As Generative AI evolves from simple conversational text generation into agentic workflows—where LLMs reason, query, inspect, and maintain enterprise infrastructure—securely connecting models to your relational databases has never been more vital. Today, we are thrilled to announce the release of the InterBase MCP Server v1.0 demo project on GitHub!
What is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server?
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard designed to standardize how Large Language Models securely access external tools, data sources, and services.
Rather than writing custom, one-off API wrappers for every LLM or client application, MCP establishes a unified protocol built around three main capabilities:
- Tools: Executable functions that allow LLMs to perform actions (like executing queries or triggering administration tasks).
- Resources: Contextual data sources provided to the model (such as schemas or reference documentation).
- Prompts: Reusable templates that guide how the AI approaches specific tasks.
An MCP Server acts as an intelligent intermediary. When an AI client wants to analyze database constraints or fetch operational records, it communicates with the MCP server using standard JSON-RPC over safe transport channels, keeping your infrastructure controlled and secure.
Built with the Dext Framework for Delphi
The InterBase MCP Server project requires Delphi 13.0 or newer when building from source and has a strict dependency on the Dext Framework.
What is Dext?
Dext is a modern full-stack framework designed for Delphi (Object Pascal) development. Bringing enterprise-grade architecture patterns (similar to ASP.NET Core) to native Pascal, Dext provides:
- Clean Architecture & Dependency Injection: Keeps database interactions cleanly decoupled, testable, and maintainable.
- Native Protocol Handling: Offers robust primitives for managing JSON-RPC communication, routing, and tool registries.
- Zero-Cold-Start Performance: Delivers lightning-fast compilation and execution speeds straight to native machine code without virtual machine overhead.
Key Features & Tool Categories
The InterBase MCP Server exposes 30 MCP tools organized across five distinct operational categories:
| Category | Key Tools & Capabilities |
|---|---|
| 🔍 Schema Introspection | get_database_info, get_tables, get_views, get_columns, get_indexes, get_foreign_keys, get_check_constraints, get_stored_procedures, get_triggers, get_functions, get_generators, get_exceptions, get_domains
Deeply analyzes database structures, tables, views, fields, constraints, stored logic, UDFs, sequences, exceptions, and domain definitions. |
| ⚡ Query Execution | open_cursor, execute_sql, execute_procedure, explain_plan
Executes read-only SELECT queries via cursor, handles non-query statements (DML/DDL), executes stored procedures safely, and retrieves InterBase execution plans for index optimization. |
| 📈 Performance & Monitoring | stat_attachments, stat_database, stat_transactions, stat_statements, stat_procedures, stat_triggers, stat_pools, stat_pool_blocks, stat_heaps, stat_indices, stat_relations
Monitors real-time database activity, connections, transactions, active statements, cached logic, memory pool allocations, and relation cache usage. |
| 🛡️ Security & Auditing | get_user_privileges, list_roles, get_role_members, get_audit_log
Inspects granted user privileges, lists database roles/members, and reads daily tool-execution audit logs with filtering support. |
| 🧰 Database Management | backup_database, restore_database, validate_database, sweep_database
Executes DBA-level maintenance tasks, database integrity validation/repairs, storage sweeps, and backup/restore routines. |
Configuration & Security Policy
Security is a top priority when granting AI agents access to database systems. The server is configured via an INI file (such as mcp_interbase.ini) and includes fine-grained access controls:
- DML & DDL Guards: Built-in blocking lists (ForbiddenDML and ForbiddenDDL) prevent unintended statements (e.g., DROP, TRUNCATE, ALTER) from executing.
- Hierarchical Role Secrets: Configurable shared secrets enforce access tiers across VIEW (read-only), CRUD (write actions), and DBA (administrative operations) levels.
- Audit Logging: Logs tool executions to structured JSON lines (logs/audit.jsonl) for compliance and review.
Installation Options
Whether you want to get up and running instantly or customize the server code in Delphi, you have two flexible path options:
Option A: Pre-built Releases (Quickest)
If you want to deploy without compiling, download the v1.0 release assets directly from the GitHub Releases page.
- Requirements: InterBase must be installed on the system (at a minimum, the InterBase Client DLLs / libraries are required to establish database connections).
- Available Packages:
- 🪟 Windows (x64): mcp_interbase-win64-v1.0.zip
- 🐧 Linux (x86_64): mcp_interbase-linux-x86-64-v1.0.zip
- ⚙️ Configuration Template: mcp_interbase.template.ini
- Download and extract the zip archive for your platform.
- Rename mcp_interbase.template.ini to mcp_interbase.ini in the binary directory.
- Edit the INI file to set your database path, credentials, and port.
Option B: Build locally with Delphi (Recommended for Developers)
Building locally allows you to extend tools, customize server logic, or contribute back to the project.
- Install Prerequisites: Install Delphi 13.0 (or newer) and install the Dext framework (recommended via TMS Smart Setup).
- Clone the Repository:
git clone https://github.com/Embarcadero/InterbaseMCP.git - Build: Open the project in RAD Studio / Delphi and compile the executable.
Important: The InterBase MCP is designed for InterBase Server, though it also works seamlessly with the free version of InterBase Developer for local testing. If you don’t have InterBase running yet, you can request a trial license for the Server edition at embarcadero.com/products/interbase.
Configuration Example
Set up your database connection, server endpoint, and security secrets in your mcp_interbase.ini configuration file:
[MCPServer] MCPHost=localhost MCPPort=5000 UseHttps=0 SslProvider=OpenSSL SslCert=server.crt SslKey=server.key SslRootCert= [Database] Host=localhost Port=3050 Database=c:\data\employee.gdb UserName=SYSDBA Password=masterkey CharacterSet=UTF8 [Security] ForbiddenDML=INSERT,UPDATE,DELETE,TRUNCATE ForbiddenDDL=DROP,GRANT,REVOKE,SET VIEWSecret=C123F132-6FA5-4816-A660-BB053DA00A50 CRUDSecret=BA643CD1-A0D5-4274-AD61-E48AA717F78E DBASecret=47473810-558E-447B-8A6F-AF67A0B7DBF8 [Logging] AuditPath=logs/audit.jsonl
Note: HTTPS/SSL configuration is currently disabled and will be supported in a future release.
Interact via AI Agents
Once the server is running (either via pre-built executable or local build), connect your preferred MCP client or AI agent to start asking natural language database questions:
Prompt: Write a SQL query for InterBase to return the top 10 customers ranked by total sales value. Include customer ID, name, order count, and total sales amount.
Using the Employee demo database from Interbase, you’ll get something very close to this:
SELECT
c.cust_no AS customer_id,
c.customer AS customer_name,
COUNT(s.po_number) AS order_count,
SUM(s.total_value) AS total_sales_amount
FROM customer c
JOIN sales s
ON s.cust_no = c.cust_no
GROUP BY
c.cust_no,
c.customer
ORDER BY
total_sales_amount DESC
ROWS 1 TO 10
Join the Community
The InterBase MCP Server is open-source under Embarcadero Technologies. We encourage developers to test pre-built binaries or build locally, report issues, or contribute to upcoming milestone releases:
- 🌐 GitHub Repository: https://github.com/Embarcadero/InterbaseMCP
- 📦 v1.0 Latest Release Assets: https://github.com/Embarcadero/InterbaseMCP/releases/tag/v1.0