HANA CLI

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MCP Server Development ​

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server implementation for HANA CLI provides AI assistants with comprehensive tools and workflows to interact with SAP HANA databases.

What is MCP Server? ​

The MCP Server exposes all HANA CLI commands as tools that can be used by AI assistants like Claude, enabling:

  • AI-assisted database queries - Natural language interface to database operations
  • Automated schema analysis - Intelligent exploration and analysis workflows
  • Command recommendations - Intent-based discovery of the right tools
  • Guided workflows - Pre-built multi-step task templates
  • Real-world examples - Usage examples and parameter presets for every command

Key Features ​

  • 150+ Tools - All hana-cli commands accessible via standardized MCP interface
  • 📚 Resources - Browsable documentation and metadata resources
  • 🎬 Prompts - Guided conversation workflows for common tasks
  • 🔍 Discovery Tools - Intent-based recommendations and smart search
  • 📖 Examples - Real-world usage examples and parameter templates for 20+ commands
  • 🔄 Workflows - Pre-built multi-step sequences for common scenarios
  • 🤖 Result Interpretation - AI-friendly analysis and insights from command results
  • 📖 Integrated Docs - 279 documentation pages with full-text search

Quick Start ​

Installation ​

bash
cd mcp-server
npm install
npm run build

Configuration ​

To use with Claude Dev or Cline in VS Code:

json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hana-cli": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["../mcp-server/build/index.js"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Documentation Sections ​

Foundational Topics ​

Advanced Features ​

Implementation Details ​

Architecture Overview ​

bash
MCP Server
├── Tools (150+)
│   ├── Database Commands
│   ├── Analysis Tools
│   └── System Commands
├── Discovery
│   ├── Command Recommendations
│   ├── Smart Search
│   └── Workflow Suggestions
├── Resources
│   ├── Documentation
│   ├── Examples
│   └── Presets
└── Prompts
    ├── Task Workflows
    ├── Troubleshooting
    └── Learning Guides

Common Use Cases ​

1. Database Exploration ​

Goal: Understand database structure and data quality

Workflow:

  1. Use hana_status to verify connection
  2. Use hana_schemas to list available schemas
  3. Use hana_tables to see tables in interesting schemas
  4. Use hana_dataProfile to analyze data quality

MCP Help: Use hana_recommend with "explore database" for guided steps

2. Data Import with Validation ​

Goal: Safely import data from a CSV file with validation

Workflow:

  1. Use hana_import with dryRun: true to preview
  2. Review the dry run output for issues
  3. Run actual import with error handling
  4. Use hana_dataValidator to verify imported data

MCP Help: Use the import-data prompt for guided workflow

3. Schema Comparison ​

Goal: Find differences between DEV and PROD schemas

Workflow:

  1. Execute hana_compareSchema with source and target
  2. Analyze differences in objects, columns, types
  3. Generate migration DDL
  4. Validate differences with team

MCP Help: Use hana_examples for compareSchema to see parameter options

Key Components ​

1. Tools (Commands) ​

All hana-cli commands are exposed as MCP tools with the hana_ prefix:

  • hana_status - Connection and user information
  • hana_tables - List database tables
  • hana_import - Import data from files
  • And 140+ more...

2. Discovery System ​

  • hana_recommend - Get command suggestions from natural language intent
  • hana_search - Search commands, docs, examples, presets, and workflows
  • hana_quickstart - Get beginner-friendly first commands
  • hana_conversation_templates - Browse pre-built task workflows

3. Resources ​

AI agents can browse documentation:

  • hana://docs/overview - Project overview
  • hana://docs/commands/import - Command-specific guides
  • hana://docs/categories/data-quality - Category guides
  • And 276 more...

4. Prompts ​

Guided workflows for common tasks:

  • explore-database - Step-by-step database exploration
  • import-data - Safe data import workflow
  • validate-data-quality - Data quality check workflow
  • And 5 more...

Capabilities Summary ​

FeatureDetails
Tools150+ database commands with full parameter support
DiscoveryIntent-based recommendations, keyword search, category browsing
Examples40+ real-world usage examples with parameter sets
Presets30+ parameter templates for common scenarios
Workflows20+ multi-step task sequences
Documentation279 searchable documentation pages
Error HandlingIntelligent error analysis with actionable suggestions
Result InterpretationAI-friendly analysis and insights from command output

How Agents Use MCP Server ​

Example: Data Import Task ​

bash
Agent: "I need to import customer data from a CSV file"

System: 
1. Calls hana_recommend with intent → Gets import command + 4 related commands
2. User confirms import is correct command
3. Agent calls hana_examples with command="import" → Gets 5 usage scenarios
4. Agent calls hana_parameter_presets with command="import" → Gets preset templates
5. Agent executes import with dryRun:true
6. Agent calls hana_interpret_result → Gets AI-friendly analysis
7. Agent reviews results and proceeds with actual import
8. System suggests next steps: dataValidator, dataProfile, duplicateDetection

For More Information ​

Next Steps ​

Ready to get started? See:

  1. Setup and Configuration - Get MCP running
  2. Features Overview - Understand what's available
  3. Discovery Tools - Learn how to find commands