Anzo MCP Server

Enterprise-grade Model Context Protocol server for Anzo Graph Database. Connect AI assistants to your knowledge graphs with 51+ tools, comprehensive skill-based workflows, and dual API version support (5.4 + 6.0+).

Why Anzo MCP Server?

Transform AI assistants into powerful knowledge graph operators with:

• Plug-and-play Integration: Works with Claude Desktop, Cursor IDE, and any MCP-compatible client
• 51+ Production-Ready Tools: Complete graphmart lifecycle + discovery & optimization
• 15 Expert Prompts: Pre-built workflows including step-by-step linking guides
• Dual API Support: Anzo 5.4 and 6.0+ from same installation
• Enterprise Security: Environment-based credential management
• Dual Transport: stdio for desktop apps, HTTP/SSE for web applications
• SPARQL-First: Native query execution with validation and optimization
• Discovery Tools: Relationship elicitation, coverage analysis, query optimization

---

What's New in v1.2.0

Dual API Version Support

• Anzo 5.4: Use ags-mcp-http-54 or ags-mcp-stdio-54
• Anzo 6.0+: Use ags-mcp-http or ags-mcp-stdio (default)

Enhanced Skill-Based Workflows

• Internal Linking Guide: 8-step workflow for single-domain entity connections
• Cross-Domain Linking: Minimum spanning tree methodology for multi-domain graphs
• Ontology Design: Best practices for robust ontology creation
• Query Lens Visualization: Interactive data exploration patterns

Discovery & Optimization Tools

• discover_potential_relationships - Find foreign key patterns automatically
• detect_cartesian_product_risk - Prevent query explosions
• calculate_link_coverage_metrics - Analyze linking feasibility
• suggest_minimum_spanning_tree - Optimize cross-domain architecture
• analyze_query_performance - SPARQL optimization recommendations

---

Installation

From PyPI (Recommended)

pip install ags-mcp-server

From Source

cd anzo-mcp-server
pip install -e .

---

Quick Start

1. Set Up Credentials

Create a .env file in your project directory:

# Option 1: Copy the example template
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cambridgesemantics/anzo-mcp-server/main/.env.example
mv .env.example .env

# Option 2: Create manually
cat > .env << 'EOF'
# Anzo Server Configuration
ANZO_HTTP_BASE=https://your-anzo-server.com
ANZO_PORT=443
ANZO_USERNAME=your-username
ANZO_PASSWORD=your-password

# GraphMart Configuration (optional)
ANZO_GRAPHMART_IRI=http://cambridgesemantics.com/Graphmart/YOUR-GRAPHMART-ID

# API Version Routing (optional)
# auto | 5.4 | 6.0
ANZO_API_VERSION=auto

# Client Configuration (optional)
REQUEST_TIMEOUT=30.0
MAX_RETRIES=3
LOG_LEVEL=INFO

# MCP HTTP/SSE bind settings (optional)
# Local default: MCP_HOST=127.0.0.1
# External access (EC2/container): MCP_HOST=0.0.0.0
MCP_HOST=127.0.0.1
MCP_PORT=8000

# Runtime State & Deterministic Discovery (optional, zero-config defaults)
RUNTIME_STATE_ENABLED=true
# RUNTIME_STATE_DB_PATH=.ags_mcp/runtime_state.db
RUNTIME_STATE_TTL_SECONDS=3600
DISCOVERY_MAX_QUERIES_PER_TASK=8
DISCOVERY_MAX_CLASSES=50
DISCOVERY_MAX_PROPERTIES=200
DISCOVERY_SAMPLE_LIMIT=10
EOF

Security Note: Never commit .env files to version control. The file is automatically excluded via .gitignore.

2. Start the Server

For Anzo 6.0+ (Default)

Claude Desktop (stdio transport):

ags-mcp-stdio

Cursor IDE / Web Apps (HTTP/SSE transport):

ags-mcp-http

For Anzo 5.4

Claude Desktop (stdio transport):

ags-mcp-stdio-54

Cursor IDE / Web Apps (HTTP/SSE transport):

ags-mcp-http-54

The HTTP server starts on http://127.0.0.1:8000 by default.

Remote Deployment Note

To accept external connections (EC2/container), bind HTTP to all interfaces:

MCP_HOST=0.0.0.0
MCP_PORT=8000

Also allow inbound TCP on MCP_PORT in your cloud security group/firewall.

3. Verify Connection

The server logs will confirm successful startup:

[info] anzo_client_initialized base_url=https://your-anzo-server.com api_version=6.0
[info] mcp_tools_registered tools_count=51
[info] starting_mcp_server

---

Client Configuration

Claude Desktop

For Anzo 6.0+

Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "anzo-graphmart": {
      "command": "ags-mcp-stdio",
      "env": {
        "ANZO_HTTP_BASE": "https://your-anzo-server.com",
        "ANZO_USERNAME": "your-username",
        "ANZO_PASSWORD": "your-password"
      }
    }
  }
}

For Anzo 5.4

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "anzo-graphmart-54": {
      "command": "ags-mcp-stdio-54",
      "env": {
        "ANZO_HTTP_BASE": "https://your-anzo-54-server.com",
        "ANZO_USERNAME": "your-username",
        "ANZO_PASSWORD": "your-password"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor IDE

For Anzo 6.0+

Create .cursor/mcp.json in your workspace:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "anzo-graphmart": {
      "url": "http://localhost:8000/sse"
    }
  }
}

Then start: ags-mcp-http

For Anzo 5.4

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "anzo-graphmart-54": {
      "url": "http://localhost:8001/sse"
    }
  }
}

Then start (Linux/macOS): MCP_PORT=8001 ags-mcp-http-54 Then start (PowerShell): $env:MCP_PORT='8001'; ags-mcp-http-54

Custom MCP Client

stdio Transport

import subprocess
import json

process = subprocess.Popen(
    ["ags-mcp-stdio"],  # or "ags-mcp-stdio-54" for Anzo 5.4
    stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
    stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
    env={"MCP_TRANSPORT": "stdio"}
)

# Send MCP requests via stdin, receive responses via stdout

HTTP/SSE Transport

import requests

# Connect to SSE endpoint
response = requests.get("http://localhost:8000/sse", stream=True)

# Send tool requests
requests.post("http://localhost:8000/messages/", json={
    "method": "tools/call",
    "params": {
        "name": "list_graphmarts",
        "arguments": {}
    }
})

---

Available Tools

Graphmart Management (11 tools)

Tool	Description
list_graphmarts	List all accessible graphmarts
get_graphmart_info	Get detailed graphmart metadata
create_graphmart	Create new graphmart with configuration
modify_graphmart	Update graphmart properties
delete_graphmart	Remove graphmart and all data
activate_graphmart	Start graphmart for queries
deactivate_graphmart	Stop graphmart
refresh_graphmart	Reload changed layers
reload_graphmart	Full reload of all layers
retrieve_graphmart_status	Check activation state
retrieve_graphmart_layers	List graphmart layers

Layer Operations (10 tools)

Tool	Description
list_layers	List all layers
get_layer_info	Get layer details
create_layer	Create transformation layer
modify_layer	Update layer configuration
delete_layer	Remove layer
get_layer_contents	Retrieve layer RDF data
list_layer_steps	List transformation steps
create_layer_step	Add transformation step
modify_layer_step	Update step configuration
delete_layer_step	Remove step

Ontology Tools (8 tools)

Tool	Description
list_ontologies	List all ontologies
get_ontology_info	Get ontology details
create_ontology	Create new ontology
create_ontology_class	Add class to ontology
create_ontology_property	Add property to ontology
add_ontology_import	Import external ontology
validate_ontology	Check ontology consistency
delete_ontology	Remove ontology

Dataset Operations (6 tools)

Tool	Description
list_datasets	List all datasets
get_dataset_info	Get dataset metadata
upload_dataset	Upload RDF data
modify_dataset	Update dataset properties
delete_dataset	Remove dataset
get_dataset_contents	Retrieve dataset data

Pipeline Management (5 tools)

Tool	Description
list_pipelines	List all pipelines
create_pipeline	Create data pipeline
execute_pipeline	Run pipeline
get_pipeline_status	Check execution status
delete_pipeline	Remove pipeline

Query Execution (5 tools)

Tool	Description
execute_sparql_query	Run SPARQL query
validate_sparql_query	Check query syntax
explain_query_plan	Get query execution plan
query_with_inference	Execute with reasoning
federated_query	Query across graphmarts

Runtime Management (1 tool)

Tool	Description
get_server_capabilities	Return effective API compatibility, deterministic discovery workflow, and runtime limits

---

📚 Available Prompts

1. Knowledge Graph Linking Overview

Complete methodology index and conceptual guide for knowledge graph linking.

Usage:

Ask Claude: "Show me the knowledge graph linking overview"

2. Ontology & Data Layer Best Practices

Step-by-step guide for building ontologies from data layers.

Usage:

Ask Claude: "How do I create an ontology from my data layer?"

3. SPARQL Query Guide

Comprehensive SPARQL syntax reference with optimization techniques.

Usage:

Ask Claude: "Help me write a SPARQL query to find..."

4. Graphmart Workflow

Complete workflow for creating and managing graphmarts.

Usage:

Ask Claude: "Walk me through creating a new graphmart"

5. Layer Management

Best practices for layer operations and ordering.

Usage:

Ask Claude: "How do I organize my transformation layers?"

6. Dataset Operations

Data upload and management workflows.

Usage:

Ask Claude: "How do I upload CSV data to my graphmart?"

7. AGS Query Lens Guide

Interactive graph visualization and exploration.

Usage:

Ask Claude: "Show me how to visualize my knowledge graph"

8. Cross-Domain Linking

Connecting entities across multiple knowledge domains.

Usage:

Ask Claude: "How do I link customer data with product catalogs?"

9. Internal Linking Guide

Fixing "islands" within a single domain.

Usage:

Ask Claude: "How do I connect isolated entities in my dataset?"

10. Troubleshooting Guide

Common issues and solutions.

Usage:

Ask Claude: "My graphmart won't activate, what's wrong?"

---

💡 Usage Examples

Example 1: List All Graphmarts

Natural language request:

"List all available graphmarts"

AI Assistant uses:

{
  "tool": "list_graphmarts",
  "arguments": {
    "expand": "*"
  }
}

Response:

[
  {
    "uri": "http://cambridgesemantics.com/Graphmart/abc123",
    "name": "Customer Knowledge Graph",
    "status": "ONLINE",
    "layers": 5,
    "created": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
  }
]

Example 2: Execute SPARQL Query

Natural language request:

"Find all customers in New York"

AI Assistant generates and executes:

PREFIX schema: <http://schema.org/>

SELECT ?customer ?name
WHERE {
  ?customer a schema:Customer ;
           schema:name ?name ;
           schema:address ?address .
  ?address schema:addressRegion "NY" .
}
LIMIT 100

Tool call:

{
  "tool": "execute_sparql_query",
  "arguments": {
    "query": "PREFIX schema: <http://schema.org/> ...",
    "graphmart_uri": "http://cambridgesemantics.com/Graphmart/abc123"
  }
}

Example 3: Create Ontology Class

Natural language request:

"Create a Product class in the ontology"

AI Assistant uses:

{
  "tool": "create_ontology_class",
  "arguments": {
    "ontology_uri": "http://example.com/ontology/retail",
    "class_name": "Product",
    "label": "Product",
    "description": "A product offered for sale"
  }
}

---

Architecture

┌─────────────────┐         ┌──────────────────┐
│   AI Assistant  │◄───────►│  Anzo MCP Server │
│  (Claude/Copilot│  MCP    │  (stdio/HTTP)    │
└─────────────────┘         └──────────────────┘
                                     │
                                     │ REST API
                                     │ pyanzo
                                     ▼
                            ┌──────────────────┐
                            │  Anzo GraphDB    │
                            │  Knowledge Graph │
                            └──────────────────┘

Components

• MCP Server: Exposes tools and prompts via MCP protocol
• Anzo Client: REST API wrapper for graph operations
• pyanzo: Native SPARQL query execution
• Transport Layer: stdio for desktop, HTTP/SSE for web

---

Security Best Practices

Credential Management

DO:

• Store credentials in .env files (automatically excluded from git)
• Use environment variables in production
• Rotate passwords regularly
• Use service accounts with minimal permissions

DON'T:

• Hardcode credentials in code
• Commit .env files to git
• Share credentials in chat logs
• Use admin accounts for MCP access

Production Deployment

Docker:

FROM python:3.11-slim

WORKDIR /app
RUN pip install ags-mcp-server

# Use secrets management
ENV ANZO_HTTP_BASE=${ANZO_HTTP_BASE}
ENV ANZO_USERNAME=${ANZO_USERNAME}  
ENV ANZO_PASSWORD=${ANZO_PASSWORD}

CMD ["ags-mcp-http"]

Kubernetes:

apiVersion: v1
kind: Secret
metadata:
  name: anzo-credentials
type: Opaque
stringData:
  ANZO_USERNAME: your-username
  ANZO_PASSWORD: your-password
---
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
spec:
  template:
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: anzo-mcp
        image: ags-mcp-server:latest
        envFrom:
        - secretRef:
            name: anzo-credentials

---

Troubleshooting

Server Won't Start

Issue: ANZO_USERNAME environment variable must be set

Solution:

# Verify .env file exists
ls -la .env

# Check contents
cat .env

# Ensure server reads .env
cd /path/to/project
ags-mcp-http

Connection Timeout

Issue: Max retries exceeded with url: /api/graphmarts

Solutions:

1. Verify Anzo server is reachable:

   curl -u username:password https://your-anzo-server.com/api/graphmarts
   

2. Check firewall/VPN settings
3. Increase timeout in .env:

   REQUEST_TIMEOUT=60.0
   MAX_RETRIES=5
   

Claude Desktop Not Finding Tools

Issue: Tools don't appear in Claude Desktop

Solutions:

1. Restart Claude Desktop completely
2. Check config file location:
   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
3. Verify JSON syntax:

   python -m json.tool < claude_desktop_config.json
   

SPARQL Query Fails

Issue: SPARQL query failed: ParseException

Solutions:

1. Validate query syntax:

   Ask Claude: "Validate this SPARQL query: [your query]"
   

2. Check prefix declarations
3. Verify graphmart is activated:

   {"tool": "retrieve_graphmart_status", "arguments": {"graphmart_uri": "..."}}
   

---

Documentation

• Anzo Documentation: https://docs.cambridgesemantics.com/anzo/
• PyPI Package: https://pypi.org/project/ags-mcp-server/

---

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

Development Setup

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/cambridgesemantics/anzo-mcp-server.git
cd anzo-mcp-server

# Create virtual environment
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate

# Install in development mode
pip install -e ".[dev]"

# Run tests
pytest

# Run security check
python check_credentials.py

# Format code
black ags_mcp/

# Type checking
mypy ags_mcp/

---

📄 License

This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

---

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Anzo Graph Database by Cambridge Semantics
• Model Context Protocol by Anthropic
• FastMCP framework
• pyanzo SPARQL client

---

Support

• Email: khandelwal.paresh@siemens.com

---

Roadmap

Completed in v1.2.0

• Dual API support (Anzo 5.4 and 6.0+)
• Skill-based prompt system with markdown workflows
• Discovery and optimization tools
• Enhanced error handling and logging

Planned Features

• Observability with Prometheus and OpenTelemetry
• Response caching layer with Redis
• Advanced SPARQL optimization hints
• Bulk data upload operations
• Real-time change notifications via WebSocket
• Multi-tenant isolation patterns
• Docker Compose quickstart
• Helm chart for Kubernetes deployment

---

Made by Paresh Khandelwal