How to Query Live IBM Cloud Object Storage Data in Perplexity MacOS Desktop

Perplexity is an AI-powered research and answer engine that allows users to combine web search, structured data, and connected tools through a unified conversational interface. With Perplexity Desktop for macOS, users can bring local tools and data sources directly into their workflow using MCP, enabling fast, context-aware insights powered by live data.

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an emerging, open-source standard for connecting LLMs with external services and enterprise data sources. Using MCP Servers, AI clients such as Perplexity Desktop can securely interact with applications and data, performing actions, retrieving live information, and enabling natural language access to data.

CData Code Assist MCP provides schema-aware context to AI tools — whether you're using it for AI-assisted code generation in IDEs like Cursor, or for querying live data through chat interfaces like Perplexity Desktop.

In this article, we guide you through installing CData Code Assist MCP for IBM Cloud Object Storage, configuring the connection to IBM Cloud Object Storage, and interacting with your live IBM Cloud Object Storage data from Perplexity Desktop.

Step 1: Download and install CData Code Assist MCP for IBM Cloud Object Storage

1. To begin, download CData Code Assist MCP for IBM Cloud Object Storage 👁 Downloading the CData Code Assist MCP installer
   
2. Find and double-click the installer to begin the installation
3. Drag the Code Assist MCP app into the Applications folder 👁 Completing the Code Assist MCP installation
   

When the installation is complete, you are ready to configure Code Assist MCP by connecting to IBM Cloud Object Storage.

NOTE: Since you downloaded the application from the internet and not the Apple App Store, you may see a warning that the application was not opened because Apple could not verify its security. You may continue with the installation.

Installing a trusted, unverified App

CData's solutions are trusted across the globe by some of the largest software vendors in the world. That said, if you have any concerns about continuing, please consult with your IT and/or security team.

1. In the warning message that pops up, click "Done"
2. Open "System Settings" on your machine and navigate to the "Privacy & Security" page
👁 Dismissing the notification

3. Scroll down to the "Security" section and click "Open Anyway" 👁 Installing a trusted, unverified App
   
4. Authorize the installation (passkey or password) 👁 Authorizing the installation
   

Step 2: Configure the Connection to IBM Cloud Object Storage

1. After installation, you can open CData Code Assist MCP for IBM Cloud Object Storage from the Applications folder on your mac 👁 The Code Assist MCP configuration wizard
   
2. Click the dropdown menu in MCP Configuration > Configuration Name and select "new configuration" 👁 Creating a new configuration
   
3. Name the configuration (e.g. "cdata_ibmcloudobjectstorage") and click "OK" 👁 Naming the configuration
   

4. Enter the appropriate connection properties in the configuration wizard.

   Register a New Instance of Cloud Object Storage

   If you do not already have Cloud Object Storage in your IBM Cloud account, follow the procedure below to install an instance of SQL Query in your account:

   1. Log in to your IBM Cloud account.
   2. Navigate to the

   Connecting using OAuth Authentication

   There are certain connection properties you need to set before you can connect. You can obtain these as follows:

   API Key

   To connect with IBM Cloud Object Storage, you need an API Key. You can obtain this as follows:

   1. Log in to your IBM Cloud account.
   2. Navigate to the Platform API Keys page.
   3. On the middle-right corner click "Create an IBM Cloud API Key" to create a new API Key.
   4. In the pop-up window, specify the API Key name and click "Create". Note the API Key as you can never access it again from the dashboard.

   Cloud Object Storage CRN

   If you have multiple accounts, specify the CloudObjectStorageCRN explicitly. To find the appropriate value, you can:

   • Query the Services view. This will list your IBM Cloud Object Storage instances along with the CRN for each.
   • Locate the CRN directly in IBM Cloud. To do so, navigate to your IBM Cloud Dashboard. In the Resource List, Under Storage, select your Cloud Object Storage resource to get its CRN.

   Connecting to Data

   You can now set the following to connect to data:

   • InitiateOAuth: Set this to GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to avoid repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the OAuthAccessToken.
   • ApiKey: Set this to your API key which was noted during setup.
   • CloudObjectStorageCRN (Optional): Set this to the cloud object storage CRN you want to work with. While the connector attempts to retrieve this automatically, specifying this explicitly is recommended if you have more than Cloud Object Storage account.

   When you connect, the connector completes the OAuth process.

   1. Extracts the access token and authenticates requests.
   2. Saves OAuth values in OAuthSettingsLocation to be persisted across connections.
   👁 Configuring the Server connection.
   
5. Click "Connect" to authenticate with IBM Cloud Object Storage.
6. Click "Save Configuration" to save the configuration 👁 Saving the Code Assist MCP configuration
   

With Code Assist MCP configured, you are ready to connect it to Perplexity Desktop.

Step 3: Connect Code Assist MCP to Perplexity Desktop

1. Download the Perplexity Desktop application for macOS and sign in with your Pro or Premium account
2. Open Settings > Connectors. If the Perplexity Helper App is not installed, you will be prompted to download it. Install the Helper App, then restart Perplexity Desktop 👁 Downloading Perplexity Helper App
   
3. After restarting, return to Settings > Connectors and click Add Connector
4. Select the Simple tab and assign a name for the connector (e.g., "CData IBM Cloud Object Storage"). In the Command box, enter the absolute path to the Code Assist MCP executable.

   For example:

   	/Applications/CData Code Assist MCP for IBM Cloud Object Storage.app/Contents/Payload/jre/Contents/Home/bin/java \
   	-jar /Applications/CData Code Assist MCP for IBM Cloud Object Storage.app/Contents/Payload/lib/cdata.mcp.ibmcloudobjectstorage.jar \
   	cdata_ibmcloudobjectstorage
   

   👁 Providing the MCP server command
   
5. Click Save. Code Assist MCP should now appear in the connector list with a "Running" status 👁 Connector successfully running
   

Step 4: Query Your Live IBM Cloud Object Storage data in Perplexity Desktop

1. Open a new chat in Perplexity Desktop. Click the Sources toggle and enable Code Assist MCP 👁 Selecting Code Assist MCP as a source
   
2. Start asking questions about your IBM Cloud Object Storage data. For example:

   "List all the tables available in my IBM Cloud Object Storage data connection."

   👁 Querying live data through MCP
   

Build with Code Assist MCP. Deploy with CData Drivers.

Download Code Assist MCP for free and give your AI tools schema-aware access to live IBM Cloud Object Storage data during development. When you're ready to move to production, CData IBM Cloud Object Storage Drivers deliver the same SQL-based access with enterprise-grade performance, security, and reliability.

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