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 Pydantic AI 10 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: Alation
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

ai.pydantic.dev/mcp

Built by Vinkius GDPR 10 Tools SDK

Pydantic AI brings type-safe agent development to Python with first-class MCP support. Connect Alation through Vinkius and every tool is automatically validated against Pydantic schemas. catch errors at build time, not in production.

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 pydantic_ai import Agent
from pydantic_ai.mcp import MCPServerHTTP

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

    agent = Agent(
        model="openai:gpt-4o",
        mcp_servers=[server],
        system_prompt=(
            "You are an assistant with access to Alation "
            "(10 tools)."
        ),
    )

    result = await agent.run(
        "What tools are available in Alation?"
    )
    print(result.data)

asyncio.run(main())

Fully ManagedVinkius Servers

60%Token savings

High SecurityEnterprise-grade

IAMAccess control

EU AI ActCompliant

DLPData protection

V8 IsolateSandboxed

Ed25519Audit chain

<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.

Pydantic AI validates every Alation tool response against typed schemas, catching data inconsistencies at build time. Connect 10 tools through Vinkius and switch between OpenAI, Anthropic, or Gemini without changing your integration code. full type safety, structured output guarantees, and dependency injection for testable agents.

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 Pydantic AI 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 Pydantic AI via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the Alation MCP Server with Pydantic AI.

Install Pydantic AI

Run pip install pydantic-ai

Replace the token

Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your Vinkius token

Run the agent

Save to agent.py and run: python agent.py

Explore tools

The agent discovers 10 tools from Alation with type-safe schemas

Why Use Pydantic AI with the Alation MCP Server

Pydantic AI provides unique advantages when paired with Alation through the Model Context Protocol.

Full type safety: every MCP tool response is validated against Pydantic models, catching data inconsistencies before they reach your application

Model-agnostic architecture. switch between OpenAI, Anthropic, or Gemini without changing your Alation integration code

Structured output guarantee: Pydantic AI ensures tool results conform to defined schemas, eliminating runtime type errors

Dependency injection system cleanly separates your Alation connection logic from agent behavior for testable, maintainable code

Alation + Pydantic AI Use Cases

Practical scenarios where Pydantic AI combined with the Alation MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Type-safe data pipelines: query Alation with guaranteed response schemas, feeding validated data into downstream processing

API orchestration: chain multiple Alation tool calls with Pydantic validation at each step to ensure data integrity end-to-end

Production monitoring: build validated alert agents that query Alation and output structured, schema-compliant notifications

Testing and QA: use Pydantic AI's dependency injection to mock Alation responses and write comprehensive agent tests

Alation MCP Tools for Pydantic AI (10)

These 10 tools become available when you connect Alation to Pydantic AI 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 Pydantic AI

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Pydantic AI 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 Pydantic AI

Common issues when connecting Alation to Pydantic AI through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

MCPServerHTTP not found

Update: pip install --upgrade pydantic-ai

Alation + Pydantic AI FAQ

Common questions about integrating Alation MCP Server with Pydantic AI.

How does Pydantic AI discover MCP tools?

Create an MCPServerHTTP instance with the server URL. Pydantic AI connects, discovers all tools, and generates typed Python interfaces automatically.

Does Pydantic AI validate MCP tool responses?

Yes. When you define result types as Pydantic models, every tool response is validated against the schema. Invalid data raises a clear error instead of silently corrupting your pipeline.

Can I switch LLM providers without changing MCP code?

Absolutely. Pydantic AI abstracts the model layer. your Alation MCP integration works identically with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or any supported provider.