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 VS Code Copilot 10 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: Alation
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers

Built by Vinkius GDPR 10 Tools IDE

GitHub Copilot in VS Code is the most widely adopted AI coding assistant, embedded directly into the world's most popular code editor. With MCP support in Agent mode, Copilot can access external data and APIs to generate context-aware code grounded in real-time information.

Get MCP Server for AI Agents

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Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.

RecommendedModern Approach — Zero Configuration

Vinkius Desktop App

The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install Alation and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.

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Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "alation": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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.

GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings Alation data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 10 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.

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 VS Code Copilot 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 VS Code Copilot via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the Alation MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Create MCP config

Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root

Add the server config

Paste the JSON configuration above

Enable Agent mode

Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown

Start using Alation

Ask Copilot: "Using Alation, help me...". 10 tools available

Why Use VS Code Copilot with the Alation MCP Server

GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with Alation through the Model Context Protocol.

VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor

Project-scoped MCP configs (`.vscode/mcp.json`) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access

Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop

GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services

Alation + VS Code Copilot Use Cases

Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the Alation MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Live API integration: Copilot can query an MCP server, inspect the response schema, and generate typed API client code in the same step

DevSecOps workflows: security teams can give developers access to domain intelligence tools directly in their editor for real-time vulnerability assessment during code review

Data pipeline development: Copilot fetches sample data via MCP and generates transformation scripts, validators, and test fixtures from actual API responses

Documentation generation: Copilot queries available tools and auto-generates README sections, API reference docs, and usage examples

Alation MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (10)

These 10 tools become available when you connect Alation to VS Code Copilot 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 VS Code Copilot

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot 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 VS Code Copilot

Common issues when connecting Alation to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

MCP tools not available

Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.

Alation + VS Code Copilot FAQ

Common questions about integrating Alation MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Which VS Code version supports MCP?

MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.

How do I switch to Agent mode?

Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.

Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?

Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.

Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?

Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.