Source profileQuality 74/100

wshobson/agents/plugins/cloud-infrastructure/skills/service-mesh-observability/SKILL.md

service-mesh-observability

Implement comprehensive observability for service meshes including distributed tracing, metrics, and visualization. Use when setting up mesh monitoring, debugging latency issues, or implementing SLOs for service communication.

Source repository stars
38,313
Declared platforms
0
Static risk flags
1
Last source update
2026-07-22
Source checked
2026-07-28
DecisionCompatibilityInstallWorkflowPermissionsEvidenceSource

Decision brief

What it does—and where it fits

Complete guide to observability patterns for Istio, Linkerd, and service mesh deployments.

Best for

  • Setting up distributed tracing across services
  • Implementing service mesh metrics and dashboards
  • Debugging latency and error issues

Not for

  • Tasks that require unconfirmed production actions or broad system permissions.
  • Environments where the pinned source and install steps cannot be inspected.

Compatibility matrix

Platform support, with evidence labels

PlatformStatusEvidenceWhat to check
CodexNot declaredNo explicit evidencePortability before use
Claude CodeNot declaredNo explicit evidencePortability before use
CursorNot declaredNo explicit evidencePortability before use
Gemini CLINot declaredNo explicit evidencePortability before use
Open the compatibility checker

Installation

Inspect first. Install second.

The source command is displayed only when detected. A safe inspection prompt is always available so your agent can explain every action before execution.

Source-detected install commandSource
npx skills add https://github.com/wshobson/agents --skill "plugins/cloud-infrastructure/skills/service-mesh-observability"
Safe inspection promptEditorial

Inspect the Agent Skill "service-mesh-observability" from https://github.com/wshobson/agents/blob/c4b82b0ad771190355eb8e204b1329732a18449a/plugins/cloud-infrastructure/skills/service-mesh-observability/SKILL.md at commit c4b82b0ad771190355eb8e204b1329732a18449a. List every install step, command, network request, credential, file read/write, external action, and rollback step. Explain whether it fits my task. Do not install or execute anything until I approve.

Workflow

What the source asks the agent to do

  1. 01

    When to Use This Skill

    Setting up distributed tracing across services

    Setting up distributed tracing across servicesImplementing service mesh metrics and dashboardsDebugging latency and error issues
  2. 02

    Core Concepts

    Review the “Core Concepts” section in the pinned source before continuing.

    Review and apply the “Core Concepts” source section.
  3. 03

    1. Three Pillars of Observability

    Review the “1. Three Pillars of Observability” section in the pinned source before continuing.

    Review and apply the “1. Three Pillars of Observability” source section.
  4. 04

    2. Golden Signals for Mesh

    Review the “2. Golden Signals for Mesh” section in the pinned source before continuing.

    Review and apply the “2. Golden Signals for Mesh” source section.

Permission review

Static risk signals and limitations

Reads files

low · line 42

The documentation asks the agent to read local files, directories, or repositories.

Full template library and detailed worked examples live in `references/details.md`. Read that file when you need the concrete templates.

Evidence record

Why each signal appears

EvidenceSourceComputedTestedEditorial
SignalValueEvidence typeMeaning
Quality score74/100ComputedDocumentation, specificity, maintenance, and trust rules
Repository stars38,313SourceRepository attention, not individual Skill quality
Compatibility0 platformsSourceDeclared in the catalog source record
Usage guideautomated source guideEditorialGenerated or reviewed according to the visible evidence level

Pinned source

Provenance and original SKILL.md

Repository
wshobson/agents
Skill path
plugins/cloud-infrastructure/skills/service-mesh-observability/SKILL.md
Commit
c4b82b0ad771190355eb8e204b1329732a18449a
License
MIT
Collected
2026-07-28
Default branch
main
View the original SKILL.md

Service Mesh Observability

Complete guide to observability patterns for Istio, Linkerd, and service mesh deployments.

When to Use This Skill

  • Setting up distributed tracing across services
  • Implementing service mesh metrics and dashboards
  • Debugging latency and error issues
  • Defining SLOs for service communication
  • Visualizing service dependencies
  • Troubleshooting mesh connectivity

Core Concepts

1. Three Pillars of Observability

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                  Observability                       │
├─────────────────┬─────────────────┬─────────────────┤
│     Metrics     │     Traces      │      Logs       │
│                 │                 │                 │
│ • Request rate  │ • Span context  │ • Access logs   │
│ • Error rate    │ • Latency       │ • Error details │
│ • Latency P50   │ • Dependencies  │ • Debug info    │
│ • Saturation    │ • Bottlenecks   │ • Audit trail   │
└─────────────────┴─────────────────┴─────────────────┘

2. Golden Signals for Mesh

SignalDescriptionAlert Threshold
LatencyRequest duration P50, P99P99 > 500ms
TrafficRequests per secondAnomaly detection
Errors5xx error rate> 1%
SaturationResource utilization> 80%

Templates and detailed worked examples

Full template library and detailed worked examples live in references/details.md. Read that file when you need the concrete templates.

Best Practices

Do's

  • Sample appropriately - 100% in dev, 1-10% in prod
  • Use trace context - Propagate headers consistently
  • Set up alerts - For golden signals
  • Correlate metrics/traces - Use exemplars
  • Retain strategically - Hot/cold storage tiers

Don'ts

  • Don't over-sample - Storage costs add up
  • Don't ignore cardinality - Limit label values
  • Don't skip dashboards - Visualize dependencies
  • Don't forget costs - Monitor observability costs