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EKS Reconnaissance

Discover everything about an EKS cluster environment. Run this skill to gather comprehensive cluster context before making any decisions, changes, or recommendations.

When to Use This Skill

Run this skill when the user wants to discover or document cluster FACTS:

Asks about their EKS cluster ("what's my cluster running?", "tell me about my setup")
Wants an inventory of current state before an upgrade, migration, or architecture change
Wants to document or review what exists in their cluster
Asks questions like "what version am I on?" or "am I using Karpenter?"

Also trigger this skill when:

User mentions an EKS cluster name and seems to need its current-state facts
Another workflow needs raw cluster facts as input

Recon reports facts only. Reporting facts that also matter to another skill (upgrade, security, design) is expected and fine — the dividing line is discovery-of-facts (here) vs. verdict/score/artifact (route elsewhere, below).

Do NOT use this skill for:

Upgrade readiness scoring or deprecated API checks — questions like "score my upgrade readiness", "are there deprecated APIs blocking my upgrade", "can I safely upgrade to 1.33", "readiness score", or "breaking changes that would block a version bump" belong to eks-upgrade-check. Recon discovers what version you're on; it does NOT assess whether you're ready to move to the next version.
Operational audits with maturity ratings — questions like "run an operational excellence audit", "rate each area GREEN/AMBER/RED", or "audit my cluster's operational posture" belong to eks-operation-review. Recon inventories what exists; it does NOT score operational maturity or produce rated assessments.
Architecture design documents or Mermaid diagrams — questions like "create a security architecture document", "generate Mermaid diagrams for our EKS cluster", or "design document" belong to eks-design. Recon discovers current state; it does NOT produce design artifacts or architectural diagrams.
Creating or modifying cluster resources (this is read-only)
Troubleshooting specific issues (use eks-best-practices)
Learning about EKS concepts (use eks-best-practices)

Prerequisites

MCP Server (Preferred)

This skill works best with the EKS MCP Server configured. Check if MCP tools are available:

If tools like `list_eks_resources`, `describe_eks_resource`, `list_k8s_resources` are available:
  -> MCP Mode: Use MCP tools (pre-authorized, richer output)
  
If MCP tools are NOT available:
  -> CLI Mode: Fall back to AWS CLI + kubectl (requires explicit permission)

MCP Mode benefits:

Pre-authorized read-only operations (no permission prompts)
Richer output with better formatting
Single tool call instead of piped commands

CLI Mode limitations:

Requires user permission for each command
May need kubeconfig setup
Some detection patterns are less reliable

Required for CLI Mode

Tool	Required For
`aws` CLI	Cluster-level detection (describe-cluster, list-nodegroups, list-addons)
`kubectl`	K8s resource detection (deployments, CRDs, service accounts)
`helm`	Helm release inventory (optional)

MCP Troubleshooting

401 Unauthorized on K8s API calls (list_k8s_resources, read_k8s_resource):

The MCP server can access EKS APIs (clusters, nodegroups, addons) but may lack Kubernetes API access. This happens when the MCP server's IAM role doesn't have an EKS access entry.

Solutions (choose one):

Grant MCP access: Create an EKS access entry for the MCP server's IAM role.

Surface these commands to the user — do NOT execute them. These are persistent IAM writes and violate the read-only contract of this skill.

aws eks create-access-entry \
  --cluster-name <cluster> \
  --region <region> \
  --principal-arn <mcp-server-role-arn> \
  --type STANDARD
aws eks associate-access-policy \
  --cluster-name <cluster> \
  --region <region> \
  --principal-arn <mcp-server-role-arn> \
  --policy-arn arn:aws:eks::aws:cluster-access-policy/AmazonEKSViewPolicy \
  --access-scope type=cluster

If the user confirms and has permission, they can run these themselves out-of-band.

Fall back to kubectl: If user has local kubectl access, use CLI commands instead:

"MCP K8s access returned 401. I'll use kubectl instead if you have it configured locally."

Empty results from EKS API calls:

Verify cluster name and region are correct
Check if the cluster exists: aws eks list-clusters --region <region>

Reconnaissance Modes

Mode	When to Use	What Happens
Full Recon	First engagement with cluster	Runs all modules, generates complete report
Selective Recon	Know what you need	Run specific modules (e.g., compute + iac)
Targeted Query	Quick answer	"Is this cluster using Karpenter?"

How to Invoke

Full reconnaissance:

"Run EKS reconnaissance on cluster my-cluster in us-west-2"

Selective reconnaissance:

"Run EKS recon but only check compute and IaC"

Targeted query:

"What IaC tool manages cluster my-cluster?"

Modules and Reference Loading

Load only the references needed for the user's request — this keeps context focused. references/cluster-basics.md is always loaded first by every module; it provides the shared cluster context all other modules depend on. For targeted queries, load only the matching row(s); for full recon, load all references in parallel. When uncertain, ask the user or default to full recon.

Module	Intent / when to use	Reference file	Agent file
Cluster Basics	Always loaded first by every module (name, region, version, platform version, endpoint)	cluster-basics.md	—
Compute	Karpenter, nodes, scaling, Auto Mode, node groups, Fargate, self-managed	compute.md	compute-recon.md
Networking	VPC, ingress, CNI, service mesh, load balancer, connectivity	networking.md	networking-recon.md
Security	IAM, IRSA, Pod Identity, RBAC, policies, encryption, secrets, webhooks	security.md	security-recon.md
Add-ons	EKS-managed add-ons, Helm releases, plugins, "what's installed?"	addons.md	addons-recon.md
Observability	Logging, metrics, monitoring, Container Insights, Prometheus	observability.md	observability-recon.md
Workloads	Deployments, pods, services, ingresses, "what's running?"	workloads.md	workloads-recon.md
Storage	PVCs, EBS, EFS, StorageClasses, CSI drivers, volumes, snapshots	storage.md	storage-recon.md
IaC	Terraform, CloudFormation, CDK, eksctl, Pulumi, "how is it managed?"	iac.md	iac-recon.md
CI/CD	GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, ArgoCD, Flux, GitOps, pipelines	cicd.md	cicd-recon.md
Cluster Insights	EKS-reported upgrade-readiness & configuration insights (raw findings)	cluster-insights.md	cluster-insights-recon.md

Quick Detection Reference

MCP Commands (Preferred)

Detection	MCP Tool
Cluster info	`describe_eks_resource(resource_type="cluster", cluster_name="<name>")`
Node groups	`list_eks_resources(resource_type="nodegroup", cluster_name="<name>")`
EKS add-ons	`list_eks_resources(resource_type="addon", cluster_name="<name>")`
Karpenter	`list_k8s_resources(cluster_name="<name>", kind="NodePool", api_version="karpenter.sh/v1")`
Deployments	`list_k8s_resources(cluster_name="<name>", kind="Deployment", api_version="apps/v1")`
VPC config	`get_eks_vpc_config(cluster_name="<name>")`
Insights	`get_eks_insights(cluster_name="<name>")`

CLI Fallbacks

Detection	CLI Command
Cluster info	`aws eks describe-cluster --name <name> --region <region>`
Node groups	`aws eks list-nodegroups --cluster-name <name> --region <region>`
EKS add-ons	`aws eks list-addons --cluster-name <name> --region <region>`
Fargate profiles	`aws eks list-fargate-profiles --cluster-name <name> --region <region>`
Auto Mode	`aws eks describe-cluster --name <name> --region <region> --query 'cluster.computeConfig'`
Karpenter	`kubectl get nodepools.karpenter.sh 2>/dev/null`
Helm releases	`helm list -A`

Running Reconnaissance

IMPORTANT: Load Reference Files

Before running each module, you MUST read its reference file (e.g., references/compute.md). References contain:

Detection order and rationale (why check Auto Mode before Karpenter)

Edge cases and how to handle them

CLI fallback commands when MCP fails

Output schema for structured reporting

Skipping references produces shallow results. The main skill provides orchestration; the references provide detection intelligence.

Step 1: Gather Prerequisites

Required:
- Cluster name (or auto-discover — see below)
- AWS region (or detect from context/kubeconfig/CLI)

Optional:
- Specific modules to run (default: all)
- Output path prefix (default: `.eks-recon-report` → writes `.eks-recon-report.md` + `.eks-recon-report.yaml`)

Auto-discovery when cluster name is not explicit:

When the user says "my cluster", "current cluster", or does not name a specific cluster, discover it:

kubectl config current-context — if set, extract cluster name from the context ARN
If no kubeconfig context, try AWS CLI directly (credentials may come from ~/.aws/ config files, instance profile, or env vars — don't assume env vars are the only source):
```
aws sts get-caller-identity  # verify we have working AWS access
aws eks list-clusters --region ${AWS_DEFAULT_REGION:-us-west-2}
```
If exactly one cluster is found, use it. If multiple clusters across regions, try common regions (us-west-2, us-east-1, the region in any ARN visible in kubeconfig).
Only ask the user to specify a cluster if discovery yields multiple candidates and the prompt is ambiguous.

IMPORTANT: Never give up after checking only environment variables. AWS credentials can come from ~/.aws/credentials, ~/.aws/config, instance metadata, or ECS task roles — none of which appear in env | grep AWS_. Always try aws sts get-caller-identity before concluding credentials are unavailable.

IMPORTANT — verify the kubectl context matches the TARGET cluster. When the user names a specific cluster, do NOT assume kubectl config current-context points at it — the current context frequently points at a different cluster (even a different region). Before running any kubectl detection, confirm the active context resolves to the named cluster (compare the context's cluster ARN/endpoint, or run aws eks update-kubeconfig --name <cluster> --region <region> to bind kubectl to the intended cluster, then --context <that-context>). Reconning the wrong cluster silently produces a confident-but-wrong report. If you cannot confirm the context maps to the named cluster, say so rather than proceeding against an unverified context.

Step 2: Check MCP Availability

If MCP tools are available, use them. Otherwise, inform the user:

"EKS MCP Server not detected. I'll use CLI commands instead, which will require your permission for each command. For a smoother experience, consider setting up the EKS MCP Server."

Step 3: Run Selected Modules

Determine which modules to run based on user intent (see Modules and Reference Loading).

For each selected module:

Load the reference file (e.g., references/compute.md) - REQUIRED
- For targeted queries: load only the required reference(s) per decision matrix
- For full recon: load all references in parallel
Run detection commands following the reference's guidance:
- Try MCP tool first
- If MCP returns error (401, empty), fall back to CLI from reference
- If CLI unavailable, note the limitation in report
Collect output into report section using the reference's output schema

Step 4: Generate Report

Produce two artifacts. The markdown fact report is the primary deliverable (rendered inline to the user); the YAML is a machine artifact for optional hand-off to other skills.

Facts only. Both artifacts report what the cluster is. Never emit a verdict, score, readiness rating, or recommendation. A "Notable facts" line states an observation ("2 subnets have < 16 free IPs"); it never says "you should" or "this is a risk".

4a. Markdown fact report (primary) → `.eks-recon-report.md`

Render this structure, including only modules that actually ran:

# EKS Recon — <cluster> (<region>)
_generated <timestamp> · source: MCP | CLI · modules: N/N_

## Cluster summary
| Fact | Value |
|------|-------|
| version / platform | 1.31 / eks.5 |
| support type | STANDARD |
| status / created | ACTIVE / 2024-09-10 |
| authentication mode | API_AND_CONFIG_MAP |
| compute strategy | Karpenter + 1 MNG |
| IaC | Terraform (high confidence) |
| CI/CD | GitHub Actions + ArgoCD |

## Per-module facts
### Compute
<small fact table per module — one H3 per RUN module>
### Networking
...

## Notable facts
<flat bullets: co-occurring or absent facts, stated neutrally, ZERO verdicts>
- authentication_mode = API_AND_CONFIG_MAP; aws-auth ConfigMap present
- compute.strategy = Karpenter; security.iam_for_pods.irsa.detected = false
- 2 of 4 cluster subnets report < 16 available IPs

## Coverage
<modules that could not run + reason, AND sub-facts that ran but could not be confirmed — makes gaps visible>
- storage: unavailable (reason: MCP 401 and kubectl not configured)
- addons.helm_releases: unconfirmed (reason: helm CLI absent, secret fallback not run) — reported as `unconfirmed`, not `count: 0`

## Machine artifact
- `.eks-recon-report.yaml` written (canonical schema, for hand-off to other skills)

4b. Machine YAML artifact → `.eks-recon-report.yaml`

Assemble one top-level key per module, each emitted verbatim in the canonical shape defined by that module's references/<module>.md "## Output Schema", plus the shared cluster: block and the cluster_detail: block (both from references/cluster-basics.md). Unavailable modules become <module>: {unavailable: true, reason: "<short reason>"}.

The reference Output Schemas are the single source of truth for the YAML shape — do not hand-copy a schema here (that is how the old example drifted). The illustrative fragment below shows only the envelope; the authoritative per-module shape lives in each reference.

# EKS Reconnaissance Report — illustrative envelope only.
# Canonical shape per module = references/<module>.md "## Output Schema".
cluster:              # shape: references/cluster-basics.md "## Shared Cluster Block"
  name: my-cluster
  region: us-west-2
  version: "1.31"
  platform_version: eks.5
  status: ACTIVE
  tags: {team: platform}
cluster_detail:       # shape: references/cluster-basics.md "## Cluster Detail (full recon)"
  upgrade_policy: {support_type: STANDARD}
  # ...zonal_shift.enabled, certificate_authority.present, health.issues, encryption_config
compute:              # shape: references/compute.md "## Output Schema"
  strategy: Karpenter
  # ...every field the reference schema defines, null where undetected
networking: { ... }   # shape: references/networking.md
# ...one key per module that ran; unavailable modules:
storage:
  unavailable: true
  reason: "MCP 401 and kubectl not configured"

Subagent Mode

When running full reconnaissance, delegate each module to a specialized subagent. This keeps each module's context isolated and enables true parallel execution.

When to Use Subagents

Scenario	Mode	Reason
Full or multi-module recon	USE subagents	Isolated context, true parallel execution across modules
Single-module targeted query	Inline preferred	One reference, one detection — a subagent spawn adds a full model turn for a one-line answer
No Agent tool available	Inline	Subagents not supported

IMPORTANT: If the Agent tool is available, use subagent mode for full or multi-module reconnaissance — one subagent per module, spawned in parallel — so each module's detection context stays isolated. For a single-module targeted query (e.g. "Is this cluster using Karpenter?"), inline is preferred: load the one reference and run detection directly. Escalate a targeted query to a subagent only if it fans out to 2+ modules or the raw tool output would flood the main context.

Subagent Files

Each module has a corresponding subagent prompt in agents/:

Subagent	File	Purpose
Compute	`agents/compute-recon.md`	Detect compute strategy
Networking	`agents/networking-recon.md`	Detect network config
Security	`agents/security-recon.md`	Detect security posture, secrets, webhooks
Add-ons	`agents/addons-recon.md`	Detect installed components
Observability	`agents/observability-recon.md`	Detect monitoring/logging
Storage	`agents/storage-recon.md`	Detect CSI, StorageClasses, PVCs
Workloads	`agents/workloads-recon.md`	Detect running workloads
IaC	`agents/iac-recon.md`	Detect IaC tooling
CI/CD	`agents/cicd-recon.md`	Detect deployment pipelines
Cluster Insights	`agents/cluster-insights-recon.md`	Collect EKS-reported insights (raw findings)

Orchestration Steps

Step 1: Check subagent availability

If Agent tool is available:
  → Full or multi-module recon → use subagent mode (one subagent per module, in parallel)
  → Single-module targeted query → inline is preferred (load the one reference, detect directly)
Else:
  → Use inline mode (load references directly)

Step 2: Spawn module subagents in parallel

Spawn ALL module subagents in a SINGLE message for parallel execution:

Agent(
  description: "EKS compute recon",
  prompt: "Recon compute for cluster {cluster_name} in {region}. 
           Read agents/compute-recon.md and references/compute.md.
           Return YAML output only.",
  subagent_type: "general-purpose"
)

Agent(
  description: "EKS networking recon",
  prompt: "Recon networking for cluster {cluster_name} in {region}.
           Read agents/networking-recon.md and references/networking.md.
           Return YAML output only.",
  subagent_type: "general-purpose"
)

... (spawn every selected module's subagent in parallel — up to all 10)

Step 3: Aggregate results

When all subagents complete:

Collect each subagent's YAML output
Merge into single report structure, applying these normalization rules:
- Every subagent emits its own top-level cluster: block. Merge into a single top-level cluster: by deduplicating exact-match blocks (all subagents report the same cluster); if any field mismatches across subagents, flag it rather than silently picking one.
- cluster-basics has no subagent — it is always-loaded shared context. Beyond the shared cluster: block, it also owns the top-level cluster_detail: facts (support_type, zonal_shift, certificate_authority, health, encryption_config — see references/cluster-basics.md "## Cluster Detail (full recon)"). On a full recon, run those cluster-basics detection commands directly (inline, from the main thread — they are a handful of describe-cluster reads) and merge the result as the top-level cluster_detail: key. Skip on a targeted query that doesn't need them.
- Module outputs are already in the canonical shape defined by each references/<module>.md "## Output Schema". Preserve them verbatim under the matching top-level key: compute:, networking:, security:, addons:, observability:, workloads:, storage:, iac:, cicd:, cluster_insights:. Do not reshape, flatten, or rename keys.
- If a subagent fails to respond or errors out, set its key to unavailable: true with a short reason: string; do not omit the key.
Note co-occurring or absent facts across modules — state the observation, draw no conclusion (e.g. "compute.strategy = Karpenter; security.iam_for_pods.irsa.detected = false"). These are neutral facts for the "Notable facts" section, never verdicts or recommendations.
Render the human-readable markdown fact report (primary) and write the machine YAML artifact — see Step 4.

Integration with Other Workflows

Upgrade Workflow

The upgrade workflow can invoke eks-recon to gather Phase 1 context:

1. Run eks-recon modules: cluster-basics, compute, iac, addons
2. Extract:
   - cluster.version -> Current version
   - compute.strategy -> Determines upgrade approach
   - iac.tool -> Terraform vs CLI upgrade path
   - addons -> Compatibility matrix input

Design Workflow

The design workflow can use eks-recon for existing clusters:

Run eks-recon modules: all
Pre-populate questionnaire from detected values
Ask user: "I detected Karpenter + Terraform + ArgoCD. Correct?"
Only ask questions for undetected values

When to Use This Skill​

Prerequisites​

MCP Server (Preferred)​

Required for CLI Mode​

MCP Troubleshooting​

Reconnaissance Modes​

How to Invoke​

Modules and Reference Loading​

Quick Detection Reference​

MCP Commands (Preferred)​

CLI Fallbacks​

Running Reconnaissance​

Step 1: Gather Prerequisites​

Step 2: Check MCP Availability​

Step 3: Run Selected Modules​

Step 4: Generate Report​

4a. Markdown fact report (primary) → .eks-recon-report.md​

4b. Machine YAML artifact → .eks-recon-report.yaml​

Subagent Mode​

When to Use Subagents​

Subagent Files​

Orchestration Steps​

Integration with Other Workflows​

Upgrade Workflow​

Design Workflow​