Alibaba Cloud RDS OpenAPI MCP Server

What is Alibaba Cloud RDS OpenAPI MCP Server about?

Enables interaction with Alibaba Cloud Relational Database Service (RDS) via an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server. The server wraps dozens of OpenAPI actions and read‑only SQL utilities as callable tools, allowing AI assistants or CLI clients to manage RDS instances, query performance data, modify configurations, and run diagnostic SQL without direct human intervention.

How to use Alibaba Cloud RDS OpenAPI MCP Server?

1. Prerequisites

   • Install uv (Astral) and Python 3.12 (uv python install 3.12).
   • Obtain Alibaba Cloud AccessKey ID and Secret (and optionally a STS token).

2. Quick start with Cherry‑Studio (recommended)

   • Install Cherry‑Studio and ensure uv is available.
   • Add the following JSON to the Cherry‑Studio MCP configuration, replacing the placeholder credentials:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "rds-openapi": {
         "name": "rds-openapi",
         "type": "stdio",
         "command": "uvx",
         "args": ["alibabacloud-rds-openapi-mcp-server@latest"],
         "env": {
           "ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_ID": "$you_access_id",
           "ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET": "$you_access_key"
         }
       }
     }
   }
   

   • Turn the MCP server on in the UI.

3. Running from the command line (Cline)

   export SERVER_TRANSPORT=sse
   export ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_ID=$you_access_id
   export ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET=$you_access_key
   # optional STS token
   export ALIBABA_CLOUD_SECURITY_TOKEN=$you_sts_security_token
   # optional API key for server authentication
   export API_KEY=$you_mcp_server_api_key
   
   uvx alibabacloud-rds-openapi-mcp-server@latest
   

   The server starts on http://0.0.0.0:8000 and can be referenced in Cline as remote_server = "http://127.0.0.1:8000/sse".

4. Running from source (Claude / manual)

   git clone https://github.com/aliyun/alibabacloud-rds-openapi-mcp-server.git
   cd alibabacloud-rds-openapi-mcp-server
   uvx alibabacloud-rds-openapi-mcp-server@latest
   

   Or configure the MCP client with a custom command pointing to src/alibabacloud_rds_openapi_mcp_server/server.py and the same environment variables.

Key Features

• OpenAPI Tools (e.g., create_db_instance, describe_db_instances, modify_db_instance_spec, describe_monitor_metrics, describe_error_logs).
• SQL Tools for read‑only execution: explain_sql, show_engine_innodb_status, show_create_table, query_sql.
• Toolsets to enable groups of tools: rds (default), rds_custom_read, rds_custom_all.
• Environment‑driven configuration (credentials, optional STS token, optional API‑Key authentication).
• Built‑in prompts that guide AI agents to decompose tasks, invoke the correct tool, and calculate time ranges accurately.

Use Cases

• MyDBA Agent – automated DB AAsist to purchase new RDS instances, diagnose performance issues, and retrieve logs/metrics.
• Self‑service portals – embed the MCP server in internal tools to let developers create, scale, or snapshot RDS instances programmatically.
• Monitoring dashboards – query DAS performance metrics or error logs on‑demand without writing custom API calls.
• SQL diagnostics – run EXPLAIN or SHOW ENGINE INNODB STATUS via the server to aid troubleshooting.

FAQ

Q: Which environment variables are required?

• ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_ID and ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET are mandatory. ALIBABA_CLOUD_SECURITY_TOKEN is optional for temporary STS credentials. API_KEY is optional and, if set, the server will enforce API‑Key authentication.

Q: I get 401 Incorrect API key provided when using Qwen.

• Verify that the API_KEY value matches the key configured in the MCP client, or remove the variable if you do not need API‑Key protection.

Q: How do I limit the server to read‑only operations?

• Use the rds_custom_read toolset (--toolsets rds_custom_read or MCP_TOOLSETS=rds_custom_read). This loads only the SQL query and diagnostic tools without any write‑capable actions.

Q: Can I run the server on a custom port?

• Yes. Set the standard UVICORN_PORT (or PORT) environment variable before starting the server.

Q: Is there a Docker image?

• The repository does not provide an official Dockerfile, but you can containerize it by installing uv and running the same uvx alibabacloud-rds-openapi-mcp-server@latest command inside the container.

Alibaba Cloud RDS OpenAPI MCP Server

MCP server for RDS Services via OPENAPI

Prerequisites

1. Install uv from Astral or the GitHub README
2. Install Python using uv python install 3.12
3. Alibaba Cloud credentials with access to Alibaba Cloud RDS services

Quick Start

Using cherry-studio (Recommended)

1. Download and install cherry-studio
2. Follow the documentation to install uv, which is required for the MCP environment
3. Configure and use RDS MCP according to the documentation. You can quickly import the RDS MCP configuration using the JSON below. Please set ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_ID and ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET to your Alibaba Cloud AK/SK.

The following error may appear during import, which can be ignored: xxx settings.mcp.addServer.importFrom.connectionFailed

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rds-openapi": {
      "name": "rds-openapi",
      "type": "stdio",
      "description": "",
      "isActive": true,
      "registryUrl": "",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "alibabacloud-rds-openapi-mcp-server@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_ID": "$you_access_id",
        "ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET": "$you_access_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

4. Finally, click to turn on MCP

5. You can use the prompt template provided below to enhance your experience.

Using Cline

Set you env and run mcp server.

# set env
export SERVER_TRANSPORT=sse;
export ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_ID=$you_access_id;
export ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET=$you_access_key;
export ALIBABA_CLOUD_SECURITY_TOKEN=$you_sts_security_token; # optional, required when using STS Token 
export API_KEY=$you_mcp_server_api_key; # Optional, after configuration, requests will undergo API Key authentication.

# run mcp server
uvx alibabacloud-rds-openapi-mcp-server@latest

After run mcp server, you will see the following output:

INFO:     Started server process [91594]
INFO:     Waiting for application startup.
INFO:     Application startup complete.
INFO:     Uvicorn running on http://0.0.0.0:8000 (Press CTRL+C to quit)

And then configure the Cline.

remote_server = "http://127.0.0.1:8000/sse";

If you encounter a 401 Incorrect API key provided error when using Qwen, please refer to the documentation for solutions.

Using Claude

Download from Github

git clone https://github.com/aliyun/alibabacloud-rds-openapi-mcp-server.git

Add the following configuration to the MCP client configuration file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rds-openapi-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/path/to/alibabacloud-rds-openapi-mcp-server/src/alibabacloud_rds_openapi_mcp_server",
        "run",
        "server.py"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_ID": "access_id",
        "ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET": "access_key",
        "ALIBABA_CLOUD_SECURITY_TOKEN": "sts_security_token",
        // optional, required when using STS Token
      }
    }
  }
}

Components

OpenAPI Tools

• add_tags_to_db_instance: Add tags to an RDS instance.
• allocate_instance_public_connection: Allocate a public connection for an RDS instance.
• attach_whitelist_template_to_instance: Attach a whitelist template to an RDS instance.
• create_db_instance: Create an RDS instance.
• create_db_instance_account: Create an account for RDS instance.
• describe_all_whitelist_template: Query the whitelist template list.
• describe_available_classes: Query available instance classes and storage ranges.
• describe_available_zones: Query available zones for RDS instances.
• describe_bills: Query the consumption summary of all product instances or billing items for a user within a specific billing period.
• describe_db_instance_accounts: Batch retrieves account information for multiple RDS instances.
• describe_db_instance_attribute: Queries the details of an instance.
• describe_db_instance_databases: Batch retrieves database information for multiple RDS instances.
• describe_db_instance_ip_allowlist: Batch retrieves IP allowlist configurations for multiple RDS instances.
• describe_db_instance_net_info: Batch retrieves network configuration details for multiple RDS instances.
• describe_db_instance_parameters: Batch retrieves parameter information for multiple RDS instances.
• describe_db_instance_performance: Queries the performance data of an instance.
• describe_db_instances: Queries instances.
• describe_error_logs: Queries the error log of an instance.
• describe_instance_linked_whitelist_template: Query the whitelist template list.
• describe_monitor_metrics: Queries performance and diagnostic metrics for an instance using the DAS (Database Autonomy Service) API.
• describe_slow_log_records: Query slow log records for an RDS instance.
• describe_sql_insight_statistic: Query SQL Log statistics, including SQL cost time, execution times, and account.
• describe_vpcs: Query VPC list.
• describe_vswitches: Query VSwitch list.
• modify_security_ips: Modify RDS instance security IP whitelist.
• get_current_time: Get the current time.
• modify_db_instance_description: Modify RDS instance descriptions.
• modify_db_instance_spec: Modify RDS instance specifications.
• modify_parameter: Modify RDS instance parameters.
• restart_db_instance: Restart an RDS instance.

SQL Tools

The MCP Server will automatically create a read-only account, execute the SQL statement, and then automatically delete the account. This process requires that the MCP Server can connect to the instance.

• explain_sql: Execute sql explain and return sql result.
• show_engine_innodb_status: Execute sql show engine innodb status and return sql result.
• show_create_table: Execute sql show create table and return sql result.
• query_sql: Execute read-only sql and return sql result.

Toolsets

Toolsets group available MCP tools so you can enable only what you need. Configure toolsets when starting the server using either:

• Command line: --toolsets parameter
• Environment variable: MCP_TOOLSETS

Available Toolsets

Here is a list of toolsets and their functions:

• rds: Enables all tools for the standard, managed RDS service

• rds_custom_read: Enables read-only tools for the RDS Custom.

• rds_custom_all: Enables full read and write tools for the RDS Custom.

Format

Use comma-separated toolset names (no spaces around commas):

rds,rds_custom_all

Examples

# Single toolset
--toolsets rds

# Multiple tools
--toolsets rds,rds_mssql_custom

# Environment variable
export MCP_TOOLSETS=rds,rds_custom_all

Default Behavior

If no toolset is specified, the default rds group is loaded automatically.

Resources

None at this time

Prompts

# Role  
You are a professional Alibaba Cloud RDS Copilot, specializing in providing customers with efficient technical support and solutions for RDS (Relational Database Service). Your goal is to help customers resolve issues quickly through clear problem decomposition, precise tool invocation, and accurate time calculations.

## Skills  

### Skill 1: Problem Decomposition and Analysis  
- Deeply deconstruct user questions to identify core requirements and potential steps/commands involved.  
- Provide clear task breakdowns to ensure each step contributes to the final solution.
- Please organize your answers in a table format as much as possible.

### Skill 2: RDS MCP Tool Invocation  
- Proficiently invoke the RDS MCP tool to retrieve database information or execute operations.  
- Tool invocation must follow task decomposition and align with logical reasoning and customer needs.  
- Select appropriate MCP modules (e.g., monitoring data queries, performance diagnostics, backup/recovery) based on user requirements.  

### Skill 3: Time Interpretation and Calculation  
- Accurately parse relative time concepts like "today," "yesterday," or "the last hour."  
- Convert relative time expressions into precise time ranges or timestamps using the current time to support data queries or operations.  

## Constraints  
- **Task Decomposition First**: Always provide detailed task breakdowns.  
- **Tool Dependency Clarity**: All MCP tool invocations must be justified by clear task requirements and logical reasoning.  
- **Time Precision**: Calculate exact time ranges for time-sensitive queries.  
- **Professional Focus**: Discuss only Alibaba Cloud RDS-related technical topics.  
- **Safety Awareness**: Ensure no operations negatively impact customer databases.

Use Cases

mydba

Alibaba Cloud Database MyDBA Agent(README.md)

• Buy RDS
• Diagnose RDS

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the Apache 2.0 License.

Contact Information

For any questions or concerns, please contact us through the DingTalk group：106730017609