Claude Code

This page explains how to connect Claude Code to an already running ShardingSphere-MCP HTTP Server, or let Claude Code start a local STDIO MCP Server. ShardingSphere-MCP is the Apache ShardingSphere MCP Server that exposes database metadata access, controlled SQL queries, and database governance capabilities to MCP-capable AI clients and platforms.

Applicable Scenarios

• Use this page when you want to connect an already running ShardingSphere-MCP HTTP Server to Claude Code CLI.
• Use this page when you want Claude Code to start ShardingSphere-MCP locally through STDIO in a local development environment.
• After integration, Claude Code can inspect logic databases, inspect table structures, run controlled read-only queries, or call database_gateway_validate_runtime_database for preflight validation.

Prerequisites

• Prepare the ShardingSphere-MCP distribution and database configuration by following Quick Start.
• Claude Code CLI is available.
• For HTTP transport, the Claude Code environment can reach http://127.0.0.1:18088/mcp, or the actual MCP Server address you configured.

Integration Steps

Choose an integration method

• Choose HTTP when ShardingSphere-MCP is already started independently, or when multiple applications need to share the same service.
• Choose STDIO when ShardingSphere-MCP is only used in a local development environment and Claude Code should start it on demand.

Configure the integration

Use an HTTP MCP Server:

claude mcp add --transport http shardingsphere http://127.0.0.1:18088/mcp

To make the MCP Server available across all Claude Code projects for the current user, use user scope:

claude mcp add --transport http --scope user shardingsphere http://127.0.0.1:18088/mcp

You can also create .mcp.json in the project root:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shardingsphere": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:18088/mcp"
    }
  }
}

If you want Claude Code to start ShardingSphere-MCP as a local process, use STDIO:

claude mcp add --transport stdio shardingsphere -- \
  /path/to/apache-shardingsphere-mcp/bin/start.sh \
  /path/to/apache-shardingsphere-mcp/conf/mcp-stdio.yaml

Replace /path/to/apache-shardingsphere-mcp with the actual distribution directory.

Verify the integration

Recognition succeeds when:

• Run claude mcp list and confirm that shardingsphere appears in the MCP Server list.
• Run the following command in Claude Code:

/mcp

Invocation succeeds when:

• In a Claude Code conversation, run a minimal validation task such as:
  • Show the tables in logic_db.
  • Show columns and indexes for the orders table.
  • Run database_gateway_validate_runtime_database against a configured runtime database.
• If the tools are listed and the validation query succeeds, the integration is working.

Notes

• When using STDIO, Claude Code must be able to access the local ShardingSphere-MCP distribution and the matching configuration file.
• A single shardingsphere server name should map to only one integration method. If you need both HTTP and STDIO, use different server names.
• See the Capability Catalog for the supported task surface and usage boundaries.
• When SQL execution or rule changes are involved, review the preview content before confirming execution.
• If you want to integrate ShardingSphere-MCP through the Anthropic platform API, use Anthropic MCP Connector instead.

References

Related documents

• Quick Start
• Capability Catalog
• Configuration
• Anthropic MCP Connector

Official references

• Connect Claude Code to tools via MCP