DataWorks MCP Server

How to use

You use this MCP server by connecting an MCP-compatible client to the server’s local or remote endpoint and issuing actions that reflect DataWorks Open API capabilities. The server exposes a set of tools that let your AI agents discover, query, and manage DataWorks resources through standardized operations. Use cases include listing projects, querying resource details, and invoking DataWorks actions as part of automated workflows.

How to install

Prerequisites: you need Node.js 16 or higher and a package manager such as pnpm, npm, or yarn. You also require DataWorks Open API credentials (access key and secret key).

Option 1: Install from npm (recommended for clients like Cursor/Cline)

# Install globally
npm install -g alibabacloud-dataworks-mcp-server

# Or install locally in your project
npm install alibabacloud-dataworks-mcp-server

Option 2: Build from source (for developers)

# Clone the project
git clone https://github.com/aliyun/alibabacloud-dataworks-mcp-server
cd alibabacloud-dataworks-mcp-server

# Install dependencies (pnpm is recommended, npm is supported)
pnpm install

# Build the project
pnpm run build

# Development run (uses inspector)
pnpm run dev

Environment setup and configuration snippets

Set up environment variables to run the MCP server locally. Use the following placeholders and replace them with your actual credentials and region.

# DataWorks Configuration
REGION=your_dataworks_open_api_region_id_here
ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your_alibaba_cloud_access_key_id
ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET=your_alibaba_cloud_access_key_secret
TOOL_CATEGORIES=optional_your_tool_categories_here_ex_SERVER_IDE_DEFAULT
TOOL_NAMES=optional_your_tool_names_here_ex_ListProjects

Configuration example snippets

Two MCP server configurations are shown for different installation modes. Use the one that matches your setup.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "alibabacloud-dataworks-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["alibabacloud-dataworks-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "REGION": "your_dataworks_open_api_region_id_here",
        "ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_ID": "your_alibaba_cloud_access_key_id",
        "ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET": "your_alibaba_cloud_access_key_secret",
        "TOOL_CATEGORIES": "optional_your_tool_categories_here_ex_SERVER_IDE_DEFAULT",
        "TOOL_NAMES": "optional_your_tool_names_here_ex_ListProjects"
      },
      "disabled": false,
      "autoApprove": []
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "alibabacloud-dataworks-mcp-server": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/alibabacloud-dataworks-mcp-server/build/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "REGION": "your_dataworks_open_api_region_id_here",
        "ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_ID": "your_alibaba_cloud_access_key_id",
        "ALIBABA_CLOUD_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET": "your_alibaba_cloud_access_key_secret",
        "TOOL_CATEGORIES": "optional_your_tool_categories_here_ex_SERVER_IDE_DEFAULT",
        "TOOL_NAMES": "optional_your_tool_names_here_ex_ListProjects"
      },
      "disabled": false,
      "autoApprove": []
    }
  }
}

Security considerations

Keep your private keys secure and never share them. Use environment variables for sensitive information and regularly monitor and audit AI agent activities.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues: verify your DataWorks Open API access key and secret key are correct, check your region, ensure you are on the correct network (mainnet, testnet, or devnet), and confirm the build/run flow completed successfully.

Dependencies

Key dependencies include @alicloud/dataworks-public20240518 and @alicloud/openapi-client.

Notes

This server provides DataWorks tools to interact with the DataWorks Open API in a standardized way for AI agents to manage cloud resources.