⚡PhotonDB

What is PhotonDB?

PhotonDB is a high-performance in-memory key-value database server written in C++17. It provides access to mutable data structures via a simple TCP-based protocol using a server-client model and also integrates with the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for natural-language interactions.

How to use PhotonDB?

Start a photon server instance with ./src/server and interact via photon-cli using commands like set, get, and ZAP. For MCP interactions, use server.py with uv as the Python package manager and install it on Claude Desktop with uv run mcp install server.py.

Key features of PhotonDB

• In-memory key-value database written in C++17
• Simple TCP-based protocol for client-server communication
• Command-line interface via photon-cli
• MCP integration for natural-language data interactions
• Supports basic commands: set, get, ZAP

Use cases of PhotonDB

• High-performance key-value storage for applications requiring low-latency data access
• Natural-language database queries via MCP-enabled AI assistants like Claude Desktop
• Fast prototyping and testing of in-memory data structures

FAQ from PhotonDB

What protocol does PhotonDB use?

PhotonDB uses a simple TCP-based protocol for communication between server and client.

How do I build PhotonDB from source?

Clone the repository, create a build directory, run CMake (version 3.10 or newer), and then run make from the build directory. A C++17 compiler is required.

Does PhotonDB support MCP (Model Context Protocol)?

Yes. PhotonDB includes an MCP server implementation in server.py that can be installed on Claude Desktop using uv run mcp install server.py.

How do I interact with PhotonDB without MCP?

Use the command-line tool photon-cli, which connects to the server and accepts commands like set, get, and ZAP.

What runtime dependencies does PhotonDB require?

For the core server: CMake (3.10+) and a C++17 compiler. For MCP integration: Python with the mcp[cli] package and uv as the package manager.