Redshift Utils MCP Server

What is Redshift Utils MCP Server?

Redshift Utils MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol server that bridges AI assistants (such as those in Claude, Cursor, or custom applications) with Amazon Redshift databases. It provides secure, standardized data access and interaction, allowing users to query data, understand database structure, and perform monitoring/diagnostic operations using natural language or AI-driven prompts. It is intended for developers, data analysts, and teams integrating LLM capabilities with Redshift.

How to use Redshift Utils MCP Server?

Install via pip install redshift-utils-mcp or uv pip install redshift-utils-mcp. Set required environment variables (REDSHIFT_CLUSTER_ID, REDSHIFT_DATABASE, REDSHIFT_SECRET_ARN, AWS_REGION) then run redshift-utils-mcp or uvx redshift-utils-mcp. Configure the server in your MCP client (e.g., Claude Desktop, Claude Code CLI, Cursor IDE) by providing the command and environment variables.

Key features of Redshift Utils MCP Server

• Secure Redshift connection via AWS Redshift Data API and Secrets Manager
• Schema discovery (list schemas, tables within schemas)
• Read-only SELECT query execution with input sanitization
• Table inspection (metadata, statistics, health, usage)
• Query performance analysis (execution plan, metrics)
• Cluster health checks (basic/full diagnostic queries)
• Lock diagnosis and workload monitoring
• DDL retrieval (SHOW TABLE output)

Use cases of Redshift Utils MCP Server

• Query your Redshift warehouse using natural language through an AI assistant
• Explore database schemas and table structures without writing SQL
• Diagnose performance issues by retrieving query plans and cluster health
• Monitor locks, workload patterns, and resource usage via prompts
• Automate table maintenance checks and DDL extraction

FAQ from Redshift Utils MCP Server

What are the prerequisites to use Redshift Utils MCP Server?

Python 3.10+, uv or pip, an AWS account with Redshift Data API and Secrets Manager permissions, a Redshift cluster, and database credentials stored in AWS Secrets Manager. The Redshift user needs CONNECT and SELECT privileges on target tables and system views.

How do I configure Redshift Utils MCP Server?

Set environment variables: REDSHIFT_CLUSTER_ID, REDSHIFT_DATABASE, REDSHIFT_SECRET_ARN, and AWS_REGION. Optionally set AWS_PROFILE. These can be defined in a shell, .env file, or directly in your MCP client configuration.

How does Redshift Utils MCP Server authenticate?

It uses Boto3 with the AWS credentials provided via environment variables, AWS profile, or IAM role. The server calls the Redshift Data API and accesses the specified Secrets Manager secret to retrieve database credentials. AWS credentials must have redshift-data:* and secretsmanager:GetSecretValue permissions.

What transport does Redshift Utils MCP Server use?

The server uses the stdio transport, as shown in the Cursor IDE connection example. MCP clients connect via standard I/O to the server process.

Does Redshift Utils MCP Server support write operations?

No. Query execution is read-only (SELECT queries only). The server uses parameterized queries via the Redshift Data API to mitigate SQL injection risks. Other tools (inspect, diagnose, monitor) are also read-only.