NiFi
An MCP server for NiFi sitting behind Knox
What is NiFi?
NiFi is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to mcp server for nifi sitting behind knox
An MCP server for NiFi sitting behind Knox
This server falls under the Cloud Services category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- An MCP server for NiFi sitting behind Knox
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx nifi-mcp-serverConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use NiFi
NiFi MCP Server exposes Apache NiFi's REST API to AI agents through the Model Context Protocol, with built-in support for Knox gateway authentication used in Cloudera Data Platform deployments. It offers 24 read-only tools for flow inspection, processor discovery, and health checking, plus 42 write-operation tools for building and managing data pipelines — all accessible via natural language through Claude.
Prerequisites
- Running Apache NiFi 1.x or 2.x instance (auto-detected by the server)
- Knox gateway credentials if NiFi is behind CDP Knox (KNOX_TOKEN or KNOX_PASSCODE_TOKEN)
- Python 3.8+ and pip or uv package manager
- Network access from the machine running the MCP server to the NiFi API endpoint
- Claude Desktop or Cloudera Agent Studio as the MCP client
Clone the repository and create a virtual environment
The server is installed from source. Clone the repo, create an isolated Python environment, and install the package in editable mode.
git clone https://github.com/kevinbtalbert/NiFi-MCP-Server.git
cd NiFi-MCP-Server
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -e .Set required environment variables
At minimum, set NIFI_API_BASE to your NiFi REST endpoint. Add Knox authentication variables if your NiFi is behind a Knox gateway. NIFI_READONLY defaults to true — set it to false only when you need write operations.
export NIFI_API_BASE="https://nifi-host:8443/nifi-api"
export KNOX_TOKEN="your-jwt-token-here"
# Optional Knox alternatives
# export KNOX_GATEWAY_URL="https://knox-host:8443/gateway/cdp-proxy-api/nifi-api"
# export KNOX_COOKIE="hadoop-jwt=<token>"
# export KNOX_VERIFY_SSL="true"
# export KNOX_CA_BUNDLE="/path/to/ca-bundle.crt"
# export NIFI_READONLY="true" # default; set false for write opsTest the server manually
Run the server directly to verify it connects to NiFi before wiring it into Claude Desktop.
source .venv/bin/activate
python -m nifi_mcp
# Should print server startup message and connect to NiFiConfigure Claude Desktop
Add the NiFi MCP server to claude_desktop_config.json. Pass environment variables in the env block so Claude Desktop can authenticate to NiFi.
{
"mcpServers": {
"nifi": {
"command": "/path/to/NiFi-MCP-Server/.venv/bin/python",
"args": ["-m", "nifi_mcp"],
"cwd": "/path/to/NiFi-MCP-Server",
"env": {
"NIFI_API_BASE": "https://nifi-host:8443/nifi-api",
"KNOX_TOKEN": "your-jwt-token",
"NIFI_READONLY": "true"
}
}
}
}Enable write operations when needed
Write operations are disabled by default. Set NIFI_READONLY to false in the env block to unlock the 42 write tools. Use caution — this allows Claude to create, modify, and delete processors and connections.
"env": {
"NIFI_API_BASE": "https://nifi-host:8443/nifi-api",
"KNOX_TOKEN": "your-jwt-token",
"NIFI_READONLY": "false"
}NiFi Examples
Client configuration
claude_desktop_config.json entry for a NiFi instance behind Knox in read-only mode.
{
"mcpServers": {
"nifi": {
"command": "/home/user/NiFi-MCP-Server/.venv/bin/python",
"args": ["-m", "nifi_mcp"],
"cwd": "/home/user/NiFi-MCP-Server",
"env": {
"NIFI_API_BASE": "https://my-nifi.example.com:8443/nifi-api",
"KNOX_TOKEN": "eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiJ9...",
"NIFI_READONLY": "true",
"KNOX_VERIFY_SSL": "true"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Sample prompts covering read and write operations across the 66 available NiFi tools.
- "What version of NiFi am I running and how many process groups are active?"
- "List all processors in the root process group and show their status"
- "Search for any processors containing 'kafka' and tell me their configurations"
- "Are there any processors in a stopped or invalid state? What are the errors?"
- "Create a GenerateFlowFile processor in the root process group and start it"Troubleshooting NiFi
401 Unauthorized or 403 Forbidden when connecting to NiFi
Verify your KNOX_TOKEN is current — Knox JWTs expire. Re-authenticate with your Knox provider and update the token in the MCP server env block. For NiFi without Knox, ensure NIFI_API_BASE points directly to the NiFi REST API URL and that the NiFi instance allows unauthenticated access or configure username/password if supported.
SSL certificate verification errors when KNOX_VERIFY_SSL is true
Set KNOX_CA_BUNDLE to the path of your organization's CA certificate bundle file. Alternatively, set KNOX_VERIFY_SSL to false for testing only — never disable SSL verification in production.
Write tools are not available in Claude
NIFI_READONLY defaults to true. Explicitly set it to false in the env block and restart Claude Desktop to expose the 42 write-operation tools.
Frequently Asked Questions about NiFi
What is NiFi?
NiFi is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that mcp server for nifi sitting behind knox It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install NiFi?
Follow the installation instructions on the NiFi GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with NiFi?
NiFi works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is NiFi free to use?
Yes, NiFi is open source and available under the Apache-2.0 license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
NiFi Alternatives — Similar Cloud Services Servers
Looking for alternatives to NiFi? Here are other popular cloud services servers you can use with Claude, Cursor, and VS Code.
Open WebUI
★ 138.2kUser-friendly AI Interface (Supports Ollama, OpenAI API, ...)
Anything LLM
★ 60.4kThe all-in-one AI productivity accelerator. On device and privacy first with no annoying setup or configuration.
LocalAI
★ 46.4kLocalAI is the open-source AI engine. Run any model - LLMs, vision, voice, image, video - on any hardware. No GPU required.
Nacos
★ 33.0kan easy-to-use dynamic service discovery, configuration and service management platform for building AI cloud native applications.
Xiaozhi ESP32
★ 26.7k本项目为xiaozhi-esp32提供后端服务，帮助您快速搭建ESP32设备控制服务器。Backend service for xiaozhi-esp32, helps you quickly build an ESP32 device control server.
Gateway
★ 11.8kA blazing fast AI Gateway with integrated guardrails. Route to 1,600+ LLMs, 50+ AI Guardrails with 1 fast & friendly API.
Browse More Cloud Services MCP Servers
Explore all cloud services servers available in the MCPgee directory. Each server includes setup guides for Claude, Cursor, and VS Code.
Set Up NiFi in Your Editor
Choose your AI client for step-by-step setup instructions.
Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
Ready to use NiFi?
Browse our complete directory of 33,000+ MCP servers, read setup guides for your editor, and start building with the Model Context Protocol.