Microsoft Fabric Real-Time Intelligence (RTI) MCP server in VS Code

What is Fabric MCP?

The Microsoft Fabric ecosystem is evolving fast — and one of the most exciting accelerators in this space is the Fabric local MCP (Model Context Protocol) server. It’s opening the door to a new generation of intelligent, automation‑ready apps that blend Fabric’s unified analytics foundation with AI‑driven extensibility. The Fabric local MCP server takes this a step further — it exposes Fabric's patterns, sessions, and utilities as tools that AI assistants (Github Copilot Chat) can call directly via the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

This means you can build powerful apps, automations, and workflows where your AI assistant natively understands and runs Fabric patterns — no copy-pasting prompts, no manual switching between tools.

Why Build with Fabric MCP?

• Patterns as tools — Every Fabric pattern becomes a callable tool your AI can use automatically.
• Local-first — Your data stays on your machine. No cloud dependency for pattern execution.
• Composable — Chain patterns together inside larger workflows and agents.
• Fast iteration — Prototype AI-powered tools in minutes using patterns you already have.

There are a no. of notable community and official tools/MCP servers available. Let's take an example of one of the important and latest entry in the ecosystem.

Setting up the Microsoft Fabric Real-Time Intelligence (RTI) MCP server in VS Code

This MCP Server extention turns your editor into a high-octane command center for streaming data. By following these steps, you’ll enable an AI agent (like GitHub Copilot) to query Eventhouses, inspect schemas, and generate KQL queries using natural language.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10+: Ensure Python is installed and added to your system PATH.

• VS Code: Version 1.99 or later is recommended.

• GitHub Copilot Extension: Required if you want to use the "Agent Mode" for natural language data interaction.

• A Fabric Eventhouse: You’ll need the connection URI (found in the Fabric portal).

Step 1: Install the RTI MCP Server

The fastest way to get the server onto your machine is via pip. Open your terminal (integrated in VS Code) and run:

pip install microsoft-fabric-rti-mcp

If you prefer to run it without a permanent installation, you can also use uvx (part of the uv toolchain) which is often the preferred method for MCP servers.

Step 2: Configure the MCP Server in VS Code

VS Code needs to know how to "talk" to the RTI server. You can configure this globally or per project.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + P and search for "MCP: Open User Configuration". This opens your mcp.json file.

2. Add the following entry to the mcpServers section:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fabric-rti": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["microsoft-fabric-rti-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "KUSTO_SERVICE_URI": "https://your-cluster.kusto.windows.net",
        "KUSTO_DATABASE_NAME": "YourDatabaseName"
      }
    }
  }
}

Pro Tip: You can find your KUSTO_SERVICE_URI in the Fabric portal by navigating to your KQL Database and clicking "Copy URI" in the Database details panel.

Step 3: Authenticate and Start the Server

Once you save the configuration file, VS Code will attempt to initialize the server.

1. In the Extensions view (left sidebar), look for the MCP SERVERS section.

2. You should see fabric-rti. If it isn't running, right-click it and select Start Server.

3. Authentication: The first time it runs, a browser window may pop up asking you to sign in with your Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD). This allows the MCP server to securely access your Fabric data.

Step 4: Using RTI in Copilot Chat

Now the fun begins. Open the GitHub Copilot Chat window (Ctrl + Alt + I).

1. Switch to Agent Mode (if applicable) or simply type your request.

2. Verify the tools are active by typing: What tools are available for fabric-rti?

3. Try a real-world query:

   • "List all tables in my Eventhouse."

   • "Show me the schema for the StormEvents table."

   • "Write a KQL query to find the top 10 most expensive storm events in the last 24 hours."

Output Snapshot from My Setup

1. Prompt 1: “List all my kusto database”

     2.  Follow up prompt 2 : “summarize the data in my Samples database”

    3. Similar Prompt 3: “now summarize similar way for my contoso db”

    4. More Advance prompt 4 : “provide me the best selling product for last 5 years with their revenue and profit margins”

        Look at the response with the KQL Query provided as it may contains sensitive management specific details, so it provided   the KQL syntax only for the user to run based on access.

Overall, it provides relevant information with just using the natural language prompt very conveniently without digging down the technical side of it along with keeping the data security in mind.

Useful Resources

• GitHub Repository: microsoft/fabric-rti-mcp

• Official Documentation: Fabric RTI MCP Overview

Chat with your Eventhouse with Microsoft Fabric's MCP Server

This video provides a visual walkthrough of the installation process and demonstrates how to interact with real-time data streams using the MCP server.

Happy Learning! 

Thanks

GauravLZ888