list_active_sessions

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

With no annotations provided, the description carries the full behavioral burden. It conveys read-only intent and the notion of an ACTIVE scope, but says nothing about privileges required to read session data, any row caps or pagination, or whether the elapsed/last-call values are snapshots. That is meaningful missing context for a monitoring tool, though not a contradiction.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Two compact sentences, purpose and returned fields front-loaded, filters last. Every clause carries information and there is no filler.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

There is no output schema, so the description usefully enumerates the returned columns, which is the key information an agent needs. Missing only secondary context such as privilege requirements or result-size behavior, which keeps it short of a 5.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Both parameters have 100% schema description coverage ('Optional session id (SID) filter', 'Optional Oracle username filter'), so the schema already documents them fully. The description only restates that these filters are optional, adding no format, matching, or edge-case semantics beyond the schema.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb (List) and resource (ACTIVE sessions) and enumerates the columns returned (username, machine, program, last call elapsed, module, logon time), so the agent knows exactly what it gets. It does not, however, differentiate itself from the nearby siblings list_blocked_sessions or get_session_sql_text, which an agent might reasonably confuse for session inspection.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

"Currently ACTIVE" plus the two optional filters implies the use case (inspect live sessions, optionally narrowed by user or SID), but there is no explicit when-to-use or when-not-to-use guidance and no pointer to the blocked-session or session-SQL siblings. Usage is inferable rather than stated.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.