Apache Pinot + mcp-use: 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 mcp-use, 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 mcp-use, 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 mcp-use
• 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
• mcp-use installed and configured
• Compatible operating system (Python 3.8+, Node.js 16+, pip Installation, npm/yarn Installation)

Installation

Step 1: Install Apache Pinot

Configuration

Step 2: Configure mcp-use

1. Open mcp-use settings
2. Navigate to MCP server configuration
3. Add Apache Pinot server with appropriate settings
4. Save and restart if needed

Examples

Once configured, you can use Apache Pinot in mcp-use:

List All Tables

Get overview of available Pinot tables

Ask mcp-use: "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 mcp-use: "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 mcp-use: "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 mcp-use: "Create a histogram showing user activity distribution by hour"

Expected Result: Histogram visualization with data aggregated by time buckets

Testing Your Setup

1. Launch mcp-use
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

Connection Refused or Server Unreachable

Symptoms: ECONNREFUSED error, Connection timeout, Cannot reach server

Cause: MCP server not running or incorrect URL

Solution:

• Verify MCP server is running and accessible
• Check server URL is correct (protocol, host, port, path)
• Test server URL in browser or with curl to confirm it responds
• Ensure firewall allows connections to server port
• Verify CORS settings if accessing from browser

Import Errors or Module Not Found

Symptoms: ModuleNotFoundError: mcp_use, Cannot find module "mcp-use"

Cause: Package not installed or wrong environment

Solution:

• Verify installation: pip show mcp-use (Python) or npm list mcp-use (JS)
• Ensure using correct Python virtual environment or Node.js project
• Reinstall package: pip install --upgrade mcp-use or npm install mcp-use
• Check package.json or requirements.txt includes mcp-use

Tool Discovery Returns Empty List

Symptoms: list_tools() returns [], No tools available, Tools not found

Cause: MCP server not properly configured or not exposing tools

Solution:

• Verify MCP server is properly initialized and configured
• Check server logs to confirm tools are registered
• Test server directly with MCP inspector or test client
• Ensure server implements MCP protocol correctly
• Verify transport type (HTTP/SSE) matches server configuration

Tool Execution Fails or Returns Errors

Symptoms: Tool call throws exception, Invalid arguments error, Execution timeout

Cause: Incorrect arguments or server-side execution failure

Solution:

• Verify tool arguments match schema definition from list_tools()
• Check required arguments are provided with correct types
• Review server logs for detailed error messages
• Test tool with minimal valid arguments first
• Increase timeout if tool requires longer execution time

LangChain.js Integration Not Working

Symptoms: getLangChainTools() fails, Tools not recognized by agent, Type errors

Cause: Version mismatch or incorrect integration setup

Solution:

• Ensure LangChain.js version is compatible with mcp-use
• Verify TypeScript version meets requirements
• Check tool schema conversion is working correctly
• Use latest versions of both mcp-use and LangChain.js
• Review LangChain.js documentation for agent setup

Transport Type Errors (HTTP vs SSE)

Symptoms: SSE connection fails, HTTP polling not working, Event stream errors

Cause: Mismatch between client transport and server capabilities

Solution:

• Verify server supports the transport type you are using
• Try alternative transport: switch between "http" and "sse"
• Check server documentation for supported transport types
• For SSE, ensure server sends proper Content-Type: text/event-stream
• For HTTP, verify server accepts POST requests with JSON payload

Apache Pinot not appearing in mcp-use

Symptoms: Server not listed, Tools not available

Cause: Configuration or installation issue

Solution:

• Verify configuration syntax
• Check Apache Pinot installation
• Restart mcp-use
• Check logs for error messages

Next Steps

Now that Apache Pinot is integrated with mcp-use:

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

Need Help?

• Search for Apache Pinot documentation
• Check the mcp-use MCP guide
• Join the MCP community discussions