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Oracle has unveiled its Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, a game-changing tool designed to transform how businesses interact with their enterprise data.
This new release empowers developers to build context-aware AI agents that can autonomously query, reason, and deliver insights using Oracle Databases, without the need for complex, custom integration layers.
At the heart of this innovation is Oracle’s focus on agentic applications, AI-driven tools capable of processing and responding to enterprise data in real-time. The MCP server enables these agents to retrieve structured data, understand metadata, and run complex SQL queries, all while operating securely and independently.
Integrated directly into Oracle’s developer tools, the MCP server is now accessible through Oracle SQLcl, a command-line interface included in tools like Oracle SQL Developer Extension for Visual Studio Code (VS Code).
“Oracle SQLcl is the command-line interface (CLI) for Oracle Database and is shipped with popular tools such as the Oracle SQL Developer extension for VS Code,” Oracle stated. “It can now be run as an MCP Server and provides MCP tools that allow an AI assistant to securely connect to Oracle Database.”
Boosting Enterprise Productivity and Adoption
By eliminating the need for manual query construction and middleware, Oracle’s MCP server simplifies workflows across several industries that heavily rely on Oracle systems, including healthcare, finance, retail, and pharmaceuticals.
According to Charlie Dai, VP and principal analyst at Forrester:
“The SQLcl tool inside the MCP server will allow external agents to query metadata, access schema details, generate and execute SQL, and interact with Oracle databases in a structured and standardized way, without needing to build custom integration layers.”
Industry-Specific Use Cases
Raya Mukherjee, senior analyst at Everest Group, pointed out several practical applications:
- In banking and finance, the MCP server can help AI agents retrieve audit trails, generate compliance reports, and perform fraud analysis.
- In retail, AI copilots can extract inventory metrics, identify sales trends, and forecast demand directly from ERP-connected Oracle systems.
This capability means business users can receive tailored answers to specific queries without waiting on pre-built reports or dashboards.
“In the retail sector, AI copilots can extract inventory metrics, analyze sales trends, or forecast demand from ERP-linked Oracle systems without manual SQL, streamlining decision-making,” Mukherjee added.
Security Measures and Best Practices
While the MCP server enhances productivity, Oracle has also addressed potential security risks, particularly around unauthorized access by large language models (LLMs).
“This will limit what is accessible to the LLM,” Oracle advised, urging enterprises to use least-privilege access controls.
The company recommends:
- Routing LLM access through read-only replicas or curated data subsets
- Performing regular audits of LLM-generated queries to monitor for abnormal access patterns
These measures aim to maintain data integrity while still enabling intelligent automation.
For ease of adoption, Oracle has embedded the MCP server into its SQL Developer Extension for VS Code.
“Our SQL Developer Extension for VS Code ships with SQLcl, and upon activation, it automatically registers its MCP server with VS Code for use with Microsoft Copilot,” Oracle wrote.
