dbhub

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dbhub

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Guide for querying databases through DBHub MCP server. Use this skill whenever you need to explore database schemas, inspect tables, or run SQL queries via DBHub's MCP tools (search_objects, execute_sql, and the opt-in explain_sql and health_check). Activates on any database query task, schema exploration, data retrieval, or SQL execution through MCP — even if the user just says "check the database" or "find me some data." This skill ensures you follow the correct explore-first workflow instead of guessing table structures.

DBHub Database Query Guide

When working with databases through DBHub's MCP server, always follow the explore-then-query pattern. Jumping straight to SQL without understanding the schema is the most common mistake — it leads to failed queries, wasted tokens, and frustrated users.

Available Tools

DBHub provides two MCP tools by default, plus opt-in ones:

Tool	Purpose
search_objects	Explore database structure — schemas, tables, columns, indexes, procedures, functions
execute_sql	Run SQL statements against the database
explain_sql (opt-in)	Show a query's execution plan without running it — only present if the source's config enables it
health_check (opt-in)	Report connection pool state and buffer cache hit ratio — only present if the source's config enables it; PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, and SQL Server only

If multiple databases are configured, DBHub registers separate tools for each source (for example, search_objects_prod_pg, execute_sql_staging_mysql). Select the desired database by calling the correspondingly named tool.

If explain_sql is available (check the tool list), prefer it over guessing whether a query will be efficient — it's always safe to call, even against a write-enabled or read-only source, since it never executes the statement.

If health_check is available and a query seems slow or connections seem exhausted, call it before speculating — it reports live connection pool and cache-hit numbers instead of guessing at the cause.

The Explore-Then-Query Workflow

Every database task should follow this progression. The key insight is that each step narrows your focus, so you never waste tokens loading information you don't need.

Step 1: Discover what schemas exist

search_objects(object_type="schema", detail_level="names")

This tells you the lay of the land. Most databases have a primary schema (e.g., public in PostgreSQL, dbo in SQL Server) plus system schemas you can ignore.

Step 2: Find relevant tables

Once you know the schema, list its tables:

search_objects(object_type="table", schema="public", detail_level="names")

If you're looking for something specific, use a pattern:

search_objects(object_type="table", schema="public", pattern="%user%", detail_level="names")

The pattern parameter uses SQL LIKE syntax: % matches any characters, _ matches a single character.

If you need more context to identify the right table (row counts, column counts, table comments), use detail_level="summary" instead.

Step 3: Inspect table structure

Before writing any query, understand the columns:

search_objects(object_type="column", schema="public", table="users", detail_level="full")

This returns column names, data types, nullability, and defaults — everything you need to write correct SQL.

For understanding query performance or join patterns, also check indexes:

search_objects(object_type="index", schema="public", table="users", detail_level="full")

Step 4: Write and execute the query

Now that you know the exact table and column names, write precise SQL:

execute_sql(sql="SELECT id, email, created_at FROM public.users WHERE created_at > '2024-01-01' ORDER BY created_at DESC")

Progressive Disclosure: Choosing the Right Detail Level

The detail_level parameter controls how much information search_objects returns. Start minimal and drill down only where needed — this keeps responses fast and token-efficient.

Level	What you get	When to use
names	Just object names	Browsing, finding the right table
summary	Names + metadata (row count, column count, comments)	Choosing between similar tables, understanding data volume
full	Complete structure (columns with types, indexes, procedure definitions)	Before writing queries, understanding relationships

Rule of thumb: Use names for broad exploration, summary for narrowing down, and full only for the specific tables you'll query.

Working with Multiple Databases

When DBHub is configured with multiple database sources, it registers separate tool instances for each source. The tool names follow the pattern {tool}_{source_id}:

# Query the production PostgreSQL database
search_objects_prod_pg(object_type="table", schema="public", detail_level="names")
execute_sql_prod_pg(sql="SELECT count(*) FROM orders")

# Query the staging MySQL database
search_objects_staging_mysql(object_type="table", detail_level="names")
execute_sql_staging_mysql(sql="SELECT count(*) FROM orders")

In single-database setups, the tools are simply search_objects and execute_sql without any suffix. When the user mentions a specific database or environment, call the correspondingly named tool.

Searching for Specific Objects

The search_objects tool supports targeted searches across all object types:

# Find all tables with "order" in the name
search_objects(object_type="table", pattern="%order%", detail_level="names")

# Find columns named "email" across all tables
search_objects(object_type="column", pattern="email", detail_level="names")

# Find stored procedures matching a pattern
search_objects(object_type="procedure", schema="public", pattern="%report%", detail_level="summary")

# Find functions
search_objects(object_type="function", schema="public", detail_level="names")

Common Patterns

"What data do we have?"

1. List schemas → list tables with summary detail → pick relevant tables → inspect with full detail

"Get me X from the database"

1. Search for tables related to X → inspect columns → write targeted SELECT

"How are these tables related?"

1. Inspect both tables at full detail (columns + indexes reveal foreign keys and join columns)

"Run this specific SQL"

If the user provides exact SQL, you can execute it directly. But if it fails with a column or table error, fall back to the explore workflow rather than guessing fixes.

Error Recovery

When a query fails:

• Unknown table/column: Use search_objects to find the correct names rather than guessing variations
• Schema errors: List available schemas first — the table may be in a different schema than expected
• Permission errors: The database may be in read-only mode; check if only SELECT statements are allowed
• Multiple statements: execute_sql supports multiple SQL statements separated by ;

What NOT to Do

• Don't guess table or column names. Always verify with search_objects first. A wrong guess wastes a round trip and confuses the conversation.
• Don't dump entire schemas upfront. Use progressive disclosure — start with names, drill into full only for tables you'll actually query.
• Don't use the wrong tool in multi-database setups. If the user mentions a specific database, call the source-specific tool variant (e.g., execute_sql_prod_pg) rather than the generic execute_sql.
• Don't retry failed queries blindly. If SQL fails, investigate the schema to understand why before retrying.