MCP Server for Microsoft Project

Build 25.0.9440

Establishing a Connection

The CData MCP Server for Microsoft Project defines each connection to Microsoft Project as a named configuration that Claude can use when sending natural language queries.

You create and manage these configurations using the MCP Configuration Tool. The tool automatically handles formatting, storage, and registration with Claude Desktop.

Understanding Connection Configurations

Each connection configuration is stored in a .mcp file. This file includes the details needed to initialize the connector when Claude starts a session.

  • On Windows, configuration files are stored in "~/AppData/Roaming/CData/Microsoft Project Data Provider/".
  • On macOS, configuration files are stored in "~/Library/Application Support/CData/Microsoft Project Data Provider/".

The .mcp file is a text file that contains a list of connection properties and a timestamp. For example: 

#Tue May 20 15:48:40 EDT 2025
AuthScheme=Basic
User=myUser
Password=myPassword
Security Token=myToken

The configuration tool handles these settings automatically. Each saved configuration enables Claude to launch a dedicated MCP Server instance with the correct connector and options. Manual file editing is not required.

Connecting to Microsoft Project

To connect to the Microsoft Project data source, set these connection properties:

  • URL: A valid Microsoft Project Web App URL, such as http://contoso.com/sites/pwa/.
  • Schema: Either ODataV1 or ODataV2 (default). While ODataV2 can be used for full CRUD operations, ODataV1, which provides more granular data and exposes the custom fields, is superior for reporting purposes. For more information about the available functionality in each Schema, see Data Model.
  • ProjectId (optional): If the Schema is ODataV2, you can use this property to specify a default Project Id for all the operations that require one.

Authenticating to Microsoft Project

There are several authentication methods available for connecting to Microsoft Project, including the SharePoint Online Cookie Service, ADFS, OAuth, and SSO. The supported SSO identity providers are Azure AD, OneLogin, and OKTA.

SharePoint Online Cookie Service

To use your login credentials to connect to Microsoft Project on SharePoint Online, set the AuthScheme to SharePointOnlineCookies, User to your user login, and Password to your user login password.

OAuth

To enable this authentication from all Microsoft Project OAuth flows, you must create a custom OAuth application, and set AuthScheme to OAuth.

The following subsections describe how to authenticate to Microsoft Project from three common authentication flows. For information about how to create a custom OAuth application, see Creating a SharePoint Add-in (Legacy OAuth Model). For a complete list of connection string properties available in Microsoft Project, see Connection.

Desktop Applications

To authenticate with the credentials for a custom OAuth application, you must get and refresh the OAuth access token. After you do that, you are ready to connect.

Get and refresh the OAuth access token:

When you connect, the server opens Microsoft Project's OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the application.

After you grant permissions to the application, the server completes the OAuth process:

  1. The server obtains an access token from Microsoft Project and uses it to request data.
  2. The OAuth values are saved in the path specified in OAuthSettingsLocation. These values persist across connections.

When the access token expires, the server refreshes it automatically.

Web Applications

Authenticating via the Web requires you to create and register a custom OAuth application with Microsoft Project, as described in Creating a SharePoint Add-in (Legacy OAuth Model). You can then use the server to get and manage the OAuth token values.

This section describes how to get the OAuth access token, how to have the driver refresh the OAuth access token automatically, and how to refresh the OAuth access token manually.

Get the OAuth access token:

  1. To obtain the OAuthAccessToken, set these connection properties :

  2. Call stored procedures to complete the OAuth exchange:
    • Call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure. Set the AuthMode input to WEB and the CallbackURL to the Redirect URI you specified in your application settings. The stored procedure returns the URL to the OAuth endpoint.
    • Navigate to the URL that the stored procedure returned in Step 1. Log in and authorize the web application. You are redirected back to the callback URL.
    • Call the GetOAuthAccessToken stored procedure. Set the AuthMode input to WEB. Set the Verifier input to the code parameter in the query string of the redirect URI.

After you obtain the access and refresh tokens, you can connect to data and refresh the OAuth access token automatically.

Automatic refresh of the OAuth access token:

To have the server automatically refresh the OAuth access token:

  1. Before connecting to data for the first time, set these connection parameters:
  2. On subsequent data connections, set:

Manual refresh of the OAuth access token:

The only value needed to manually refresh the OAuth access token is the OAuth refresh token.

  1. To manually refresh the OAuthAccessToken after the ExpiresIn period (returned by GetOAuthAccessToken) has elapsed, call the RefreshOAuthAccessToken stored procedure.
  2. Set these connection properties:

  3. Call RefreshOAuthAccessToken with OAuthRefreshToken set to the OAuth refresh token returned by GetOAuthAccessToken.
  4. After the new tokens have been retrieved, set the OAuthAccessToken property to the value returned by RefreshOAuthAccessToken. This opens a new connection.

Store the OAuth refresh token so that you can use it to manually refresh the OAuth access token after it has expired.

Headless Machines

If you need to log in to a resource that resides on a headless machine, you must authenticate on another device that has an internet browser. You can do this in either of the following ways:

  • Option 1: Obtain the OAuthVerifier value.
  • Option 2: Install the server on a machine with an internet browser and transfer the OAuth authentication values after you authenticate through the usual browser-based flow.

After you execute either Option 1 or Option 2, configure the driver to automatically refresh the access token on the headless machine.

Option 1: Obtaining and Exchanging a Verifier Code

To obtain a verifier code, you must authenticate at the OAuth authorization URL as follows:

  1. Authenticate from the machine with an internet browser, and obtain the OAuthVerifier connection property.

    Set these properties:

  2. Call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure. The stored procedure returns the CallbackURL established when the custom OAuth application was registered. (See Creating a SharePoint Add-in (Legacy OAuth Model).)

    Copy this URL and paste it into a new browser tab.

  3. Log in and grant permissions to the server. The OAuth application redirects you the redirect URI, with a parameter called code appended. Note the value of this parameter; you will need it later, to configure the OAuthVerifier connection property.

  4. Exchange the OAuth verifier code for OAuth refresh and access tokens. On the headless machine, to obtain the OAuth authentication values, set these properties:

  5. Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file.

  6. You are ready to connect after you re-set these properties:

    • InitiateOAuth: REFRESH.
    • OAuthSettingsLocation: The file containing the encrypted OAuth authentication values. To enable the automatic refreshing of the access token, be sure that this file gives read and write permissions to the server.
    • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
    • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your application.

Option 2: Transferring OAuth Settings

Prior to connecting on a headless machine, you must install and create a connection with the driver on a device that supports an internet browser. Set the connection properties as described above in "Desktop Applications".

After completing the instructions in "Desktop Applications", the resulting authentication values are encrypted and written to the path specified by OAuthSettingsLocation. The default filename is OAuthSettings.txt.

Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file, then copy the OAuth settings file to your headless machine.

To connect to data via the headless machine, set these connection properties:

  • InitiateOAuth: REFRESH
  • OAuthSettingsLocation: The path to the OAuth settings file you copied from the machine with the browser. To enable automatic refreshing of the access token, ensure that this file gives read and write permissions to the server.
  • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.
  • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.

ADFS

To connect to ADFS, set the AuthScheme to ADFS, and set these properties:

Example connection string: 

AuthScheme=ADFS;User=username;Password=password;SSOLoginURL='https://sts.company.com';

Supported SSO Providers

Okta

To connect to Okta, set the AuthScheme to Okta, and set these properties:

If you are using a trusted application or proxy that overrides the Okta client request OR configuring MFA, you must use combinations of SSOProperties to authenticate using Okta. Set any of the following, as applicable:

  • APIToken: When authenticating a user via a trusted application or proxy that overrides the Okta client request context, set this to the API Token the customer created from the Okta organization.
  • MFAType: If you have configured the MFA flow, set this to one of the following supported types: OktaVerify, Email, or SMS.
  • MFAPassCode: If you have configured the MFA flow, set this to a valid passcode.
    If you set this to empty or an invalid value, the server issues a one-time password challenge to your device or email. After the passcode is received, reopen the connection where the retrieved one-time password value is set to the MFAPassCode connection property.
  • MFARememberDevice: True by default. Okta supports remembering devices when MFA is required. If remembering devices is allowed according to the configured authentication policies, the server sends a device token to extend MFA authentication lifetime. If you do not want MFA to be remembered, set this variable to False.

Example connection string: 

AuthScheme=Okta;SSOLoginURL='https://example.okta.com/home/appType/0bg4ivz6cJRZgCz5d6/46';User=oktaUserName;Password=oktaPassword;

OneLogin

To connect to OneLogin, set the AuthScheme to OneLogin, and set these properties:

  • User: The OneLogin user.
  • Password: The OneLogin user's password.

To authenticate to OneLogin, set these SSOProperties:

  • OAuthClientId: The OAuthClientId, which can be obtained by selecting Developers > API Credentials > Credential > ClientId.
  • OAuthClientSecret: The OAuthClientSecret, which can be obtained by selecting Developers > API Credentials > Credential > ClientSecret.
  • Subdomain: The subdomain of the OneLogin user accessing the SSO application. For example, if your OneLogin URL is splinkly.onelogin.com, splinkly is the subdomain value.
  • AppId: The Id of the SSO application.
  • Region (optional): The region your OneLogin account resides in. Legal values are US (default) or EU.

The following example connection string uses an API key to connect to OneLogin: 

AuthScheme=OneLogin;User=OneLoginUserName;Password=OneLoginPassword;SSOProperties='OAuthClientID=3fc8394584f153ce3b7924d9cd4f686443a52b;OAuthClientSecret=ca9257fd5cc3277abb5818cea28c06fe9b3b285d73d06;Subdomain=OneLoginSubDomain;AppId=1433920';

Azure AD

To authenticate using Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory), set the AuthScheme to AzureAD. This method allows the server to access your Project Web App (PWA) data through SharePoint Online on behalf of a signed-in user using delegated OAuth permissions.

You must create a custom OAuth application in the Azure Portal and configure it with a redirect URI and the necessary delegated permissions. For complete setup instructions, see Creating a Custom Entra ID (Azure AD) Application.

After registering the application, set the following connection properties:

  • AuthScheme: AzureAD
  • InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH
  • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.
  • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.
  • URL: The project's web app URL.
  • CallbackURL: (optional) The redirect URI that was defined when you registered your application. For example, http://localhost:33333 (or your configured redirect URI)
  • AzureTenant: (optional) The Directory (tenant) ID
If you do not set a custom Scope, the server automatically generates default scopes based on the URL: 
https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/ProjectWebApp.FullControl
https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/AllSites.FullControl
You can override these by setting a custom Scope value

For example: 

AuthScheme=AzureAD;
InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;
OAuthClientId=xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx;
OAuthClientSecret=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
CallbackURL=http://localhost:33333;
URL=https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/pwa/;
AzureTenant=xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx;
Scope=https://contoso.sharepoint.com/ProjectWebApp.FullControl https://contoso.sharepoint.com/AllSites.Read

Copyright (c) 2025 CData Software, Inc. - All rights reserved.
Build 25.0.9440