Best practices

Follow these guidelines to ensure secure, performant, and reliable use of Claris MCP.

Security considerations

Access control

Database exposure and permissions

  • Only expose necessary tables and scripts for your use case.

  • Create dedicated FileMaker user accounts with minimal necessary privileges.

  • Use privilege sets to control access levels.

Configuration management

  • Store configurations securely using environment variables or secure configuration management.

  • Never hard-code configurations in scripts or share them publicly.

Performance optimization

Database and tool configuration

  • Only include tables and tools that will be actively used.

  • Create separate connections for different use cases or environments.

  • Ensure FileMaker Server has adequate resources and monitor performance.

  • Use clear, descriptive names for connections, tables, and fields.

  • Customize tool names and descriptions to be AI-friendly. LLMs use tool names and descriptions to choose the most appropriate tool to use.

Troubleshooting common issues

Connection problems

Common problems

Connection tests fail, existing connections stop working, or intermittent connectivity.

Solutions

  • Verify FileMaker Server is running with both Data API and OData API enabled.

  • Check firewall settings and network connectivity.

  • Verify database credentials and permissions.

Tool generation issues

Common problems

Missing tools, tools not reflecting database changes, or unexpected behavior.

Solutions

  • Confirm tables and scripts exist and user has proper access.

  • Ensure user accounts have both fmrest and fmodata extended privileges.

  • Verify FileMaker Server version is 22.0.2.204 or later.

  • Check FileMaker Server logs for detailed error information.

Authentication and performance issues

Authentication problems

  • Verify configuration snippet is copied completely and MCP client configuration syntax is correct.

  • Confirm network connectivity to https://mcp.connect.claris.com/sse for testing.

Performance problems

  • Optimize FileMaker database performance and simplify complex calculations.

  • Limit the number of exposed tools.

  • Monitor FileMaker Server resource usage.