set up authentication with AWS Builder ID or IAM Identity Center

q auth

Note: Follow interactive authentication flow

3. Verify Installation

Test Q CLI installation and configuration

q doctor

4. Install MCP Server

Install the MCP server you want to integrate

Note: Ensure server is accessible from command line

5. Configure MCP Integration

Add MCP server configuration to Q CLI

Note: Use q config commands to set server parameters

6. Test Integration

Verify MCP server works with Q CLI

q chat "Use Apache Pinot to help me"

Configuration Details

Configure MCP servers through Q CLI commands:

# Configure MCP server integration
q config set mcp.servers.apache-pinot.command "apache pinot"
q config set mcp.servers.apache-pinot.args ""/path/to/mcp-pinot-repo""
q config set mcp.servers.apache-pinot.env ""PINOT_BROKER_HOST": "localhost",
        "PINOT_BROKER_PORT": "9000""

# Verify configuration
q config list mcp.servers

Examples

Once configured, you can use Apache Pinot in Amazon Q CLI:

List All Tables

Get overview of available Pinot tables

Ask Amazon Q CLI: "Show me all the tables available in the Pinot cluster"

Expected Result: List of table names with basic metadata and schema information

Execute Analytics Query

Run SQL query for real-time analytics

Ask Amazon Q CLI: "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM events WHERE timestamp > now() - 3600000"

Expected Result: Query results showing event count for last hour

Analyze Table Structure

Get detailed schema information for a table

Ask Amazon Q CLI: "Show me the schema and structure of the user_events table"

Expected Result: Table schema with column names, types, and index information

Generate Data Visualization

Create histogram plots from query results

Ask Amazon Q CLI: "Create a histogram showing user activity distribution by hour"

Expected Result: Histogram visualization with data aggregated by time buckets

Testing Your Setup

1. Run q doctor to verify system health
2. Start Q CLI chat session
3. Ask Q to list available MCP tools
4. Test specific Apache Pinot functionality

Test commands:

q doctor

q chat

q config list mcp.servers

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

uv Command Not Found

Symptoms: Command not found error, uv: command not found

Cause: uv package manager not installed

Solution:

• Install uv using: curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
• Restart terminal or source shell configuration
• Verify installation with: uv --version

Pinot Connection Failed

Symptoms: Connection refused, Broker unreachable, Network timeout

Cause: Invalid Pinot broker configuration or cluster not running

Solution:

• Verify PINOT_BROKER_HOST and PINOT_BROKER_PORT in .env file
• Check Pinot cluster is running and accessible
• Test connection: telnet <broker_host> <broker_port>
• Ensure firewall allows connections to Pinot broker

Environment Variables Not Loaded

Symptoms: Config missing errors, Default values being used

Cause: .env file not found or incorrectly formatted

Solution:

• Create .env file in repository root directory
• Copy from .env.example and modify values
• Ensure no spaces around = in variable assignments
• Restart MCP server after configuration changes

Claude Desktop Not Recognizing Server

Symptoms: Server not appearing, Connection errors in Claude

Cause: Incorrect claude_desktop_config.json configuration

Solution:

• Verify path to uv binary in command field
• Ensure correct path to mcp-pinot repository
• Restart Claude Desktop after configuration changes
• Check Claude Desktop logs for error messages

Installation Failed

Symptoms: Q command not found, Installation errors

Cause: Incomplete installation or PATH issues

Solution:

• Verify installer completed successfully
• Check PATH environment variable includes Q CLI
• Try running q doctor for diagnostics
• Reinstall using platform-specific method

Authentication Problems

Symptoms: Auth errors, Cannot connect to AWS services

Cause: Invalid credentials or network issues

Solution:

• Run q auth to re-authenticate
• Verify AWS Builder ID or IAM credentials
• Check network connectivity to AWS
• Ensure proper AWS permissions are set

MCP Server Not Found

Symptoms: Server command not found, MCP tools unavailable

Cause: Server not installed or not in PATH

Solution:

• Verify MCP server installation
• Check server executable permissions
• Use absolute path in configuration
• Test server independently with direct command

Configuration Errors

Symptoms: Config commands fail, Settings not persisting

Cause: Invalid configuration syntax or permissions

Solution:

• Check Q CLI configuration file permissions
• Verify configuration syntax is correct
• Use q config list to review current settings
• Report issues with q issue command

Apache Pinot not appearing in Amazon Q CLI

Symptoms: Server not listed, Tools not available

Cause: Configuration or installation issue

Solution:

• Verify configuration syntax
• Check Apache Pinot installation
• Restart Amazon Q CLI
• Check logs for error messages

Next Steps

Now that Apache Pinot is integrated with Amazon Q CLI:

• Explore all Apache Pinot capabilities through Amazon Q CLI
• Check out other MCP servers that work with Amazon Q CLI
• Join the MCP community for tips and support
• Consider contributing to Apache Pinot development

Need Help?

• Search for Apache Pinot documentation
• Check the Amazon Q CLI MCP guide
• Join the MCP community discussions