managing-steampipe

name	managing-steampipe
description	Use when working with Steampipe — steampipe cloud infrastructure query engine management. Covers plugin installation, mod management, SQL-based resource querying, dashboard inspection, benchmark execution, compliance reporting, and connection configuration. Use when querying cloud resources with SQL, running compliance benchmarks, inspecting multi-cloud infrastructure, or building Steampipe dashboards.
connection_type	steampipe
preload	false

Steampipe Management Skill

Manage and inspect Steampipe plugins, connections, queries, benchmarks, and dashboards.

MANDATORY: Discovery-First Pattern

Always check installed plugins and connections before running queries.

Phase 1: Discovery

#!/bin/bash

echo "=== Steampipe Version ==="
steampipe --version 2>/dev/null

echo ""
echo "=== Installed Plugins ==="
steampipe plugin list 2>/dev/null | head -15

echo ""
echo "=== Connections ==="
steampipe query "select name, type, plugin from steampipe_connection" --output csv 2>/dev/null | head -15

echo ""
echo "=== Installed Mods ==="
ls -d ~/.steampipe/mods/*/ 2>/dev/null | sed 's|.*mods/||;s|/$||' | head -10
steampipe mod list 2>/dev/null | head -10

echo ""
echo "=== Available Tables ==="
steampipe query ".tables" 2>/dev/null | head -20

Phase 2: Analysis

#!/bin/bash

PLUGIN="${1:-aws}"

echo "=== Plugin Tables ==="
steampipe query ".tables $PLUGIN" 2>/dev/null | head -20

echo ""
echo "=== Resource Count Sample ==="
case "$PLUGIN" in
    aws)
        steampipe query "select region, count(*) as count from aws_ec2_instance group by region order by count desc limit 10" --output table 2>/dev/null
        ;;
    azure)
        steampipe query "select resource_group, count(*) as count from azure_compute_virtual_machine group by resource_group order by count desc limit 10" --output table 2>/dev/null
        ;;
    gcp)
        steampipe query "select project, count(*) as count from gcp_compute_instance group by project order by count desc limit 10" --output table 2>/dev/null
        ;;
esac

echo ""
echo "=== Benchmark Check ==="
steampipe check benchmark.cis_v150 --output brief 2>/dev/null | tail -15 || echo "No CIS benchmark mod installed"

echo ""
echo "=== Dashboard Status ==="
steampipe dashboard --status 2>/dev/null | head -10 || echo "Dashboard not running"

Output Format

STEAMPIPE STATUS
Version: <version> | Plugins: <count> | Connections: <count>
Tables Available: <count>
Plugin: <name> v<version> | Tables: <count>
Benchmark: <name> - <passed>/<total> controls passing
Dashboard: <running|stopped> on <port>
Issues: <any plugin errors, stale connections, or failed benchmarks>

Safety Rules

• Steampipe queries are read-only -- they cannot modify cloud resources
• Be mindful of API costs -- some queries can trigger many API calls across all regions
• Use limit clauses on large tables to avoid excessive API usage
• Review connection credentials -- ensure least-privilege access for query connections

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

Common Pitfalls

• Plugin version mismatch: Update plugins regularly -- old plugins may not support new resource types
• Connection configuration: Missing or incorrect credentials cause query errors -- check ~/.steampipe/config/
• Query performance: Cross-region queries on large accounts can be slow -- use where region = filters
• Cache behavior: Steampipe caches results for 5 minutes by default -- use STEAMPIPE_CACHE=false for real-time data
• Mod dependencies: Benchmarks require specific plugins -- install required plugins before running mods
• Rate limiting: Parallel queries across many accounts can hit cloud provider API rate limits
• Table schema changes: Plugin updates can change column names -- review after upgrading