Apache Pinot + Amp: 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 Amp, 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 Amp, 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 Amp
• 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
• Amp installed and configured
• Compatible operating system (macOS, Linux, Windows (WSL))

Installation

Step 1: Install Apache Pinot

Configuration

Step 2: Configure Amp

1. Locate your configuration file:

2. Add server configuration:

Configure MCP servers in VS Code/Cursor settings.json:

```json
{
  "amp.mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@playwright/mcp@latest", "--headless", "--isolated"]
    },
    "semgrep": {
      "url": "https://mcp.semgrep.ai/mcp"
    },
    "sourcegraph": {
      "url": "${SRC_ENDPOINT}/.api/mcp/v1",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "token ${SRC_ACCESS_TOKEN}"
      }
    },
    "linear": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["mcp-remote", "https://mcp.linear.app/sse"]
    }
  }
}

Or add servers via CLI:

# Add HTTP-based server
amp mcp add sourcegraph --header "Authorization=token your-token" https://sourcegraph.example.com/.api/mcp/v1

# Add SSE-based server
amp mcp add linear https://mcp.linear.app/sse

# OAuth login for authenticated servers
amp mcp oauth login my-server \
  --server-url https://example.com/.api/mcp/v1 \
  --client-id your-client-id \
  --client-secret your-client-secret \
  --scopes "openid,profile,email"

3. **Restart Amp**

Completely quit and restart Amp to load the new configuration.



## Examples

Once configured, you can use Apache Pinot in Amp:

### List All Tables

Get overview of available Pinot tables

**Ask Amp:** "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 Amp:** "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 Amp:** "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 Amp:** "Create a histogram showing user activity distribution by hour"

**Expected Result:** Histogram visualization with data aggregated by time buckets



## Testing Your Setup

1. Launch Amp
2. Verify Apache Pinot is available in the tools list
3. Test basic Apache Pinot functionality



## 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

#### MCP Server Not Connecting

**Symptoms:** Server not appearing in tools, Connection timeout, Authentication errors

**Cause:** Invalid configuration, missing credentials, or network issues

**Solution:**
- Verify server URL and command are correct
- Check environment variables are set properly
- For OAuth servers, run amp mcp oauth login
- Review amp logs for error messages

#### Tool Execution Fails

**Symptoms:** MCP tools available but not working, Error messages during execution

**Cause:** Server dependencies missing or permission issues

**Solution:**
- Verify required environment variables are configured
- Check amp.permissions settings for tool restrictions
- Test MCP server independently
- Review server-specific documentation

#### Permission Denied

**Symptoms:** Tool blocked by permission system, Ask prompts for every action

**Cause:** Permission rules restricting MCP tool usage

**Solution:**
- Review amp.permissions in settings.json
- Add allow rules for trusted MCP servers
- Use amp permissions edit to modify rules

#### Apache Pinot not appearing in Amp

**Symptoms:** Server not listed, Tools not available

**Cause:** Configuration or installation issue

**Solution:**
- Verify configuration syntax
- Check Apache Pinot installation
- Restart Amp
- Check logs for error messages



## Next Steps

Now that Apache Pinot is integrated with Amp:

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

## Need Help?

- Search for [Apache Pinot documentation](https://www.mcpstack.org)
- Check the [Amp MCP guide](https://www.mcpstack.org/clients)
- Join the MCP community discussions