Note

i think this page is generic to sp/tp and doesn't require specific subsections, but maybe add a tp example?

Running Benchmarks

Powerpipe controls and benchmarks provide a generic mechanism for defining and running control frameworks such as CIS, NIST, HIPAA, etc. While such frameworks are implemented with their own specific syntax and structure, they are generally organized in a defined, hierarchical structure, with a pass/fail type of status for each item. Powerpipe mods abstract that pattern to provide a simple and consistent mechanisms for defining, running, and returning output from these disparate frameworks.

You can run controls and benchmarks in batch mode with the powerpipe benchmark run and powerpipe control run commands. These commands provide options for selecting the controls to run, the output format, and other options you may need when using powerpipe in your scripts, pipelines, and other automation scenarios.

Powerpipe commands must be run in the contest of a mod, and are relative to the current directory. You can pass the mod directory with the --mod-location argument, but it's usually easier just to change to the mod directory:

You can list the runnable benchmarks:

To run a benchmark, run it by name:

You can run benchmarks in any direct mod dependency, but you have to fully qualify them:

You can even run all benchmarks in the mod with the keyword all. Note that powerpipe benchmark run all will not run benchmarks in the dependencies:

The console will show progress as it runs, and will print the results to the screen when it is complete:

You can find controls and related benchmarks in the Powerpipe Hub, or by searching the powerpipe-mod topic on GitHub.

You can also create your own controls and benchmarks and package them into mods.

Benchmarks as dashboards

Powerpipe benchmarks automatically appear as dashboards when you run powerpipe server in the mod. From the dashboard home, you can select any benchmark to run it and view it in an interactive HTML format.

You can change the search path, take a snapshot once the benchmark is complete, see details in the panel view, and download the results to a CSV file.