cloudthinker-ai Apache HBase Management Skill
Monitor, analyze, and optimize HBase clusters safely.
MANDATORY: Discovery-First Pattern
Always check cluster status and list tables before any scan or get operations. Never assume table names or column family configurations.
Phase 1: Discovery
#!/bin/bash
HBASE_HOST="${HBASE_MASTER:-localhost}"
echo "=== Cluster Status ==="
echo "status 'detailed'" | hbase shell -n 2>/dev/null | head -30
echo ""
echo "=== HBase Version ==="
echo "version" | hbase shell -n 2>/dev/null
echo ""
echo "=== Namespaces ==="
echo "list_namespace" | hbase shell -n 2>/dev/null
echo ""
echo "=== Tables ==="
echo "list" | hbase shell -n 2>/dev/null
echo ""
echo "=== Master UI API ==="
curl -s "http://$HBASE_HOST:16010/api/v1/admin/cluster-status" 2>/dev/null | python3 -c "
import sys, json
data = json.load(sys.stdin)
print(f\"Live servers: {len(data.get('liveNodes', []))}\")
print(f\"Dead servers: {len(data.get('deadNodes', []))}\")
print(f\"Regions: {data.get('regionsCount', '?')}\")
" 2>/dev/null || echo "Master REST API not available"
Phase 1 outputs: Cluster health, live/dead RegionServers, namespace list, table inventory.
Phase 2: Analysis
#!/bin/bash
HBASE_HOST="${HBASE_MASTER:-localhost}"
TABLE="${1:-my_table}"
echo "=== Table Description ==="
echo "describe '$TABLE'" | hbase shell -n 2>/dev/null
echo ""
echo "=== Region Count per Table ==="
echo "list" | hbase shell -n 2>/dev/null | grep -v "^$\|TABLE\|row(s)" | while read tbl; do
count=$(echo "list_regions '$tbl'" | hbase shell -n 2>/dev/null | grep -c "REGION")
echo " $tbl: $count regions"
done 2>/dev/null | head -15
echo ""
echo "=== Region Server Load ==="
curl -s "http://$HBASE_HOST:16010/api/v1/admin/cluster-status" 2>/dev/null | python3 -c "
import sys, json
data = json.load(sys.stdin)
for node in data.get('liveNodes', []):
print(f\" {node.get('name','?')}: regions={node.get('regionsCount',0)} requests={node.get('requestsPerSecond',0)}/s\")
" 2>/dev/null || echo "REST API not available"
echo ""
echo "=== Compaction Queue ==="
echo "status 'simple'" | hbase shell -n 2>/dev/null | grep -i compaction
echo ""
echo "=== Replication Status ==="
echo "status 'replication'" | hbase shell -n 2>/dev/null | head -10 || echo "Replication not configured"
Output Format
HBASE ANALYSIS
==============
Cluster: [status] | Live RS: [count] | Dead RS: [count]
Tables: [count] | Total Regions: [count]
ISSUES FOUND:
- [issue with affected table/region]
RECOMMENDATIONS:
- [actionable recommendation]
Anti-Hallucination Rules
- NEVER assume resource names — always discover via CLI/API in Phase 1 before referencing in Phase 2.
- NEVER fabricate metric names or dimensions — verify against the service documentation or
--helpoutput. - NEVER mix CLI commands between service versions — confirm which version/API you are targeting.
- ALWAYS use the discovery → verify → analyze chain — every resource referenced must have been discovered first.
- 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 |