Query Cloud Costs with AI: A Guide to Vantage MCP Server Integration

Harness the power of AI to understand your Vantage cloud costs! This guide explores the Vantage MCP Server, empowering you to analyze cloud spend with natural language using tools like Claude, Cursor, and Goose. Query cost reports, filter by tags, and identify anomalies—all through intuitive conversational interfaces.

What is the Vantage MCP Server?

The Vantage MCP Server bridges Vantage's powerful cost data with AI assistants. This open-source tool, built with Golang, lets you ask questions about your cloud costs in plain language. Analyze spending, explore tagging strategies, and understand provider integrations with ease thanks to the Vantage MCP Server.

• Open-source: Fully customizable and transparent.
• Natural language queries: Simplifies complex cost analysis.
• AI-powered insights: Leverages AI assistants for deeper understanding.

Key Tools Available

The Vantage MCP Server exposes several tools to provide detailed insights into your cloud spending. Each tool can be invoked by compatible MCP clients:

• get-costs: Filter cloud costs by specific dates and Vantage Query Language (VQL).
• list-cost-reports: See all available cost reports to see spending.
• list-cost-integrations: List all cost provider integrations like AWS, Azure, and GCP.
• list-tags: Identify available tags for filtering cost reports.
• list-tag-values: Discover the values associated with specific tags.
• list-anomalies: Find anomalies and outliers in your cost reports.
• list-cost-providers: List cloud providers available within VQL queries.

Getting Started with Vantage MCP Server

Ready to start querying your cloud costs with AI? Here's a quick start guide to get the MCP server running:

Prerequisites

Before installing, ensure you have the following:

• Go: Properly installed and configured.
• Node.js: Also needs to be installed and configured correctly.
• Vantage API Token: Create a read-only API token from your Vantage account.

Installation Methods

Choose your preferred installation method:

• Homebrew:

  brew install vantage-sh/tap/vantage-mcp-server
  

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• From Source:

  git clone https://github.com/vantage-sh/vantage-mcp-server
  cd vantage-mcp-server
  go build -o vantage-mcp-server
  chmod +x vantage-mcp-server
  

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Debugging

Use the MCP inspector to debug your setup:

npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector -e VANTAGE_BEARER_TOKEN=<token> ./vantage-mcp-server

Replace <token> with your actual Vantage API token.

Integrating with MCP Clients

Integrate the Vantage MCP Server with your preferred client:

Claude for Desktop

1. Download and install Claude for Desktop.
2. Open Claude's settings ( Claude > Settings ).
3. Go to Developer > Edit Config.
4. Edit the claude_desktop_config.json configuration file. Replace placeholders with the correct values, including the path to the compiled Vantage MCP Server binary and your Vantage API token:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Vantage": {
      "command": "<path_to_compiled_vantage_mcp_server_binary>",
      "args": [],
      "env": { "VANTAGE_BEARER_TOKEN": "<personal_vantage_api_token>" }
    }
  }
}

5. Save the configuration file and restart Claude.

Cursor

1. Download and install Cursor.
2. Open Cursor's settings (Cursor > Settings > Cursor Settings).
3. Navigate to MCP.
4. Click Add new global MCP Server.
5. Update the mcp.json file with the correct path and API token:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Vantage": {
      "command": "<path_to_compiled_vantage_mcp_server_binary>",
      "args": [],
      "env": { "VANTAGE_BEARER_TOKEN": "<personal_vantage_api_token>" }
    }
  }
}

Goose

1. Download and install Goose.
2. Open Goose's settings (Goose > Settings).
3. Under Extensions, click Add custom extension.
4. Fill in the fields:
   • ID: vantage-mcp-server
   • Name: Vantage
   • Description: Query costs and usage data
   • Command: Path to the Vantage MCP Server binary
5. Add an environment variable:
   • Name: VANTAGE_BEARER_TOKEN
   • Value: Your Vantage API token

With these simple steps, you can now easily manage and automate your cloud infrastructure spendings.