What is Unity Catalog

The mcp-server-unitycatalog is a Model Context Protocol server designed for interaction with Unity Catalog, providing various Unity Catalog Functions as tools for users. It is aimed at enabling easy management and access to functions registered within Unity Catalog.

Use cases

This server can be utilized for tasks such as listing functions, retrieving specific function details, creating new functions, and deleting existing ones within Unity Catalog. It is particularly useful for developers and data scientists looking to leverage cataloged functions in their workflows.

How to use

To set up the server, users need to configure several required parameters like the Unity Catalog server URL, catalog name, and schema name. The server can be run using the uv command-line interface or through Docker. Additional configurations can be made using environment variables or command-line options as needed.

Key features

Key features include the ability to list, retrieve, create, and delete functions within Unity Catalog. The server supports logging, provides an experimental API for creating functions, and is designed to facilitate seamless integration with the Unity Catalog functions framework.

Where to use

The mcp-server-unitycatalog can be used in environments where Unity Catalog is implemented, particularly in data engineering, data science, and analytics workflows. It’s suitable for applications that require dynamic function management and integration with cataloged data processing functions.

mcp-server-unitycatalog: An Unity Catalog MCP server

Overview

A Model Context Protocol server for Unity Catalog. This server provides Unity Catalog Functions as MCP tools.

Tools

You can use all Unity Catalog Functions registered in Unity Catalog alongside the following predefined Unity Catalog AI tools:

1. uc_list_functions

   • Lists functions within the specified parent catalog and schema.
   • Returns: A list of functions retrieved from Unity Catalog.

2. uc_get_function

   • Gets a function within a parent catalog and schema.
   • Input:
     • name (string): The name of the function (not fully-qualified).
   • Returns: A function details retrieved from Unity Catalog.

3. uc_create_function

   • Creates a function within a parent catalog and schema. WARNING: This API is experimental and will change in future versions.
   • Input:
     • name (string): The name of the function (not fully-qualified).
     • script (string): The Python script including the function to be registered.
   • Returns: A function details created within Unity Catalog.

4. uc_delete_function

   • Deletes a function within a parent catalog and schema.
   • Input:
     • name (string): The name of the function (not fully-qualified).
   • Returns: None.

Installation

Using uv

When using uv no specific installation is needed. We will use
uvx to directly run mcp-server-git.

Configuration

These values can also be set via CLI options or .env environment variables. Required arguments are the Unity Catalog server, catalog, and schema, while the access token and verbosity level are optional. Run uv run mcp-server-unitycatalog --help for more detailed configuration options.

Usage with Claude Desktop or VSCode Cline

Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json (or cline_mcp_settings.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unitycatalog": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/<path to your local git repository>/mcp-server-unitycatalog",
        "run",
        "mcp-server-unitycatalog",
        "--uc_server",
        "<your unity catalog url>",
        "--uc_catalog",
        "<your catalog name>",
        "--uc_schema",
        "<your schema name>"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unitycatalog": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "mcp/unitycatalog",
        "--uc_server",
        "<your unity catalog url>",
        "--uc_catalog",
        "<your catalog name>",
        "--uc_schema",
        "<your schema name>"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Building

Docker:

docker build -t mcp/unitycatalog .   

Future Plans

• [x] Implement support for list_functions.
• [x] Implement support for get_function.
• [x] Implement support for create_python_function.
• [x] Implement support for execute_function.
• [x] Implement support for delete_function.
• [ ] Implement semantic catalog explorer tools.
• [x] Add Docker image.
• [ ] Implement use_xxx methods. In the current implementation, catalog and schema need to be defined when starting the server. However, they will be implemented as use_catalog and use_schema functions, dynamically updating the list of available functions when the use_xxx is executed.

License

This MCP server is licensed under the MIT License. This means you are free to use, modify, and distribute the software, subject to the terms and conditions of the MIT License. For more details, please see the LICENSE file in the project repository.