This record as markdown: /tools/serac/snow-retry-operation.md
What snow_retry_operation does on Serac
AI agents invoke snow_retry_operation to trigger actions in Serac. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call: builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.
Why snow_retry_operation is rated High
This tool re-executes an operation that previously failed, applying backoff logic. The effects depend entirely on what the underlying operation does, but the act of re-triggering an operation constitutes execution of external actions. Since we don't know what operation is being retried (could be write, execute, or destructive), Execute is the most appropriate baseline category.
From the tool's definition 'Retry failed operation with backoff' — re-triggers a previously failed operation
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs snow_retry_operation safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Serac, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For snow_retry_operation, this is the rule to start with:
snow_retry_operation stays usable, but rate-capped: a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Serac, apply this rule, and every snow_retry_operation call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about snow_retry_operation
Retry failed operation with backoff. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Serac MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the Serac MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for snow_retry_operation: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Serac. Nothing to install.
snow_retry_operation is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the snow_retry_operation rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for snow_retry_operation. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
snow_retry_operation is provided by the Serac MCP server (serac-labs/serac). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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