managing-azure-resource-manager

name	managing-azure-resource-manager
description	Use when working with Azure Resource Manager — azure Resource Manager (ARM) template and deployment management. Covers template validation, deployment operations, resource group inspection, what-if analysis, deployment history, and template spec management. Use when deploying ARM templates, reviewing deployment status, analyzing resource groups, or troubleshooting failed deployments.
connection_type	azure-resource-manager
preload	false

Azure Resource Manager Management Skill

Manage ARM template deployments, resource groups, deployment history, and template specs.

MANDATORY: Discovery-First Pattern

Always inspect resource groups and deployment status before operations.

Phase 1: Discovery

#!/bin/bash
echo "=== Current Account ==="
az account show --query '{Name:name,Id:id,TenantId:tenantId}' -o table 2>/dev/null

echo ""
echo "=== Resource Groups ==="
az group list --query '[*].{Name:name,Location:location,State:properties.provisioningState}' -o table 2>/dev/null | head -20

echo ""
echo "=== Recent Deployments ==="
az deployment sub list --query '[*].{Name:name,State:properties.provisioningState,Timestamp:properties.timestamp}' -o table 2>/dev/null | head -10

echo ""
echo "=== Template Specs ==="
az ts list --query '[*].{Name:name,Version:versions[-1].name,Location:location}' -o table 2>/dev/null | head -10

Phase 2: Analysis

#!/bin/bash
RG="${1:?Resource group name required}"

echo "=== Resource Group Resources ==="
az resource list -g "$RG" --query '[*].{Name:name,Type:type,Location:location}' -o table 2>/dev/null | head -20

echo ""
echo "=== Deployment History ==="
az deployment group list -g "$RG" --query '[*].{Name:name,State:properties.provisioningState,Timestamp:properties.timestamp,Mode:properties.mode}' -o table 2>/dev/null | head -10

echo ""
echo "=== Failed Deployments ==="
az deployment group list -g "$RG" --query "[?properties.provisioningState=='Failed'].{Name:name,Error:properties.error.message}" -o table 2>/dev/null | head -10

echo ""
echo "=== What-If (if template provided) ==="
TEMPLATE="${2:-}"
if [ -n "$TEMPLATE" ]; then
  az deployment group what-if -g "$RG" --template-file "$TEMPLATE" 2>&1 | tail -20
fi

Output Rules

• TOKEN EFFICIENCY: Target <=50 lines per output
• Show resource counts by type, not full resource listings
• Summarize deployment states and highlight failures
• Use what-if output for change previews

Safety Rules

• NEVER deploy in Complete mode without explicit confirmation (deletes unmanaged resources)
• Always run what-if before deploying templates
• Use Incremental mode by default
• Review deployment error details before retrying
• Validate templates with az deployment group validate before deploying

Output Format

Present results as a structured report:

Managing Azure Resource Manager Report
══════════════════════════════════════
Resources discovered: [count]

Resource       Status    Key Metric    Issues
──────────────────────────────────────────────
[name]         [ok/warn] [value]       [findings]

Summary: [total] resources | [ok] healthy | [warn] warnings | [crit] critical
Action Items: [list of prioritized findings]

Target ≤50 lines of output. Use tables for multi-resource comparisons.

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