If I have something I want my Pulumi code to manage that isn't handled by a Provider (say, a configuration file built using values from infrastructure managed by Pulumi), it seems like that's a use case where I'll have to use the automation API (so that I can create the configuration file on

pulumi up

and remove it on

pulumi destroy

). Does that sound accurate, or is there a better way of approaching this sort of scenario?

Automation API will work here as you described. However, there is also the Command Provider: https://www.pulumi.com/registry/packages/command/ The command provider lets you run a local (or remote) script on create and a different one on destroy.

I was not aware of the Command provider, thanks!