Unlock Natural Language Queries for Alibaba Cloud Observability via MCP Server

Alibaba Cloud Observable MCP Server provides natural‑language access to observability products such as Log Service (SLS) and Application Real‑Time Monitoring Service (ARMS), allowing users to query logs, traces, and performance data efficiently.

Scenario 1: Query SLS log information

Check whether the logstore exists.

Retrieve the logstore structure.

Generate a query from natural language.

Execute the query.

Generate a response based on the result.

Tools: sls_list_logstores, sls_describe_logstore, sls_translate_natural_language_to_query,

sls_execute_query

Scenario 2: Query the slowest traces in ARMS

Check whether the application exists.

Retrieve the application structure.

Generate a trace query.

Execute the query.

Generate a response based on the result.

Tools: arms_search_apps, arms_generate_trace_query, sls_translate_natural_language_to_query,

sls_execute_query

Scenario 3: Analyze RUM user‑experience monitoring

Check whether the application exists.

Retrieve the application structure.

Generate a query from natural language.

Execute the query.

Generate a response based on the result.

Tools: sls_translate_natural_language_to_query,

sls_execute_query

Advantages of Observable MCP Server

Cross‑product data access: users can query SLS, ARMS, CloudMonitor, Prometheus, and other observability products using natural language.

Multi‑modal data analysis: supports logs, metrics, traces, alerts, and application analysis in a unified way.

Security: authenticates with Alibaba Cloud AccessKey, does not store keys, and enforces strict input/output validation; the project is open‑source.

Source code: https://github.com/aliyun/alibabacloud-observability-mcp-server

How to use Observable MCP Server

Install with pip: pip install mcp-server-aliyun-observability Run the server (example using SSE transport):

python -m mcp_server_aliyun_observability --transport sse --access-key-id <your_access_key_id> --access-key-secret <your_access_key_secret>

Command‑line options: --transport: sse | stdio (default: stdio) --access-key-id: Alibaba Cloud AccessKey ID --access-key-secret: Alibaba Cloud AccessKey Secret --log-level: DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR (default: INFO) --transport-port: port for SSE transport (default: 8000, effective only with sse)

Permission requirements

Alibaba Cloud AccessKey (ID and Secret) for API calls.

RAM policies granting read/query permissions for the required tools, e.g., sls_* for Log Service and arms_* for ARMS, following the principle of least privilege.

Security and deployment recommendations

The server uses the provided AccessKey only at runtime and never stores it.

Deploy the MCP Server inside a private VPC or using Alibaba Cloud Function Compute (FC) with VPC‑only access to avoid public exposure.

If using SSE, ensure the endpoint is protected with authentication and access control; never expose it publicly without safeguards.

Next steps for Observable MCP Server

Support additional observability products such as CloudMonitor and Prometheus.

Provide full‑stack data analysis with a unified query language, eliminating the need to learn product‑specific query languages like SLS SQL or PromQL.