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datasource

What this page covers

grafana-util datasource is the namespace for catalog lookup, inventory reads, export/import, diff, and live create/modify/delete workflows. The same namespace is also available as grafana-util ds.

When to open this page

Use this namespace when you want to inspect supported datasource types, read inventory from live Grafana or a local bundle, export a datasource bundle, compare a local bundle with Grafana, or create and maintain live datasources.

Who this page is for

Best for operators who manage Grafana data source configuration, dependency checks, and recovery paths.

Purpose

grafana-util datasource is the namespace for catalog lookup, inventory reads, export/import, diff, and live create/modify/delete workflows. The same namespace is also available as grafana-util ds.

When to use

Use this namespace when you want to inspect supported datasource types, read inventory from live Grafana or a local bundle, export a datasource bundle, compare a local bundle with Grafana, or create and maintain live datasources.

Description

Open this page when your task is about the full data source lifecycle rather than one single mutation. The datasource namespace groups the work operators usually do together: checking supported types, reading inventory from live Grafana or local export bundles, exporting and diffing bundles, and repairing or updating live Grafana data source objects.

This page is especially useful when you need to decide whether the next step is inventory, export/import, diff, or a live add/modify/delete action.

Workflow lanes

Inspect: types, browse, and list paths for live or local inventory.
Move: export, import, and diff paths when you are carrying datasource state between environments.
Review Before Mutate: add, modify, and delete flows before a live datasource changes.

Choose this page when the work might turn into inventory, migration, or a reviewed datasource change and you want to decide the lane first.

Before / After

Before: data source work is split across Grafana UI edits, API calls, and one-off shell snippets that are hard to review later.
After: the same lifecycle is grouped into one namespace, so browse, export, diff, and mutation flows can share the same auth and review habits.

What success looks like

you can tell whether the next step is inventory, export/import, diff, or live mutation before touching a production data source
repeatable auth and profile settings keep the same commands usable across daily operations and CI
export and diff flows give you a safer path than editing a live data source first and asking questions later

Failure checks

if browse or list output looks incomplete, confirm whether the token or profile can actually see the target org
if export or diff results look stale, verify that you are pointing at the correct Grafana and not at an older local bundle
if a live mutation fails, compare the intended input with the current live data source before retrying the same command

Key flags

--url: Grafana base URL.
--token, --basic-user, --basic-password: shared live Grafana credentials.
--profile: load repo-local defaults from grafana-util.yaml.
--color: control JSON color output for the namespace.

Auth notes

Prefer --profile for repeatable datasource inventory and change flows.
Use direct Basic auth for org-spanning or admin-level mutation work.
Token auth is acceptable for scoped reads and diffs when the token can see the target org.

Examples

# Purpose: Inspect datasource types before choosing a lane.
grafana-util datasource --help

# Purpose: Show the built-in datasource type catalog.
grafana-util datasource types

# Purpose: Browse live datasources from a saved profile.
grafana-util datasource browse --profile prod

# Purpose: Browse one org with explicit credentials.
grafana-util datasource browse --url http://localhost:3000 --basic-user admin --basic-password admin