MSSQL MCP Reader
Read-only Model Context Protocol server for Microsoft SQL Server.
Safe schema discovery, profiling, and querying with zero risk of data modification. Ideal for analysts, auditors, and anyone who needs database exploration without write access.
Architecture
This package is a thin wrapper around @connorbritain/mssql-mcp-core, which contains all shared logic, tools, and governance features. The wrapper selects the "reader" tier and delegates to the core's startMcpServer() function. This design enables:
- Hard separation at the package level — regulated enterprises can guarantee that certain builds physically cannot perform destructive operations
- Independent versioning — each tier can be published separately with its own release cycle
- Clear audit trail —
"we only allow mssql-mcp-reader in prod"is a compile-time guarantee
The core library handles all SQL Server connections, tool dispatch, audit logging, and governance enforcement.
Package Tiers
| Package | npm | Tools | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| mssql-mcp-reader (this) | @connorbritain/mssql-mcp-reader | 14 read-only | Analysts, auditors, safe exploration |
| mssql-mcp-writer | @connorbritain/mssql-mcp-writer | 17 (reader + data ops) | Data engineers, ETL developers |
| mssql-mcp-server | @connorbritain/mssql-mcp-server | 20 (all tools) | DBAs, full admin access |
Config Builder — Visual wizard to generate your mcp_config.json and environments.json files.
Tools Included
| Category | Tools |
|---|---|
| Discovery | search_schema, describe_table, list_table, list_databases, list_environments |
| Profiling | profile_table, inspect_relationships, inspect_dependencies, explain_query |
| Querying | read_data (SELECT only) |
| Scripts | list_scripts, run_script (readonly scripts only) |
| Operations | test_connection, validate_environment_config |
Not included: insert_data, update_data, delete_data, create_table, create_index, drop_table
Quick Start
Install
npm install -g @connorbritain/mssql-mcp-reader@latest
MCP Client Configuration
{
"mcpServers": {
"mssql": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["@connorbritain/mssql-mcp-reader@latest"],
"env": {
"SERVER_NAME": "127.0.0.1",
"DATABASE_NAME": "mydb",
"SQL_AUTH_MODE": "sql",
"SQL_USERNAME": "readonly_user",
"SQL_PASSWORD": "YourPassword123"
}
}
}
}
Configuration
| Variable | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
SERVER_NAME | Yes | SQL Server hostname/IP |
DATABASE_NAME | Yes | Target database |
SQL_AUTH_MODE | sql, windows, or aad (default: aad) | |
SQL_USERNAME / SQL_PASSWORD | Required for sql/windows modes | |
ENVIRONMENTS_CONFIG_PATH | Path to multi-environment JSON config | |
SCRIPTS_PATH | Path to named SQL scripts directory | |
AUDIT_LOG_PATH | Custom audit log path |
Features
All packages in the MSSQL MCP family share:
- Multi-environment support - Named database environments (prod, staging, dev) with per-environment policies
- Governance controls -
allowedTools,deniedTools,allowedSchemas,deniedSchemas,requireApproval - Audit logging - JSON Lines logs with session IDs and auto-redaction
- Secret management -
${secret:NAME}placeholders for secure credential handling - Named SQL scripts - Pre-approved parameterized queries with governance controls
Documentation
Full documentation, configuration examples, and governance details are available in the main repository:
MSSQL MCP Server Documentation
License
MIT License. See LICENSE for details.
Repository: https://github.com/ConnorBritain/mssql-mcp-reader Issues: https://github.com/ConnorBritain/mssql-mcp-reader/issues npm: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@connorbritain/mssql-mcp-reader