MSSQL MCP Server

# Best Practices This guide provides performance optimization tips, security best practices, and operational guidance for professional implementation of the MSSQL MCP Server. ## ⚡ Performance Optimization ### Query Optimization **✅ Good Practices:** ``` ✅ Good: "Show customers from New York with orders this month" ✅ Good: "Update orders where status is pending" ✅ Good: "Find products with low inventory (less than 10 units)" ``` **❌ Avoid:** ``` ❌ Avoid: "Show me everything in the database" ❌ Avoid: "Update all orders" (requires WHERE clause) ❌ Avoid: "SELECT * FROM large_table" without filters ``` ### Batch Operations **✅ Efficient:** ``` ✅ Efficient: "Insert these 10 products in a single transaction" ✅ Efficient: "Update multiple order statuses where conditions match" ✅ Efficient: "Create indexes for frequently queried columns" ``` **❌ Inefficient:** ``` ❌ Inefficient: "Insert product A, then product B, then product C..." ❌ Inefficient: Multiple individual updates instead of batch operations ❌ Inefficient: Creating indexes on every column ``` ### Index Usage **Optimization Strategies:** ``` ✅ Optimized: "Create index on frequently queried columns" ✅ Monitor: "Show me query execution plans for slow queries" ✅ Analyze: "Identify missing indexes for common queries" ``` **Index Best Practices:** - Create indexes on columns used in WHERE clauses - Use composite indexes for multi-column queries - Monitor index usage and remove unused indexes - Consider covering indexes for frequently accessed data ### Connection Management **Connection Pooling:** - The server automatically manages connection pooling - Default pool size: 10 connections - Pool timeout: 30 seconds - Idle timeout: 30 minutes **Optimization Tips:** ```bash # Optimize connection timeouts CONNECTION_TIMEOUT=30 # Reasonable for most scenarios REQUEST_TIMEOUT=15 # Prevent long-running queries CANCEL_TIMEOUT=5 # Quick cancellation ``` ## 🔒 Security Best Practices ### Authentication Security **SQL Server Authentication:** ```bash # Use strong passwords SQL_PASSWORD="ComplexP@ssw0rd123!" # Rotate passwords regularly # Use different passwords for different environments ``` **Azure AD Authentication:** ```bash # Preferred for Azure SQL Database # No credentials stored in configuration # Leverages Azure AD security features ``` **Windows Authentication:** ```bash # Most secure for local SQL Server # Uses Windows security context # No password management required ``` ### Connection Security **Encryption:** ```bash # Always encrypt connections ENCRYPT=true # Use proper certificates in production TRUST_SERVER_CERTIFICATE=false # Production TRUST_SERVER_CERTIFICATE=true # Development only ``` **Network Security:** - Use VPN for remote connections - Implement firewall rules - Restrict database access by IP - Use private networks when possible ### Credential Management **✅ Secure Practices:** ```bash # Use environment variables export SQL_PASSWORD="SecurePassword" # Use Azure Key Vault az keyvault secret set --vault-name MyVault --name sql-password --value "SecurePassword" # Use .env files (not committed to git) echo "SQL_PASSWORD=SecurePassword" >> .env.local ``` **❌ Insecure Practices:** ```bash # Never hardcode credentials # Never commit credentials to version control # Never use weak passwords # Never share credentials in plain text ``` ### Production Security **Read-Only Mode:** ```bash # Use read-only mode for production queries READONLY=true # Allows: SELECT, DESCRIBE, LIST operations # Blocks: INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE, DROP operations ``` **Access Control:** - Use least privilege principle - Create dedicated database users for MCP server - Grant only necessary permissions - Monitor database access logs ## 🛠️ Error Handling Patterns ### Connection Issues **Graceful Handling:** ``` You: "Show me all customers" AI: I'm having trouble connecting to the database. Let me help troubleshoot: 1. Check if SQL Server is running 2. Verify connection string in configuration 3. Confirm network connectivity 4. Validate credentials Error: Login failed for user 'sa' Solution: Check SQL_PASSWORD environment variable ``` ### Query Validation **Security Validation:** ``` You: "Delete all customers" AI: I cannot execute this query for security reasons: ❌ DELETE operations are not allowed through the read_data tool ✅ Use specific WHERE clauses: "Delete customers where status = 'inactive'" ✅ Or use update_data tool with proper conditions ``` ### Permission Issues **Clear Guidance:** ``` You: "Create a new database" AI: This operation requires elevated permissions: ❌ CREATE DATABASE requires sysadmin rights ✅ Alternative: "Create a new table in the current database" ✅ Contact your DBA for database creation ``` ## 📊 Monitoring and Logging ### Performance Monitoring **Key Metrics to Track:** - Query execution time - Connection pool usage - Error rates - Database response times **Monitoring Setup:** ```bash # Enable debug logging DEBUG=mcp:* NODE_ENV=development # Log to file node dist/index.js 2>&1 | tee mcp-server.log ``` ### Health Checks **Connection Health:** ```javascript // Regular health check query SELECT 1 as health_check ``` **Database Monitoring:** ```sql -- Monitor active connections SELECT COUNT(*) as active_connections FROM sys.dm_exec_sessions WHERE is_user_process = 1 -- Check database size SELECT DB_NAME() as database_name, SUM(size * 8.0 / 1024) as size_mb FROM sys.database_files ``` ## 🏢 Production Deployment ### Environment Configuration **Development:** ```bash SERVER_NAME=localhost READONLY=false TRUST_SERVER_CERTIFICATE=true DEBUG=mcp:* ``` **Staging:** ```bash SERVER_NAME=staging-sql.company.com READONLY=true TRUST_SERVER_CERTIFICATE=false CONNECTION_TIMEOUT=30 ``` **Production:** ```bash SERVER_NAME=prod-sql.company.com READONLY=true TRUST_SERVER_CERTIFICATE=false CONNECTION_TIMEOUT=30 ENCRYPT=true ``` ### Deployment Checklist **Pre-Deployment:** - [ ] Test all database connections - [ ] Verify environment variables - [ ] Check firewall rules - [ ] Validate SSL certificates - [ ] Test read-only mode functionality **Post-Deployment:** - [ ] Monitor connection health - [ ] Check error logs - [ ] Verify query performance - [ ] Test failover scenarios - [ ] Document configuration ### Backup and Recovery **Database Backups:** - Ensure regular database backups - Test backup restoration procedures - Document recovery time objectives (RTO) - Implement point-in-time recovery **Configuration Backups:** - Backup MCP server configuration - Document environment variables - Version control configuration files - Maintain deployment documentation ## 🔧 Operational Considerations ### Capacity Planning **Resource Requirements:** - CPU: Minimal (Node.js application) - Memory: 256MB - 512MB typical - Network: Depends on query volume - Storage: Minimal (logs only) **Scaling Considerations:** - Each MCP server instance handles one database - Multiple instances for multiple databases - Load balancing not typically required - Consider connection limits on database server ### Maintenance **Regular Tasks:** - Update Node.js dependencies - Monitor security vulnerabilities - Review and rotate credentials - Update SSL certificates - Check database performance **Troubleshooting:** - Monitor error logs regularly - Set up alerting for connection failures - Document common issues and solutions - Maintain troubleshooting runbooks ### Disaster Recovery **Backup Strategy:** - Regular configuration backups - Document all environment variables - Maintain deployment procedures - Test recovery scenarios **Failover Planning:** - Document failover procedures - Test with backup database instances - Maintain emergency contact information - Plan for extended outages --- **Related Documentation:** - [Advanced Configuration](ADVANCED_CONFIGURATION.md) - Complex setup scenarios - [Usage Examples](USAGE_EXAMPLES.md) - Practical examples and patterns - [Troubleshooting](TROUBLESHOOTING.md) - Common issues and solutions - [Platform Notes](PLATFORM_NOTES.md) - Platform-specific considerations