linkerd-patterns
Implement Linkerd service mesh patterns for lightweight, security-focused service mesh deployments. Use when setting up Linkerd, configuring traffic policies, or implementing zero-trust networking with minimal overhead.
85
77%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
100%
1.35xAverage score across 3 eval scenarios
Advisory
Suggest reviewing before use
Optimize this skill with Tessl
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./tests/ext_conformance/artifacts/agents-wshobson/cloud-infrastructure/skills/linkerd-patterns/SKILL.mdQuality
Discovery
89%Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.
This is a solid skill description that clearly identifies its niche (Linkerd service mesh), includes an explicit 'Use when' clause, and uses natural trigger terms that distinguish it from other service mesh skills. The main weakness is that the specific capabilities could be more granular—listing concrete actions like mTLS configuration, sidecar injection, or traffic split setup would strengthen the specificity dimension.
Suggestions
Add more granular concrete actions such as 'inject sidecar proxies, configure mTLS, define traffic splits, set up retry/timeout policies' to improve specificity.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Names the domain (Linkerd service mesh) and some actions ('setting up Linkerd', 'configuring traffic policies', 'implementing zero-trust networking'), but these are somewhat high-level patterns rather than multiple concrete, granular actions like 'inject sidecar proxies, configure mTLS, define traffic splits, set up retry policies'. | 2 / 3 |
Completeness | Clearly answers both 'what' (implement Linkerd service mesh patterns for lightweight, security-focused deployments) and 'when' (explicit 'Use when' clause covering setup, traffic policy configuration, and zero-trust networking scenarios). | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Includes strong natural keywords users would say: 'Linkerd', 'service mesh', 'traffic policies', 'zero-trust networking', 'lightweight', 'security-focused'. These cover the primary terms a user working with Linkerd would naturally use. | 3 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | Linkerd is a specific service mesh technology distinct from Istio, Consul Connect, etc. The description clearly targets Linkerd specifically with terms like 'lightweight' and 'minimal overhead' that further distinguish it from heavier service mesh solutions. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 11 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
64%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This skill provides strong, actionable templates with executable YAML and bash commands covering a wide range of Linkerd patterns. However, it's overly long with some unnecessary explanatory content (architecture diagram, concept tables) and lacks validation/error-recovery steps in multi-step workflows beyond installation. The monolithic structure would benefit from splitting detailed templates into separate files with a concise overview.
Suggestions
Remove the architecture diagram, 'When to Use This Skill' section, and 'Key Resources' table — Claude already knows these concepts and they consume tokens without adding actionable value.
Add explicit validation checkpoints and error recovery steps to multi-step workflows like canary deployments (e.g., 'verify traffic split with `linkerd viz stat` before increasing canary weight') and multi-cluster setup.
Split detailed templates (authorization policies, HTTPRoutes, multi-cluster) into separate referenced files to improve progressive disclosure and reduce the main file length.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | The skill includes some unnecessary content like the architecture ASCII diagram and the 'When to Use This Skill' section that Claude doesn't need. The 'Core Concepts' and 'Key Resources' table explain things Claude already knows. However, the templates themselves are lean and useful. | 2 / 3 |
Actionability | Templates are fully executable with complete YAML manifests and bash commands that are copy-paste ready. The service profile, traffic split, server authorization, and HTTPRoute examples are all concrete and specific with realistic values. | 3 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | The installation template has a clear sequence with validation (`linkerd check --pre`, `linkerd check`), but other multi-step workflows like canary deployments lack validation checkpoints. There's no feedback loop for what to do if `linkerd check` fails, and the multi-cluster setup lacks error recovery guidance. | 2 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | The content is a monolithic file with all templates inline. At ~200+ lines, the detailed YAML templates for authorization policies, HTTPRoutes, and multi-cluster setup could be split into separate reference files. External links are provided but internal progressive disclosure is absent. | 2 / 3 |
Total | 9 / 12 Passed |
Validation
100%Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.
Validation — 11 / 11 Passed
Validation for skill structure
No warnings or errors.
- Repository
- Dicklesworthstone/pi_agent_rust
- Commit
6e3d68c
- Reviewed
Table of Contents
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