add_tags_to_db_instanceLABSCO SUMMARY
Diagnosis and management in the same session, on one credential.
The useful pairing is reading the slow log and then changing the parameter — normally two consoles and a context switch. That also sets the security question sharply: this credential can create instances and open public connections, so give it a scoped RAM role rather than an account key, and use --toolsets to leave the groups you do not run unregistered. SQL execution is read-only, which keeps the data plane narrower than the management plane.
What it is
Alibaba Cloud's MCP server over the RDS OpenAPI. It covers the management plane — creating and configuring instances, accounts, parameters and allowlists — and the diagnostic plane, with performance data and slow logs, plus read-only SQL against the databases themselves.
What you get
- Instances — create_db_instance, describe_db_instances, modify_db_instance_spec and the lifecycle operations around them
- Accounts and access — create_db_instance_account, allocate_instance_public_connection, and allowlist management including attach_whitelist_template_to_instance and describe_all_whitelist_template
- Diagnostics — performance data, slow log records and error logs, which is what you actually reach for when a database is misbehaving
- Parameters — read and modify instance parameters rather than opening the console
- Tags — add_tags_to_db_instance adds tags to an RDS instance
- Read-only SQL executed inside an instance, so a question about the data does not need a separate connection
- --toolsets selects which groups are registered — rds on its own, or rds together with the MSSQL custom group — so the tool list matches the databases you actually run
Requirements
An Alibaba Cloud account and an access key: ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_ID and ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET, with ALIBABA_CLOUD_SECURITY_TOKEN as well when you authenticate through STS. Run it with uvx alibabacloud-rds-openapi-mcp-server. The key's RAM permissions are what decide what any tool can do, so scope it rather than using an account-wide key. --toolsets keeps the registered surface to the groups you need.
Setup effort
One command plus a key — uvx alibabacloud-rds-openapi-mcp-server@latest, then supply credentials
USE CASES
01
A database is slow and you do not know which query
Read the slow log records and the performance data for the same window.
02
Answering a question about the data itself
Run the read-only query inside the instance rather than exporting it.
03
Provisioning a database for a new service
Create the instance, add the account, and attach the allowlist template it should use.
04
Opening access to something that cannot reach it
Check the allowlist templates in use, then allocate the connection it needs.
05
Tuning after a load test
Read the current parameters, change the ones the performance data points at, and watch the result.
06
Making the estate legible for cost work
Tag the instances so spend can be attributed later.
36 tools
Listed in project docs. Your client may show a different list.
allocate_instance_public_connectionattach_whitelist_template_to_instancecreate_db_instancecreate_db_instance_accountdescribe_all_whitelist_templatedescribe_available_classesdescribe_available_zonesdescribe_billsdescribe_db_instance_accountsdescribe_db_instance_attributedescribe_db_instance_databasesdescribe_db_instance_ip_allowlistdescribe_db_instance_net_infodescribe_db_instance_parametersdescribe_db_instance_performancedescribe_db_instancesdescribe_error_logsdescribe_instance_linked_whitelist_templatedescribe_monitor_metricsdescribe_slow_log_recordsdescribe_sql_insight_statisticdescribe_vpcsdescribe_vswitchesmodify_security_ipsget_current_timemodify_db_instance_descriptionmodify_db_instance_specmodify_parameterrestart_db_instanceexplain_sqlshow_engine_innodb_statusshow_create_tableshow_largest_tableshow_largest_table_fragmentquery_sqlBEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
36 tools named in the project's documentation.
Requires
- uvx on PATH
- ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_ID in your environment
- ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET in your environment
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Server setup
TERMINAL
uvx alibabacloud-rds-openapi-mcp-server@latestMCP Clients
Cline
Set your env and run the MCP server:
CLINE · TERMINAL
export SERVER_TRANSPORT=sse
export SERVER_HOST=127.0.0.1
export ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_ID=access_id
export ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET=<YOUR_ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET>
uvx alibabacloud-rds-openapi-mcp-server@latestOnce it reports Uvicorn running on http://127.0.0.1:8000, configure Cline with the remote server http://127.0.0.1:8000/sse
Claude Desktop
Download from Github with git clone https://github.com/aliyun/alibabacloud-rds-openapi-mcp-server.git, then add the following configuration to the MCP client configuration file, with /path/to pointing at the folder you cloned. If you use an STS token, also set ALIBABA_CLOUD_SECURITY_TOKEN in env.
CLAUDE DESKTOP · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"rds-openapi-mcp-server": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"--directory",
"<YOUR_PATH_TO_ALIBABACLOUD_RDS_OPENAPI_MCP>/src/alibabacloud_rds_openapi_mcp_server",
"run",
"server.py"
],
"env": {
"ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_ID": "<YOUR_ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_ID>",
"ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET": "<YOUR_ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET>"
}
}
}
}
