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Snowflake MCP Server Integration Guide

This guide provides comprehensive instructions for setting up a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Snowflake integration using Bearer token authentication.

Overview​

This integration allows you to:

  • Connect to Snowflake with Bearer token authentication
  • Execute SQL statements programmatically
  • Manage database operations (list, create, modify, delete databases)
  • Implement secure network access controls
  • Create an MCP server for seamless integration

Prerequisites​

  • Snowflake account with appropriate privileges (ACCOUNTADMIN or SECURITYADMIN)
  • Access to Snowflake web interface
  • Node.js environment for MCP server development
  • Understanding of REST API concepts

Step 1: Identify Your Snowflake Organization Details​

1.1 Locate Your Server URL​

Your Snowflake server URL follows this format:

https://<org-name>-<account-name>.snowflakecomputing.com

Example from our implementation:

https://NBTLVBU-JX39884.snowflakecomputing.com

1.2 Extract Organization Information​

From the URL NBTLVBU-JX39884.snowflakecomputing.com:

  • Organization Name: NBTLVBU
  • Account Name: JX39884

Note: You can find your account URL in the Snowflake web interface after logging in, or from your account administrator.

Step 2: Configure Network Security​

2.1 Identify Client IP Addresses​

Determine the IP addresses that need access to your Snowflake account:

# Check your current public IP
curl https://ipinfo.io/ip

2.2 Create or Update Network Policy​

Log into your Snowflake web interface and execute the following SQL commands:

-- Check existing network policies
SHOW NETWORK POLICIES;

-- Create a new network policy for API access
CREATE OR REPLACE NETWORK POLICY api_access_policy
  ALLOWED_IP_LIST = (
        -- Development IP,
        -- Production IP
  );

-- Apply the policy to your user account
ALTER USER <your_username> SET NETWORK_POLICY = 'api_access_policy';

-- Alternative: Apply account-wide (requires ACCOUNTADMIN role)
-- ALTER ACCOUNT SET NETWORK_POLICY = 'api_access_policy';

2.3 Verify Network Policy​

-- Verify the policy is applied
DESC USER <your_username>;

-- Check policy details
DESC NETWORK POLICY api_access_policy;

Step 3: Configure Bearer Token Authentication​

3.1 Generate Snowflake OAuth Token​

Snowflake provides built-in OAuth support. To generate a Bearer token:

Go to Account -> Settings -> Authentication -> Access Tokens -> Generate Token

Example token format:

eyJraWQiOiIxNDQ3NjUzMzc2NSIsImFsZyI6IkVTMjU2In0...

Step 4: Create an MCP Server​

  1. Go to AI Gateway -> Apps -> Third-party -> Snowflake -> Create MCP Server
  2. Configure the MCP Server
  3. Click on the MCP Server -> Configure API Endpoints
  4. Configure the API Endpoints
  5. Click on the MCP Server -> Configure Authentication
  6. Configure the Authentication (Select Bearer token)
  7. Choose/ Create a user-level token
  8. Review and create the MCP Server

Conclusion​

This guide provides a complete implementation for integrating Snowflake with an MCP server using Bearer token authentication. The setup includes:

  • ✅ Snowflake organization identification
  • ✅ Network security configuration
  • ✅ Bearer token authentication
  • ✅ REST API testing
  • ✅ Complete MCP server implementation
  • ✅ Security best practices

The MCP server enables seamless integration between Claude and Snowflake, allowing natural language queries to be converted into SQL operations and database management tasks.

Next Steps​

  1. Extend Functionality: Add more Snowflake API endpoints (schemas, tables, warehouses)
  2. Error Handling: Implement robust error handling and retry logic
  3. Caching: Add response caching for better performance
  4. Monitoring: Integrate logging and monitoring solutions
  5. Security: Implement OAuth 2.0 flow for enhanced security (future enhancement)

For OAuth integration (Azure AD or other providers), refer to the advanced configuration documentation.