managing-hetzner-cloud

name	managing-hetzner-cloud
description	Use when working with Hetzner Cloud — hetzner Cloud deep-dive management via the hcloud CLI. Covers server types, pricing, placement groups, certificates, primary IPs, and detailed server metrics. Use for detailed Hetzner Cloud analysis beyond basic server listing.
connection_type	hetzner-cloud
preload	false

Managing Hetzner Cloud (Deep Dive)

Deep-dive Hetzner Cloud management using the hcloud CLI for detailed analysis.

MANDATORY: Discovery-First Pattern

Always discover available resources before performing analysis.

Phase 1: Discovery

#!/bin/bash

echo "=== Server Types (Available) ==="
hcloud server-type list -o columns=id,name,description,cores,memory,disk,storage_type 2>/dev/null | head -20

echo ""
echo "=== Placement Groups ==="
hcloud placement-group list -o columns=id,name,type,servers 2>/dev/null | head -10

echo ""
echo "=== Primary IPs ==="
hcloud primary-ip list -o columns=id,name,type,ip,datacenter,assignee_id,auto_delete 2>/dev/null | head -10

echo ""
echo "=== Certificates ==="
hcloud certificate list -o columns=id,name,type,domain_names,not_valid_after 2>/dev/null | head -10

echo ""
echo "=== Images ==="
hcloud image list --type system -o columns=id,name,description,os_flavor,os_version,disk_size 2>/dev/null | head -15

echo ""
echo "=== Snapshots ==="
hcloud image list --type snapshot -o columns=id,description,created,image_size,disk_size 2>/dev/null | head -10

echo ""
echo "=== Backups ==="
hcloud image list --type backup -o columns=id,description,created,image_size,created_from_name 2>/dev/null | head -10

Phase 2: Analysis

#!/bin/bash

SERVER_ID="${1:?Server ID required}"

echo "=== Server Details ==="
hcloud server describe "$SERVER_ID" -o json 2>/dev/null | jq '{
    id, name, status,
    server_type: .server_type.name,
    cores: .server_type.cores,
    memory: .server_type.memory,
    disk: .server_type.disk,
    datacenter: .datacenter.name,
    location: .datacenter.location.city,
    public_ipv4: .public_net.ipv4.ip,
    public_ipv6: .public_net.ipv6.ip,
    private_nets: [.private_net[] | {network: .network, ip: .ip}],
    image: .image.name,
    iso: .iso,
    rescue_enabled: .rescue_enabled,
    locked: .locked,
    protection: .protection,
    labels: .labels,
    created: .created
}'

echo ""
echo "=== Server Metrics (CPU last 1h) ==="
hcloud server metrics "$SERVER_ID" --type cpu --start "$(date -u -v-1H +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ 2>/dev/null || date -u -d '1 hour ago' +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)" --end "$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)" -o json 2>/dev/null | jq '.metrics.timeseries[] | {name: .labels.mode, values: [.values[-5:][]]}' | head -20

echo ""
echo "=== Server Metrics (Disk I/O last 1h) ==="
hcloud server metrics "$SERVER_ID" --type disk --start "$(date -u -v-1H +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ 2>/dev/null || date -u -d '1 hour ago' +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)" --end "$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)" -o json 2>/dev/null | jq '.metrics.timeseries[] | {name: .labels | to_entries | map(.value) | join("-"), values_tail: [.values[-3:][]]}' | head -15

echo ""
echo 
hcloud server metrics  -- network --start  --end  -o json 2>/dev/null | jq  |  -15

Output Format

ID       NAME       STATUS    TYPE    CORES  MEMORY  DATACENTER  IP
123456   web-01     running   cx21    2      4GB     fsn1-dc14   1.2.3.4

Safety Rules

• Use read-only commands: list, describe, metrics
• Never run delete, shutdown, rebuild without explicit user confirmation
• Use -o json with jq for detailed output, -o columns= for summaries
• Limit output with | head -N to stay under 50 lines

Anti-Hallucination Rules

1. NEVER assume resource names — always discover via CLI/API in Phase 1 before referencing in Phase 2.
2. NEVER fabricate metric names or dimensions — verify against the service documentation or --help output.
3. NEVER mix CLI commands between service versions — confirm which version/API you are targeting.
4. ALWAYS use the discovery → verify → analyze chain — every resource referenced must have been discovered first.
5. ALWAYS handle empty results gracefully — an empty response is valid data, not an error to retry.

Counter-Rationalizations

Shortcut	Counter	Why
"I'll skip discovery and check known resources"	Always run Phase 1 discovery first	Resource names change, new resources appear — assumed names cause errors
"The user only asked for a quick check"	Follow the full discovery → analysis flow	Quick checks miss critical issues; structured analysis catches silent failures
"Default configuration is probably fine"	Audit configuration explicitly	Defaults often leave logging, security, and optimization features disabled
"Metrics aren't needed for this"	Always check relevant metrics when available	API/CLI responses show current state; metrics reveal trends and intermittent issues
"I don't have access to that"	Try the command and report the actual error	Assumed permission failures prevent useful investigation; actual errors are informative