Alibaba Cloud RDS OpenAPI MCP Server

What is Alibaba Cloud RDS OpenAPI MCP Server?

Alibaba Cloud RDS OpenAPI MCP Server is an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that provides tools for managing Alibaba Cloud RDS (Relational Database Service) instances via the RDS OpenAPI and direct SQL execution. It is designed for developers, DBAs, and AI assistants who need to interact with Alibaba Cloud RDS programmatically through MCP-compatible clients.

How to use Alibaba Cloud RDS OpenAPI MCP Server?

Install dependencies (uv and Python 3.12), obtain Alibaba Cloud credentials with RDS access, then run the server using uvx alibabacloud-rds-openapi-mcp-server@latest with environment variables ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_ID and ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET. Optionally set ALIBABA_CLOUD_SECURITY_TOKEN for STS tokens, SERVER_HOST, SERVER_TRANSPORT, and API_KEY for non-loopback deployments. Configure an MCP client (e.g., cherry-studio, Cline, Claude) to connect via stdio or sse transport. Tools can be filtered using the --toolsets parameter or MCP_TOOLSETS environment variable.

Key features of Alibaba Cloud RDS OpenAPI MCP Server

• OpenAPI tools to create, manage, and query RDS instances.
• SQL tools for read-only queries, EXPLAIN, and SHOW commands.
• Toolsets to group tools by functionality (e.g., rds, rds_custom_read).
• Skills for AI-assisted operations and instance management via CLI.
• Prompts for structured RDS troubleshooting and task decomposition.
• Supports both stdio and SSE transport protocols.

Use cases of Alibaba Cloud RDS OpenAPI MCP Server

• Automate RDS instance provisioning, monitoring, and configuration changes.
• Query slow logs, error logs, and performance metrics for diagnostics.
• Run read-only SQL statements like SELECT, SHOW, and EXPLAIN.
• Manage security IP whitelists and tags on RDS instances.
• Integrate with AI copilots for natural language database management.

FAQ from Alibaba Cloud RDS OpenAPI MCP Server

What is the difference between OpenAPI tools and SQL tools?

OpenAPI tools call the Alibaba Cloud RDS API for management actions (e.g., create instance, modify specs), while SQL tools connect directly to the database to execute read-only SQL statements like SELECT and EXPLAIN.

What are the dependencies and runtime requirements?

You need uv (≥ a recent version), Python 3.12, and Alibaba Cloud credentials with RDS permissions. The server can run locally or on a trusted network.

Where does data live? Are credentials stored?

The server runs on your machine or a trusted host and communicates with Alibaba Cloud APIs and your RDS instances. Credentials are set via environment variables and not stored persistently by the server. For SQL tools, temporary read-only accounts are created and then deleted.

What transport protocols are supported?

The server supports both stdio (default for local clients like cherry-studio) and sse (for remote clients like Cline). The transport is set via the SERVER_TRANSPORT environment variable.

How is authentication handled for non-loopback deployments?

When SERVER_HOST is not a loopback address, you must set an API_KEY. MCP clients must then send Authorization: Bearer <API_KEY> in requests. Write-capable tools are disabled by default on non-loopback hosts unless ENABLE_WRITE_TOOLS=true is explicitly set.