Quickstart (MCP) - Genai Toolbox

Overview

Model Context Protocol is an open protocol that standardizes how applications provide context to LLMs. Check out this page on how to connect to Toolbox via MCP.

Step 1: Set up your database

In this section, we will create a database, insert some data that needs to be access by our agent, and create a database user for Toolbox to connect with.

Connect to postgres using the psql command:
bash
```
psql -h 127.0.0.1 -U postgres
```
Here, postgres denotes the default postgres superuser.

Create a new database and a new user:

{{< notice tip >}} For a real application, it's best to follow the principle of least permission and only grant the privileges your application needs. {{< /notice >}}

sql

  CREATE USER toolbox_user WITH PASSWORD 'my-password';

  CREATE DATABASE toolbox_db;
  GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE toolbox_db TO toolbox_user;

  ALTER DATABASE toolbox_db OWNER TO toolbox_user;

End the database session:
bash
```
\q
```
Connect to your database with your new user:
bash
```
psql -h 127.0.0.1 -U toolbox_user -d toolbox_db
```

Create a table using the following command:

sql

CREATE TABLE hotels(
  id            INTEGER NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY,
  name          VARCHAR NOT NULL,
  location      VARCHAR NOT NULL,
  price_tier    VARCHAR NOT NULL,
  checkin_date  DATE    NOT NULL,
  checkout_date DATE    NOT NULL,
  booked        BIT     NOT NULL
);

Insert data into the table.

sql

INSERT INTO hotels(id, name, location, price_tier, checkin_date, checkout_date, booked)
VALUES
  (1, 'Hilton Basel', 'Basel', 'Luxury', '2024-04-22', '2024-04-20', B'0'),
  (2, 'Marriott Zurich', 'Zurich', 'Upscale', '2024-04-14', '2024-04-21', B'0'),
  (3, 'Hyatt Regency Basel', 'Basel', 'Upper Upscale', '2024-04-02', '2024-04-20', B'0'),
  (4, 'Radisson Blu Lucerne', 'Lucerne', 'Midscale', '2024-04-24', '2024-04-05', B'0'),
  (5, 'Best Western Bern', 'Bern', 'Upper Midscale', '2024-04-23', '2024-04-01', B'0'),
  (6, 'InterContinental Geneva', 'Geneva', 'Luxury', '2024-04-23', '2024-04-28', B'0'),
  (7, 'Sheraton Zurich', 'Zurich', 'Upper Upscale', '2024-04-27', '2024-04-02', B'0'),
  (8, 'Holiday Inn Basel', 'Basel', 'Upper Midscale', '2024-04-24', '2024-04-09', B'0'),
  (9, 'Courtyard Zurich', 'Zurich', 'Upscale', '2024-04-03', '2024-04-13', B'0'),
  (10, 'Comfort Inn Bern', 'Bern', 'Midscale', '2024-04-04', '2024-04-16', B'0');

End the database session:
bash
```
\q
```

Step 2: Install and configure Toolbox

In this section, we will download Toolbox, configure our tools in a tools.yaml, and then run the Toolbox server.

Download the latest version of Toolbox as a binary:

{{< notice tip >}} Select the correct binary corresponding to your OS and CPU architecture. {{< /notice >}}

bash
```
export OS="linux/amd64" # one of linux/amd64, darwin/arm64, darwin/amd64, or windows/amd64
curl -O https://storage.googleapis.com/mcp-toolbox-for-databases/v1.1.0/$OS/toolbox
```
Make the binary executable:
bash
```
chmod +x toolbox
```

Write the following into a tools.yaml file. Be sure to update any fields such as user, password, or database that you may have customized in the previous step.

{{< notice tip >}} In practice, use environment variable replacement with the format ${ENV_NAME} instead of hardcoding your secrets into the configuration file. {{< /notice >}}

yaml

kind: source
name: my-pg-source
type: postgres
host: 127.0.0.1
port: 5432
database: toolbox_db
user: toolbox_user
password: my-password
---
kind: tool
name: search-hotels-by-name
type: postgres-sql
source: my-pg-source
description: Search for hotels based on name.
parameters:
  - name: name
    type: string
    description: The name of the hotel.
statement: SELECT * FROM hotels WHERE name ILIKE '%' || $1 || '%';
---
kind: tool
name: search-hotels-by-location
type: postgres-sql
source: my-pg-source
description: Search for hotels based on location.
parameters:
  - name: location
    type: string
    description: The location of the hotel.
statement: SELECT * FROM hotels WHERE location ILIKE '%' || $1 || '%';
---
kind: tool
name: book-hotel
type: postgres-sql
source: my-pg-source
description: >-
   Book a hotel by its ID. If the hotel is successfully booked, returns a NULL, raises an error if not.
parameters:
  - name: hotel_id
    type: string
    description: The ID of the hotel to book.
statement: UPDATE hotels SET booked = B'1' WHERE id = $1;
---
kind: tool
name: update-hotel
type: postgres-sql
source: my-pg-source
description: >-
  Update a hotel's check-in and check-out dates by its ID. Returns a message
  indicating  whether the hotel was successfully updated or not.
parameters:
  - name: hotel_id
    type: string
    description: The ID of the hotel to update.
  - name: checkin_date
    type: string
    description: The new check-in date of the hotel.
  - name: checkout_date
    type: string
    description: The new check-out date of the hotel.
statement: >-
  UPDATE hotels SET checkin_date = CAST($2 as date), checkout_date = CAST($3
  as date) WHERE id = $1;
---
kind: tool
name: cancel-hotel
type: postgres-sql
source: my-pg-source
description: Cancel a hotel by its ID.
parameters:
  - name: hotel_id
    type: string
    description: The ID of the hotel to cancel.
statement: UPDATE hotels SET booked = B'0' WHERE id = $1;
---
kind: toolset
name: my-toolset
tools:
  - search-hotels-by-name
  - search-hotels-by-location
  - book-hotel
  - update-hotel
  - cancel-hotel

For more info on tools, check out the Tools section.

Run the Toolbox server, pointing to the tools.yaml file created earlier:
bash
```
./toolbox --config "tools.yaml"
```

Step 3: Connect to MCP Inspector

Run the MCP Inspector:
bash
```
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector
```
Type y when it asks to install the inspector package.

It should show the following when the MCP Inspector is up and running (please take note of <YOUR_SESSION_TOKEN>):

bash

Starting MCP inspector...
⚙️ Proxy server listening on localhost:6277
🔑 Session token: <YOUR_SESSION_TOKEN>
   Use this token to authenticate requests or set DANGEROUSLY_OMIT_AUTH=true to disable auth

🚀 MCP Inspector is up and running at:
   http://localhost:6274/?MCP_PROXY_AUTH_TOKEN=<YOUR_SESSION_TOKEN>

Open the above link in your browser.
For Transport Type, select Streamable HTTP.
For URL, type in http://127.0.0.1:5000/mcp.
For Configuration -> Proxy Session Token, make sure <YOUR_SESSION_TOKEN> is present.
Click Connect.
Select List Tools, you will see a list of tools configured in tools.yaml.
Test out your tools here!