The CData MCP Server for HDFS defines each connection to HDFS 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/HDFS Data Provider/".
• On macOS, configuration files are stored in "~/Library/Application Support/CData/HDFS 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 HDFS

In order to connect, set the following connection properties:

• Host: Set this value to the host of your HDFS installation.
• Port: Set this value to the port of your HDFS installation. Default port: 9870
• UseSSL: (Optional) Set this value to 'True', to negotiate TLS/SSL connections to the HDFS server. Default: 'False'.

Authenticating to HDFS

There are two authentication methods available for connecting to the HDFS data source, Anonymous Authentication and Negotiate (Kerberos) Authentication.

Anonymous Authentication

In some situations, HDFS may be connected to without any authentication connection properties. To do so, set the AuthScheme to None (default).

Kerberos

When authentication credentials are required, you can use Kerberos. See Using Kerberos for details on how to authenticate with Kerberos.