Establishing a Connection
The CData MCP Server for SFTP defines each connection to SFTP 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/SFTP Data Provider/".
- On macOS, configuration files are stored in "~/Library/Application Support/CData/SFTP 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.
The CData MCP Server for SFTP allows connecting to SFTP servers.
Connecting to an SFTP Server
SFTP can be used to transfer files to and from SFTP servers using the SFTP Protocol. To connect, specify the RemoteHost. SFTP uses the User and Password and public key authentication (SSHClientCert). Choose an SSHAuthMode and specify connection values based on your selection.
Connecting to Data
Set the following connection properties to control the relational view of the file system:
- RemotePath: Set this to the current working directory.
- TableDepth: Set this to control the depth of subfolders to report as views.
- FileRetrievalDepth: Set this to retrieve files recursively and list them in the Root table.