External Integration Paths — MCP Servers for SAP CAP OData

Three approaches to connect external MCP servers to the sflights-mcp CAP OData V4 service. Each serves different use cases and can run alongside the built-in 17-tool MCP server.

Quick Comparison

Aspect	Path 1: gavdi/cap-mcp	Path 2: CData OData MCP	Path 3: odata_mcp_go
Architecture	Middleware inside CAP server	Standalone Java process	Standalone Go binary
Deployment	Merged into your app	Separate process	Separate process
Install	`npm install @gavdi/cap-mcp`	Clone + `mvn install`	Download binary
Runtime	Node.js (same as CAP)	Java (JRE required)	Go (single binary)
Transport	HTTP/SSE (native)	stdio only	stdio or HTTP/SSE
Tool generation	From `@mcp` CDS annotations	3 fixed tools	Auto from $metadata
Auth	Inherits CAP auth (XSUAA)	JDBC connection string	Basic/Cookie/CSRF
CRUD	Full (respects CDS auth)	Read-only	Full CRUD
OData version	V4 (native CAP)	V2 + V4 (via JDBC driver)	V2 + V4
$expand support	Yes (via OData resources)	No (SQL only)	Yes (native)
Code changes needed	Add npm dep + CDS annotations	Zero	Zero
Claude for Excel	Yes (HTTP/SSE native)	No (stdio + Java)	Yes (HTTP/SSE mode)
License	MIT	CData JDBC driver license	MIT
GitHub	gavdilabs/cap-mcp-plugin	CDataSoftware/odata-mcp-server-by-cdata	oisee/odata_mcp_go

Path 1: gavdi/cap-mcp — CAP MCP Plugin (Merged)

Architecture

The plugin runs inside the CAP server as middleware. It adds an /mcp HTTP/SSE endpoint alongside your existing OData endpoint. No separate process needed.

graph LR
    subgraph "CAP Server (Node.js)"
        OData["/odata/v4/flights<br/>OData V4 Endpoint"]
        MCP_P["/mcp<br/>MCP Endpoint<br/>(gavdi/cap-mcp)"]
        CDS["CDS Runtime"]
    end
    subgraph "Custom MCP Server (stdio)"
        MCP_C["cap_ tools (17)<br/>SQLite + Model Introspection"]
    end
    subgraph "Clients"
        CC["Claude Code"]
        Excel["Claude for Excel"]
    end
    DB[(HANA Cloud)]

    CC -->|stdio| MCP_C
    CC -->|"could also use"| MCP_P
    Excel -->|HTTP/SSE| MCP_P
    OData --> CDS
    MCP_P --> CDS
    CDS --> DB
    MCP_C -->|"in-memory SQLite<br/>(offline)"| MCP_C

How It Fits With This Application

Aspect	Detail
Relationship to our MCP server	Complementary — they solve different problems
Our MCP server	Offline model introspection, SQL queries against SQLite seed data, deep CDS analysis
cap-mcp plugin	Live OData queries against running HANA Cloud, auto-generated tools from CDS annotations
Can they coexist?	Yes — register both in `.mcp.json`. Claude Code uses our custom server for development. Claude for Excel uses cap-mcp for live data
Deployment	Plugin deploys WITH your CAP app (same CF app, same MTA)

Setup Steps

1. Install the plugin:

cd sflights-mcp
npm install @gavdi/cap-mcp

2. Add MCP annotations to service entities (srv/flights-service.cds):

service FlightsService @(path: '/odata/v4/flights') {

    @mcp: { name: 'carriers', description: 'Airlines with fleet and route information',
            resource: ['filter', 'orderby', 'select', 'top', 'expand'] }
    @cds.redirection.target
    entity Carriers as projection on flights.Carriers;

    @mcp: { name: 'flights', description: 'Flight schedules with pricing and occupancy',
            resource: ['filter', 'orderby', 'select', 'top'] }
    @cds.redirection.target
    entity Flights as projection on flights.Flights;

    @mcp: { name: 'bookings', description: 'Passenger bookings with customer and flight details',
            resource: ['filter', 'orderby', 'select', 'top', 'expand'] }
    @cds.redirection.target
    entity Bookings as projection on flights.Bookings;

    @mcp: { name: 'connections', description: 'Flight routes between cities',
            resource: ['filter', 'orderby', 'select', 'top', 'expand'] }
    entity Connections as projection on flights.Connections;

    // Add @mcp to other entities as needed...
}

3. Configure in package.json:

{
  "cds": {
    "mcp": {
      "name": "sflights-mcp",
      "auth": "inherit",
      "wrap_entities_to_actions": false
    }
  }
}

4. Test locally:

cds watch
# MCP endpoint available at http://localhost:4004/mcp
# Test with MCP Inspector:
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector

5. Deploy to BTP — no extra MTA modules needed, the plugin rides with the srv module.

Strengths

Most SAP-native solution — follows CAP plugin conventions
Inherits XSUAA auth automatically
HTTP/SSE transport — works with Claude for Excel out of the box
Annotation-driven — fine-grained control over what's exposed

Limitations

Requires code changes (annotations)
Queries go through OData — no raw SQL or complex aggregations
Requires running CAP service (no offline mode)

Path 2: CData OData MCP Server (Standalone)

Architecture

A separate Java process that connects to any OData endpoint via a CData JDBC driver. Runs alongside Claude Desktop as a stdio MCP server.

graph LR
    subgraph "Your Machine"
        CC["Claude Code / Desktop"]
        CData["CData OData MCP<br/>(Java JAR)"]
    end
    subgraph "BTP Cloud Foundry"
        CAP["CAP OData Service<br/>/odata/v4/flights"]
        DB[(HANA Cloud)]
    end

    CC -->|stdio| CData
    CData -->|"HTTP/OData<br/>(via JDBC driver)"| CAP
    CAP --> DB

How It Fits With This Application

Aspect	Detail
Relationship to our MCP server	Independent — runs as a separate process
Code changes	Zero — points at the running OData URL
Coexistence	Register both in `.mcp.json` — CData for live OData queries, our server for offline analysis
Deployment	CData runs locally on developer machines only (not deployed to BTP)

Setup Steps

1. Prerequisites:

Java Runtime Environment (JRE 8+)
CData JDBC Driver for OData (requires license from CData)

2. Build the server:

git clone https://github.com/CDataSoftware/odata-mcp-server-by-cdata.git
cd odata-mcp-server-by-cdata
mvn clean install

3. Configure connection — create odata.prp:

DriverPath=/path/to/cdata-jdbc-odata.jar
DriverClass=cdata.jdbc.odata.ODataDriver
JdbcUrl=jdbc:odata:URL=http://localhost:4004/odata/v4/flights;ODataVersion=4.0
Tables=Carriers,Flights,Connections,Bookings,Customers

4. Register in Claude Desktop config (claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sflights-cdata": {
      "command": "java",
      "args": [
        "-jar",
        "/path/to/CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar",
        "/path/to/odata.prp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Tools Exposed

Only 3 tools (fixed, not auto-generated):

Tool	Purpose
`odata_get_tables`	List all entity sets
`odata_get_columns`	Column metadata for a table
`odata_run_query`	Execute a SQL SELECT query

Strengths

Zero code changes to your CAP project
Works with any OData endpoint (not just CAP)
SQL query interface — familiar for data analysts

Limitations

Read-only (open source version)
Only 3 tools — no model awareness, no schema introspection
Requires Java + CData JDBC license
stdio only — doesn't work with Claude for Excel
Less intelligent than our custom MCP server (no JOIN hints, no navigation map)

Path 3: Universal OData-MCP Bridge — odata_mcp_go (Standalone)

Architecture

A standalone Go binary that auto-discovers your OData entities from the $metadata document and generates MCP tools for each one. The most powerful standalone option.

graph LR
    subgraph "Your Machine"
        CC["Claude Code / Desktop"]
        Bridge["odata_mcp_go<br/>(Go Binary)"]
    end
    subgraph "BTP Cloud Foundry"
        CAP["CAP OData Service<br/>/odata/v4/flights"]
        Meta["$metadata<br/>(auto-discovered)"]
        DB[(HANA Cloud)]
    end

    CC -->|"stdio or HTTP/SSE"| Bridge
    Bridge -->|"1. Fetch $metadata"| Meta
    Bridge -->|"2. OData queries<br/>with $filter, $expand"| CAP
    CAP --> DB

    style Meta fill:#ff9,stroke:#333

How It Fits With This Application

Aspect	Detail
Relationship to our MCP server	Independent — runs as a separate process
Code changes	Zero — reads $metadata automatically
Auto-generated tools	One tool per entity: `filter_Carriers`, `get_Flights`, `create_Bookings`, etc.
Coexistence	Register both in `.mcp.json`. Bridge for live CRUD, our server for offline SQL + model introspection
Deployment	Runs locally or as an HTTP/SSE server for team access

Setup Steps

1. Download the binary:

# macOS (Apple Silicon)
curl -L -o odata-mcp https://github.com/oisee/odata_mcp_go/releases/latest/download/odata-mcp-darwin-arm64
chmod +x odata-mcp

# Or build from source
git clone https://github.com/oisee/odata_mcp_go.git
cd odata_mcp_go && go build -o odata-mcp

2. Test with local CAP service:

# Start CAP service first
cd sflights-mcp && cds watch &

# Run the bridge (stdio mode for Claude Code)
./odata-mcp --service http://localhost:4004/odata/v4/flights/ --read-only

3. Register in Claude Code (.mcp.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cap-tools": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["mcp-server/build/index.js"]
    },
    "flights-odata": {
      "command": "./odata-mcp",
      "args": [
        "--service",
        "http://localhost:4004/odata/v4/flights/",
        "--read-only",
        "--tool-shrink"
      ]
    }
  }
}

4. For Claude for Excel (HTTP/SSE mode):

./odata-mcp --service http://localhost:4004/odata/v4/flights/ \
            --transport sse --port 8080 --read-only
# Register http://localhost:8080 as a custom connector in Claude org settings

5. For BTP production:

./odata-mcp --service https://<approuter-url>/odata/v4/flights/ \
            --user <service-account> --password <password> \
            --read-only

Tools Auto-Generated

For our 26 entities + 4 views, the bridge generates ~60 tools in standard mode:

Tool Pattern	Example	Purpose
`filter_<Entity>`	`filter_Carriers`	Query with $filter, $select, $expand, $top
`get_<Entity>`	`get_Flights`	Get single record by key
`create_<Entity>`	`create_Bookings`	Create new record (if not read-only)
`update_<Entity>`	`update_Bookings`	Update existing record

In --universal mode, all operations collapse into a single odata tool — reducing token overhead by ~97%.

Strengths

Zero code changes — reads $metadata and generates everything
Full CRUD support (can be restricted to read-only)
$expand, $filter, $orderby — full OData query support
SAP-aware — handles CSRF tokens, GUIDs, SAP annotations
HTTP/SSE transport — works with Claude for Excel
Single binary — no runtime dependencies
Most powerful standalone option

Limitations

No CDS-level intelligence (doesn't know about associations by name, only $metadata)
Generates many tools in standard mode (use --universal or --entities to control)
Auth must be configured explicitly (no XSUAA token propagation out of the box)
Requires the OData service to be running

Recommendation Matrix

Scenario	Recommended Path	Why
Business users querying from Excel	Path 1 (gavdi/cap-mcp)	HTTP/SSE native, inherits XSUAA auth, deploys with your app
Quick proof-of-concept, no code changes	Path 3 (odata_mcp_go)	Download binary, point at URL, done in 2 minutes
Team already using CData tools	Path 2 (CData)	Consistent with existing CData JDBC ecosystem
Developer exploring data model	Built-in MCP server	17 tools with SQL, navigation map, model introspection
Production deployment on BTP	Path 1 + Built-in	cap-mcp for live data, built-in for development
Maximum power, zero changes	Path 3 (odata_mcp_go)	Auto-discovers everything, full CRUD, SAP-aware
Offline development, no database	Built-in MCP server	SQLite in-memory with CSV seed data

Using Multiple MCP Servers Together

You can register all servers simultaneously. Claude Code will choose the right tool for each question:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cap-tools": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["mcp-server/build/index.js"],
      "_comment": "17 tools: model introspection, SQL queries, navigation map"
    },
    "flights-odata": {
      "command": "./odata-mcp",
      "args": [
        "--service",
        "http://localhost:4004/odata/v4/flights/",
        "--read-only"
      ],
      "_comment": "Auto-generated OData tools with $expand support"
    },
    "hana-cli": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/hana-cli/mcp-server/build/index.js"],
      "_comment": "Direct HANA Cloud access for database administration"
    }
  }
}

How Claude chooses:

"Show me the data model" → cap_entities (built-in)
"What JOINs connect Flights to Bookings?" → cap_nav_map (built-in)
"Get Carriers with their Connections expanded" → filter_Carriers (odata_mcp_go) or cap_query (built-in)
"Average occupancy by airline" → cap_cql_query (built-in SQL)
"List HANA database tables" → tables (hana-cli)

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External Integration Paths — MCP Servers for SAP CAP OData

Quick Comparison

Path 1: gavdi/cap-mcp — CAP MCP Plugin (Merged)

Architecture

How It Fits With This Application

Setup Steps

Strengths

Limitations

Path 2: CData OData MCP Server (Standalone)

Architecture

How It Fits With This Application

Setup Steps

Tools Exposed

Strengths

Limitations

Path 3: Universal OData-MCP Bridge — odata_mcp_go (Standalone)

Architecture

How It Fits With This Application

Setup Steps

Tools Auto-Generated

Strengths

Limitations

Recommendation Matrix

Using Multiple MCP Servers Together

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External Integration Paths — MCP Servers for SAP CAP OData

Quick Comparison

Path 1: gavdi/cap-mcp — CAP MCP Plugin (Merged)

Architecture

How It Fits With This Application

Setup Steps

Strengths

Limitations

Path 2: CData OData MCP Server (Standalone)

Architecture

How It Fits With This Application

Setup Steps

Tools Exposed

Strengths

Limitations

Path 3: Universal OData-MCP Bridge — odata_mcp_go (Standalone)

Architecture

How It Fits With This Application

Setup Steps

Tools Auto-Generated

Strengths

Limitations

Recommendation Matrix

Using Multiple MCP Servers Together