MCP Trino README

mcp-trino.txn2.com | Installation | Library Docs

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Trino, enabling AI assistants to query and explore data warehouses with optional semantic context from metadata catalogs.

AI assistants excel at querying data but lack organizational context: which tables are trustworthy, what metrics mean, and which columns contain sensitive data. mcp-trino bridges this gap by connecting Trino to AI assistants through the MCP protocol, with an optional semantic layer that surfaces business metadata alongside query results.

MCP Data Platform Ecosystem

mcp-trino is part of a broader suite of open-source MCP servers designed to work together as a composable data platform. Each component can run standalone or be combined to give AI assistants unified access to storage, query engines, and metadata catalogs.

Core Capabilities

Composable Architecture

Import as a Go library to build custom MCP servers
Add authentication, tenant isolation, audit logging without forking
Middleware and interceptor patterns for enterprise requirements

Semantic Context

Surface business descriptions, ownership, and data quality from metadata catalogs
Mark sensitive columns for AI assistants
Connect to DataHub, static files, or build custom metadata providers

Multi-Cluster Connectivity

Query multiple Trino servers from a single MCP installation
Unified interface across production, staging, and development environments

Secure Defaults

Read-only mode prevents accidental data modification
Query limits and timeouts prevent runaway operations
SLSA Level 3 provenance for supply chain security

Features

Execute SQL Queries: Run queries with configurable row limits and timeouts
Analyze Execution Plans: Inspect logical, distributed, and I/O query plans
Discover Schema: Browse catalogs, schemas, and tables across clusters
Describe Tables: View column definitions with optional data samples
Enrich with Context: Surface business metadata, ownership, and data quality
Compose Custom Servers: Import as a Go library with middleware and interceptors

Installation

Homebrew (macOS)

bash

brew install txn2/tap/mcp-trino

Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop is the GUI application for chatting with Claude. Install the mcp-trino extension to enable Trino queries in your conversations.

Option 1: One-Click Install (Recommended)

Download the .mcpb bundle for your Mac from the releases page and double-click to install:

Mac Type	Chip	Download
MacBook Air/Pro (2020+), Mac Mini (2020+), iMac (2021+), Mac Studio	Apple M1, M2, M3, M4 (arm64)	`mcp-trino_*_darwin_arm64.mcpb`
MacBook Air/Pro (pre-2020), Mac Mini (pre-2020), iMac (pre-2021)	Intel (amd64)	`mcp-trino_*_darwin_amd64.mcpb`

Tip: Not sure which chip you have? Click → "About This Mac". Look for "Chip" (Apple Silicon) or "Processor" (Intel).

Option 2: Manual Configuration

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json (find via Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer):

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trino": {
      "command": "/opt/homebrew/bin/mcp-trino",
      "env": {
        "TRINO_HOST": "trino.example.com",
        "TRINO_USER": "your_user",
        "TRINO_PASSWORD": "your_password",
        "TRINO_CATALOG": "hive",
        "TRINO_SCHEMA": "default"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Code CLI

Claude Code is the terminal-based coding assistant. Add mcp-trino as an MCP server:

bash

# Install via Homebrew first (see above), then:
claude mcp add trino \
  -e TRINO_HOST=trino.example.com \
  -e TRINO_USER=your_user \
  -e TRINO_PASSWORD=your_password \
  -e TRINO_CATALOG=hive \
  -- mcp-trino

Or download and install manually:

bash

# Download the latest release for your architecture
curl -L https://github.com/txn2/mcp-trino/releases/latest/download/mcp-trino_$(uname -s)_$(uname -m).tar.gz | tar xz

# Add to Claude Code
claude mcp add trino \
  -e TRINO_HOST=trino.example.com \
  -e TRINO_USER=your_user \
  -e TRINO_PASSWORD=your_password \
  -e TRINO_CATALOG=hive \
  -- ./mcp-trino

Docker

Terminal

docker run --rm -i \
  -e TRINO_HOST=trino.example.com \
  -e TRINO_USER=your_user \
  -e TRINO_PASSWORD=your_password \
  ghcr.io/txn2/mcp-trino:latest

Go Install

bash

go install github.com/txn2/mcp-trino/cmd/mcp-trino@latest

Download Binary

Download pre-built binaries from the releases page. All releases are signed with Cosign and include SLSA provenance.

As a Library

bash

go get github.com/txn2/mcp-trino

Quick Start

Multiple Trino Servers

You can configure multiple Trino instances with different names:

bash

# Production
claude mcp add trino-prod \
  -e TRINO_HOST=trino.prod.example.com \
  -e TRINO_USER=prod_user \
  -- mcp-trino

# Staging
claude mcp add trino-staging \
  -e TRINO_HOST=trino.staging.example.com \
  -e TRINO_USER=staging_user \
  -- mcp-trino

Standalone Server

server.ts

export TRINO_HOST=trino.example.com
export TRINO_USER=your_user
export TRINO_PASSWORD=your_password
mcp-trino

Tools

Tool	Description
`trino_query`	Execute read-only SQL queries (SELECT, SHOW, DESCRIBE) with limit/timeout control
`trino_execute`	Execute any SQL including write operations (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE, DROP)
`trino_explain`	Get execution plans (logical/distributed/io/validate)
`trino_browse`	Browse catalog hierarchy: list catalogs, schemas, or tables
`trino_describe_table`	Get columns, sample data, and semantic context (if configured)
`trino_list_connections`	List all configured server connections

Semantic Layer

AI agents operate more reliably when they understand organizational context: not just table structures, but which datasets are production-ready, what business terms mean, and which columns require careful handling.

mcp-trino's semantic layer integrates with metadata catalogs to surface this context alongside query results:

Metadata	Description
Descriptions	Business-friendly explanations of tables and columns
Ownership	Data stewards and technical owners
Tags & Domains	Classification labels and business domains
Glossary Terms	Links to formal business definitions
Data Quality	Freshness scores and quality metrics
Sensitivity	PII and sensitive data markers at column level
Lineage	Upstream and downstream data dependencies

Providers

Provider	Description
DataHub	Connect to DataHub's GraphQL API for enterprise metadata
Static Files	Load metadata from YAML or JSON files with hot-reload
Custom	Implement the `semantic.Provider` interface for any catalog

See the Semantic Layer Documentation for configuration, caching, and custom provider development.

Configuration

Environment Variable	Description	Default
`TRINO_HOST`	Trino server hostname	`localhost`
`TRINO_PORT`	Trino server port	`443` (SSL) / `8080`
`TRINO_USER`	Authentication username	(required)
`TRINO_PASSWORD`	Authentication password	(optional)
`TRINO_CATALOG`	Default catalog	`memory`
`TRINO_SCHEMA`	Default schema	`default`
`TRINO_SSL`	Enable HTTPS	`true` for remote hosts
`TRINO_SSL_VERIFY`	Verify SSL certificates	`true`
`TRINO_TIMEOUT`	Query timeout (seconds)	`120`
`TRINO_SOURCE`	Client identifier	`mcp-trino`
`TRINO_ADDITIONAL_SERVERS`	Additional servers (JSON)	(optional)

Multi-Server Configuration

Connect to multiple Trino servers from a single installation. Configure your primary server with the standard environment variables, then add additional servers via JSON:

server.ts

export TRINO_HOST=prod.trino.example.com
export TRINO_USER=admin
export TRINO_PASSWORD=secret
export TRINO_ADDITIONAL_SERVERS='{
  "staging": {"host": "staging.trino.example.com"},
  "dev": {"host": "localhost", "port": 8080, "ssl": false}
}'

Additional servers inherit credentials and settings from the primary server unless overridden:

config.json

{
  "staging": {
    "host": "staging.trino.example.com",
    "user": "staging_user",
    "catalog": "iceberg"
  },
  "dev": {
    "host": "localhost",
    "port": 8080,
    "ssl": false,
    "user": "admin"
  }
}

Use the connection parameter in any tool to target a specific server:

Dockerfile

"Query the staging server: SELECT * FROM users LIMIT 10"
→ trino_query(sql="...", connection="staging")

Use trino_list_connections to discover available connections.

File-Based Configuration

For production deployments using Kubernetes ConfigMaps, Vault, or other secret management systems, mcp-trino supports file-based configuration:

yaml

# config.yaml
trino:
  host: trino.example.com
  port: 443
  user: ${TRINO_USER}           # Supports env var expansion
  password: ${TRINO_PASSWORD}   # Secrets can come from env
  catalog: hive
  schema: default
  ssl: true
  timeout: 120s

toolkit:
  default_limit: 1000
  max_limit: 10000
  default_timeout: 120s
  max_timeout: 300s

extensions:
  logging: true
  readonly: true
  errors: true

Load configuration in your custom server:

server.ts

import "github.com/txn2/mcp-trino/pkg/extensions"

// Load from file with env var overrides
cfg, err := extensions.LoadConfig("/etc/mcp-trino/config.yaml")

// Convert to individual configs
clientCfg := cfg.ClientConfig()
toolsCfg := cfg.ToolsConfig()
extCfg := cfg.ExtConfig()

Using as a Library

mcp-trino is designed to be composable. You can import its tools into your own MCP server:

server.ts

package main

import (
    "context"
    "log"

    "github.com/modelcontextprotocol/go-sdk/mcp"
    "github.com/txn2/mcp-trino/pkg/client"
    "github.com/txn2/mcp-trino/pkg/tools"
)

func main() {
    // Create your MCP server
    server := mcp.NewServer(&mcp.Implementation{
        Name:    "my-data-server",
        Version: "1.0.0",
    }, nil)

    // Create Trino client
    trinoClient, err := client.New(client.Config{
        Host:    "trino.example.com",
        Port:    443,
        User:    "service_user",
        SSL:     true,
        Catalog: "hive",
        Schema:  "analytics",
    })
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
    defer trinoClient.Close()

    // Add Trino tools to your server
    toolkit := tools.NewToolkit(trinoClient, tools.Config{
        DefaultLimit: 1000,
        MaxLimit:     10000,
    })
    toolkit.RegisterAll(server)

    // Add your own custom tools here...
    // mcp.AddTool(server, &mcp.Tool{...}, handler)

    // Run the server
    if err := server.Run(context.Background(), &mcp.StdioTransport{}); err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
}

Extensions

The standalone server includes optional extensions that can be enabled via environment variables:

Environment Variable	Default	Description
`MCP_TRINO_EXT_LOGGING`	`false`	Structured JSON logging of tool calls
`MCP_TRINO_EXT_METRICS`	`false`	In-memory metrics collection
`MCP_TRINO_EXT_READONLY`	`true`	Block modification statements (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, etc.)
`MCP_TRINO_EXT_QUERYLOG`	`false`	Log all SQL queries for audit
`MCP_TRINO_EXT_METADATA`	`false`	Add execution metadata footer to results
`MCP_TRINO_EXT_ERRORS`	`true`	Add helpful hints to error messages

Using Extensions in Custom Servers

server.ts

import (
    "github.com/txn2/mcp-trino/pkg/extensions"
    "github.com/txn2/mcp-trino/pkg/tools"
)

// Load extension config from environment
extCfg := extensions.FromEnv()

// Or configure programmatically
extCfg := extensions.Config{
    EnableLogging:   true,
    EnableReadOnly:  true,
    EnableErrorHelp: true,
}

// Build toolkit options from extensions
toolkitOpts := extensions.BuildToolkitOptions(extCfg)

// Create toolkit with extensions
toolkit := tools.NewToolkit(trinoClient, toolsCfg, toolkitOpts...)

Custom Middleware and Interceptors

You can create custom middleware, interceptors, and transformers:

// Custom middleware for authentication
authMiddleware := tools.MiddlewareFunc{
    BeforeFn: func(ctx context.Context, tc *tools.ToolContext) (context.Context, error) {
        // Validate user permissions
        return ctx, nil
    },
}

// Custom interceptor for tenant isolation
tenantInterceptor := tools.QueryInterceptorFunc(
    func(ctx context.Context, sql string, toolName tools.ToolName) (string, error) {
        // Add WHERE tenant_id = ? clause
        return sql, nil
    },
)

// Apply to toolkit
toolkit := tools.NewToolkit(client, cfg,
    tools.WithMiddleware(authMiddleware),
    tools.WithQueryInterceptor(tenantInterceptor),
)

Security Considerations

Credentials: Store passwords in environment variables or secret managers
Query Limits: Default 1000 rows, max 10000 to prevent data exfiltration
Timeouts: Default 120s timeout prevents runaway queries
Read-Only: ReadOnly interceptor enabled by default blocks modification statements
Access Control: Configure Trino roles and catalog access for defense in depth

Development

server.ts

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/txn2/mcp-trino.git
cd mcp-trino

# Build
make build

# Run tests
make test

# Run linter
make lint

# Run all checks
make verify

# Run with a local Trino (e.g., via Docker)
make docker-trino
export TRINO_HOST=localhost
export TRINO_PORT=8080
export TRINO_USER=admin
export TRINO_SSL=false
./mcp-trino

Contributing

We welcome contributions for bug fixes, tests, and documentation. See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

License

Apache License 2.0

Open source by Craig Johnston, sponsored by Deasil Works, Inc.