Hi all, Polaris server already works great today, but as a community we want to provide a *much better user experience for different types of users, *from CLI-first engineers, to UI-oriented data practitioners, to people who prefer natural-language or agent-based workflows. With that in mind, here’s a quick update on three major usability tracks currently in progress.
*1. CLI improvements (including binary publishing)* We’ve delivered several fixes and enhancements to the Polaris CLI, covering features like federation. A particularly important milestone is binary publishing, allowing users to install and upgrade the CLI without building from source. This should meaningfully lower the barrier to entry for new users. WIP PR: https://github.com/apache/polaris/pull/3036 Issue: https://github.com/apache/polaris/issues/2419 *2. MCP server for natural-language workflows* Work is ongoing on the Polaris MCP server, enabling users to explore and administer Polaris using natural language through MCP-aware tools. This makes it easier to: - Discover catalogs, namespaces, and tables - Run admin and maintenance commands - Learn Polaris concepts without memorizing CLI commands or API details The goal is to make “talking to Polaris” as simple as asking a question. Git repo: https://github.com/apache/polaris-tools/tree/main/mcp-server Introduction Video: https://youtu.be/EWJk0_RY8Ck *3. UI work-in-progress* A WIP PR introduces the first version of the Polaris UI console. The initial milestones focus on enabling users to create catalogs, namespaces, and tables, manage principals and roles and assign and view privileges. This will make onboarding significantly smoother for users who prefer a graphical experience. PR: https://github.com/apache/polaris-tools/pull/85 *A huge thank-you to the community* These improvements are only possible because of the continued efforts of contributors across the project. Special thanks to *JB*, *Yong*, *Jonas*, *Adam**, Prashant, Dmitri, Robert, **Artur*, and many others for driving discussions, fixing issues, designing usability flows, reviewing PRs, and pushing the overall experience forward. The pace and quality of contributions have been incredible, and it’s exciting to see Polaris evolving into a more user-friendly platform. Thanks, Yufei
