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

Installation

Step 1: Install Apache Pinot

Configuration

Step 2: Configure Claude Code

1. Install Claude Code

Download and install Claude Code from the official website

Visit: https://claude.ai/code

Note: Claude Code is available as a native application, not via npm

2. Navigate to Project

Open terminal in your project directory where you want to use the MCP server

3. Install MCP Server

Install the MCP server you want to use (e.g., via npm, pip, or other package manager)

4. Configure MCP Server

Add MCP server configuration to project CLAUDE.md file or use --mcp-config flag

Note: CLAUDE.md is preferred for project-specific configuration

5. Test Integration

Start Claude Code and verify MCP server is working

claude

Note: Use interactive mode to test MCP server functionality

Configuration Details

Add to your project's CLAUDE.md file:

## MCP Servers

### Apache Pinot
- **Installation**: apache pinot
- **Configuration**: "PINOT_BROKER_HOST": "localhost",
        "PINOT_BROKER_PORT": "9000"
- **Description**: MCP server for Apache Pinot real-time analytics database with SQL query capabilities and metadata access

Claude Code will automatically detect and load MCP servers from your project context.

Examples

Once configured, you can use Apache Pinot in Claude Code:

List All Tables

Get overview of available Pinot tables

Ask Claude Code: "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 Claude Code: "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 Claude Code: "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 Claude Code: "Create a histogram showing user activity distribution by hour"

Expected Result: Histogram visualization with data aggregated by time buckets

Testing Your Setup

1. Run claude in your project directory
2. Ask Claude to list available tools and verify Apache Pinot tools are present
3. Test Apache Pinot functionality by asking Claude to use specific tools

Test commands:

claude

claude --debug

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

Server Not Found

Symptoms: Command not found errors, Server tools unavailable

Cause: Server not installed or not in PATH

Solution:

• Verify server installation
• Check PATH environment variable
• Install server globally or in project

Configuration Not Loaded

Symptoms: CLAUDE.md changes not recognized, Old server config used

Cause: CLAUDE.md file not in correct location or format

Solution:

• Ensure CLAUDE.md is in project root
• Verify markdown syntax is correct
• Restart Claude Code session

Apache Pinot not appearing in Claude Code

Symptoms: Server not listed, Tools not available

Cause: Configuration or installation issue

Solution:

• Verify configuration syntax
• Check Apache Pinot installation
• Restart Claude Code
• Check logs for error messages

Next Steps

Now that Apache Pinot is integrated with Claude Code:

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

Need Help?

• Search for Apache Pinot documentation
• Check the Claude Code MCP guide
• Join the MCP community discussions