How do I find my Alation API Access Token?

Log in to Alation, click on your user avatar, and go to **Account Settings** > **Authentication**. You can generate a Refresh Token there, which can then be used to obtain short-lived Access Tokens for the API.

Can I search for specific table types?

Yes! The `search_catalog` tool allows you to apply filters by object type (otype), such as `table`, `schema`, or `attribute`. This ensures your search results are highly relevant.

Does this support viewing data lineage?

Yes, the `get_lineage` tool retrieves technical metadata describing the relationships and data flow between different assets in your catalog.

Alation MCP Server for OpenAI Agents SDK 10 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: Alation
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

openai.github.io/openai-agents-python/mcp

Built by Vinkius GDPR 10 Tools SDK

The OpenAI Agents SDK enables production-grade agent workflows in Python. Connect Alation through Vinkius and your agents gain typed, auto-discovered tools with built-in guardrails. no manual schema definitions required.

Get MCP Server for AI Agents

ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER

Open in ChatGPT Open in Claude Open in Perplexity

Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.

python

import asyncio
from agents import Agent, Runner
from agents.mcp import MCPServerStreamableHttp

async def main():
    # Your Vinkius token. get it at cloud.vinkius.com
    async with MCPServerStreamableHttp(
        url="https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    ) as mcp_server:

        agent = Agent(
            name="Alation Assistant",
            instructions=(
                "You help users interact with Alation. "
                "You have access to 10 tools."
            ),
            mcp_servers=[mcp_server],
        )

        result = await Runner.run(
            agent, "List all available tools from Alation"
        )
        print(result.final_output)

asyncio.run(main())

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<40msKill switch

Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About Alation MCP Server

Connect your Alation instance to your AI agent to unlock enterprise-grade data intelligence and discovery. From searching for critical data assets across your catalog to auditing table schemas and retrieving saved SQL queries, your agent handles your data governance through natural conversation.

The OpenAI Agents SDK auto-discovers all 10 tools from Alation through native MCP integration. Build agents with built-in guardrails, tracing, and handoff patterns. chain multiple agents where one queries Alation, another analyzes results, and a third generates reports, all orchestrated through Vinkius.

What you can do

Catalog Discovery — Search for schemas, tables, and data sources using keywords and advanced filters
Metadata Auditing — Retrieve detailed logical and physical metadata, including descriptions, stewards, and tags
Lineage Analysis — Trace data lineage to understand the provenance and impact of your data assets
Query Orchestration — List saved SQL queries and retrieve cached execution results from Alation Compose
Custom Field Management — List and audit custom governance fields associated with your catalog objects

The Alation MCP Server exposes 10 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to OpenAI Agents SDK in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect Alation to OpenAI Agents SDK via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the Alation MCP Server with OpenAI Agents SDK.

Install the SDK

Run pip install openai-agents in your Python environment

Replace the token

Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your Vinkius token from cloud.vinkius.com

Run the script

Save the code above and run it: python agent.py

Explore tools

The agent will automatically discover 10 tools from Alation

Why Use OpenAI Agents SDK with the Alation MCP Server

OpenAI Agents SDK provides unique advantages when paired with Alation through the Model Context Protocol.

Native MCP integration via `MCPServerSse`, pass the URL and the SDK auto-discovers all tools with full type safety

Built-in guardrails, tracing, and handoff patterns let you build production-grade agents without reinventing safety infrastructure

Lightweight and composable: chain multiple agents and MCP servers in a single pipeline with minimal boilerplate

First-party OpenAI support ensures optimal compatibility with GPT models for tool calling and structured output

Alation + OpenAI Agents SDK Use Cases

Practical scenarios where OpenAI Agents SDK combined with the Alation MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Automated workflows: build agents that query Alation, process the data, and trigger follow-up actions autonomously

Multi-agent orchestration: create specialist agents. one queries Alation, another analyzes results, a third generates reports

Data enrichment pipelines: stream data through Alation tools and transform it with OpenAI models in a single async loop

Customer support bots: agents query Alation to resolve tickets, look up records, and update statuses without human intervention

Alation MCP Tools for OpenAI Agents SDK (10)

These 10 tools become available when you connect Alation to OpenAI Agents SDK via MCP:

get_lineage

Trace data lineage

get_object_metadata

Get object details

get_query_results

Get cached query results

list_columns

List columns in table

list_custom_fields

List governance fields

list_data_sources

List catalog data sources

list_saved_queries

List saved SQL queries

list_schemas

List schemas in data source

list_tables

List tables in schema

search_catalog

Search for data assets

Example Prompts for Alation in OpenAI Agents SDK

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your OpenAI Agents SDK agent to start working with Alation immediately.

"Search my Alation catalog for tables containing 'Customer ROI'."

"List the last 5 SQL queries I saved in Alation."

"Show the lineage for table 'Orders_Main' in the 'Production' schema."

Troubleshooting Alation MCP Server with OpenAI Agents SDK

Common issues when connecting Alation to OpenAI Agents SDK through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

MCPServerStreamableHttp not found

Ensure you have the latest version: pip install --upgrade openai-agents

Agent not calling tools

Make sure your prompt explicitly references the task the tools can help with.

Alation + OpenAI Agents SDK FAQ

Common questions about integrating Alation MCP Server with OpenAI Agents SDK.

How does the OpenAI Agents SDK connect to MCP?

Use MCPServerSse(url=...) to create a server connection. The SDK auto-discovers all tools and makes them available to your agent with full type information.