frederick
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 154
- Location
- Phoenix, AZ
Too many times have I seen a beautiful network setup and no one knows how its been setup. When I've asked about certain specifics concerning the network or systems, I'm looked at with a deer in the headlights look. Nothing to outline common and uncommon tasks, no change logs or management, or what the configuration of a system or network is.
Documentation is extremely important to any company, technician, and sometimes a user, who are going to be maintaining or using the network and systems. Without proper documentation, when problems occur, there is no reference to go off. Technicians and administrators don't have a master document that states what the network is supposed to look like, there is no history of changes, or problems, or even maintenance tasks.
My most recent experience about the importance of documentation comes from a job interview with a large international corporation. During the interview, I was asked if I knew how to recover the Root password on a Unix system. I honestly admitted to them that I had not done that since a school setting in 2007, and that I do not remember how to perform such an action. The interviewers response was shocking to me. I was informed that they have to perform this tasks at least once a year at their various sites because administrators would change the password as per their SOP every 3 months, and that when the administrator would leave or be transferred no one would know how to access to the server if it needed to be rebooted or if a certain task needed to be performed.
I stopped the interview right there, and began asking them questions about their documentation management and other processes that they had in place. They went on the defense, saying that they have these documents and processes in place, but based on their other responses I would have to say I differ. I told them thank you for the opportunity and left.
For every minute a critical system is down, a business is losing money. While many problems with servers and network devices may be able to be corrected without referring to any documentation, technicians and administrators can use documentation to track trends in maintenance, usage, problem resolutions, and even what the last technician or administrator did on that system.
My personal philosophy on documentation uses a color coded system to document everything and separate various information based on where it belongs.
Purple Book/Smart Book: Also known as the “Smart Book”, this is a series of documentations that are specific to a single system. Usually in both a digital and hard copy, this book would include vital information such as passwords for root and critical system user accounts, configurations, baseline reports, common and uncommon maintenance tasks, and specific troubleshooting tasks. Each system needs to have its own Purple Book. In the hard copy needs to be a notebook to log changes, when tasks have been performed, problems resolved, and anything else that might need to be added to the book that affects or tracks anything having to do with the specific system.
Another component of this book is the Mean Time Before Failure/Replacement (MTBF/R) table that outlines when specific components needs to be replaced, or when the whole system needs to be replaced. As well as an inventory of dedicated on-hand replacement parts that are specific to the system.
Red Book/Infrastructure Management: When discussing the backbone of any network, having a reference to look at for both the physical and logical layout of the network helps to make plans and changes to the network. This book will cover every router, switch, wireless access point, and network cable connections. As well as documenting where all the computers, servers, printers, and phones are located in all of this (physically and logically). A detailed outline of the security posture of the network is also present in this book. Maintenance tasks, baseline reports, configurations, troubleshooting and maintenance tasks, and anything else needing to be documented is all contained in this book.
Like the Purple Book, the hard copy needs to have a dedicated notebook outlining the same information as that found in the Purple Book. As well a MTBF/R table needs to be in the book.
Blue Book: Usually only a digital copy, this is a consolidation of all the maintenance tasks needed be performed across the network and systems. How this book is put together is going to vary based on how the IT Manager wants to organize everything, but it should be easy to navigate by all technicians and administrators without much training.
Daily, Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual Maintenance tasks need to be placed in this book. The way I have always organized this book is the first section covers all daily tasks. The second section covers all general monthly tasks that need to be performed. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth sections cover quarterly tasks in the order of Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, as not all systems may need quarterly maintenance. Annual tasks can all be added in a single section, or broken up throughout the quarterly tasks to stretch out the workload so not all maintenance tasks are performed at once.
This book should not include anything like specific network or system information. And should not have troubleshooting techniques either. This is simply a consolidation of maintenance tasks so that any one technician or administrator can use this digital book as a reference and have complete access to what common maintenance tasks need to be performed throughout the network.
Green Book/Change Log: This is for the management if you will to see what is going on with their IT department. I've used this book as a consolidation of any changes that have occurred that are “public” access, and when giving briefings on what has occurred over the last X amount of days to make my point in persuading management to make a move on certain purchases, changes, or to inform them of certain situations.
Assembling these various books, and maintaining them, requires that everyone from the top to the bottom enforces the usage of these books. Creating or finding a database system can assist greatly in accomplishing a proper documentation standard. There are also several programs that can help you put together all your documents, and many you probably already have installed on your computer.
Any Word processor can be used to assemble task templates, configuration settings, etc.
Any Spreadsheet or Excel program can be used to put together any tables that are needed easily and fairly quickly.
Any Drawing or PowerPoint program can be used to put together your maps showing the interconnections of devices, printers, servers, and network equipment.
Other programs such as Microsoft Visio, Open-AudIT, Network Notepad, and others have all been designed to help assemble critical components to proper documentation.
Within the department, at least one person needs to be responsible for the documents, to ensure they are assembled and updated correctly. This doesn't mean one individual does all the work, because it is important that every member of the IT department adds their changes to the various books, and keeps them updated. But at least one person needs to ensure that no duplicate, or outdated information remains, and that any official changes are accurate and appropriate.
If proper documentation is put in to place, and management enforces the maintenance of a proper documentation process, if new employees are brought in, or if a technician is brought in to finish what another started, then these books and documentations can be used to ensure that all personnel are on the same page. Proper documentation also helps to enforce department standards, create training outlines, and stay on top of important management tasks such as capacity planning and resource management. Without proper documentation, time can be wasted on technicians and administrators trying to relearn uncommon tasks, figuring out current configurations, and researching problem resolutions that have occurred in the past from outside resources.
It should be every companies, and every IT departments priority to implement a proper IT documentation program.
Documentation is extremely important to any company, technician, and sometimes a user, who are going to be maintaining or using the network and systems. Without proper documentation, when problems occur, there is no reference to go off. Technicians and administrators don't have a master document that states what the network is supposed to look like, there is no history of changes, or problems, or even maintenance tasks.
My most recent experience about the importance of documentation comes from a job interview with a large international corporation. During the interview, I was asked if I knew how to recover the Root password on a Unix system. I honestly admitted to them that I had not done that since a school setting in 2007, and that I do not remember how to perform such an action. The interviewers response was shocking to me. I was informed that they have to perform this tasks at least once a year at their various sites because administrators would change the password as per their SOP every 3 months, and that when the administrator would leave or be transferred no one would know how to access to the server if it needed to be rebooted or if a certain task needed to be performed.
I stopped the interview right there, and began asking them questions about their documentation management and other processes that they had in place. They went on the defense, saying that they have these documents and processes in place, but based on their other responses I would have to say I differ. I told them thank you for the opportunity and left.
For every minute a critical system is down, a business is losing money. While many problems with servers and network devices may be able to be corrected without referring to any documentation, technicians and administrators can use documentation to track trends in maintenance, usage, problem resolutions, and even what the last technician or administrator did on that system.
My personal philosophy on documentation uses a color coded system to document everything and separate various information based on where it belongs.
Purple Book/Smart Book: Also known as the “Smart Book”, this is a series of documentations that are specific to a single system. Usually in both a digital and hard copy, this book would include vital information such as passwords for root and critical system user accounts, configurations, baseline reports, common and uncommon maintenance tasks, and specific troubleshooting tasks. Each system needs to have its own Purple Book. In the hard copy needs to be a notebook to log changes, when tasks have been performed, problems resolved, and anything else that might need to be added to the book that affects or tracks anything having to do with the specific system.
Another component of this book is the Mean Time Before Failure/Replacement (MTBF/R) table that outlines when specific components needs to be replaced, or when the whole system needs to be replaced. As well as an inventory of dedicated on-hand replacement parts that are specific to the system.
Red Book/Infrastructure Management: When discussing the backbone of any network, having a reference to look at for both the physical and logical layout of the network helps to make plans and changes to the network. This book will cover every router, switch, wireless access point, and network cable connections. As well as documenting where all the computers, servers, printers, and phones are located in all of this (physically and logically). A detailed outline of the security posture of the network is also present in this book. Maintenance tasks, baseline reports, configurations, troubleshooting and maintenance tasks, and anything else needing to be documented is all contained in this book.
Like the Purple Book, the hard copy needs to have a dedicated notebook outlining the same information as that found in the Purple Book. As well a MTBF/R table needs to be in the book.
Blue Book: Usually only a digital copy, this is a consolidation of all the maintenance tasks needed be performed across the network and systems. How this book is put together is going to vary based on how the IT Manager wants to organize everything, but it should be easy to navigate by all technicians and administrators without much training.
Daily, Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual Maintenance tasks need to be placed in this book. The way I have always organized this book is the first section covers all daily tasks. The second section covers all general monthly tasks that need to be performed. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth sections cover quarterly tasks in the order of Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, as not all systems may need quarterly maintenance. Annual tasks can all be added in a single section, or broken up throughout the quarterly tasks to stretch out the workload so not all maintenance tasks are performed at once.
This book should not include anything like specific network or system information. And should not have troubleshooting techniques either. This is simply a consolidation of maintenance tasks so that any one technician or administrator can use this digital book as a reference and have complete access to what common maintenance tasks need to be performed throughout the network.
Green Book/Change Log: This is for the management if you will to see what is going on with their IT department. I've used this book as a consolidation of any changes that have occurred that are “public” access, and when giving briefings on what has occurred over the last X amount of days to make my point in persuading management to make a move on certain purchases, changes, or to inform them of certain situations.
Assembling these various books, and maintaining them, requires that everyone from the top to the bottom enforces the usage of these books. Creating or finding a database system can assist greatly in accomplishing a proper documentation standard. There are also several programs that can help you put together all your documents, and many you probably already have installed on your computer.
Any Word processor can be used to assemble task templates, configuration settings, etc.
Any Spreadsheet or Excel program can be used to put together any tables that are needed easily and fairly quickly.
Any Drawing or PowerPoint program can be used to put together your maps showing the interconnections of devices, printers, servers, and network equipment.
Other programs such as Microsoft Visio, Open-AudIT, Network Notepad, and others have all been designed to help assemble critical components to proper documentation.
Within the department, at least one person needs to be responsible for the documents, to ensure they are assembled and updated correctly. This doesn't mean one individual does all the work, because it is important that every member of the IT department adds their changes to the various books, and keeps them updated. But at least one person needs to ensure that no duplicate, or outdated information remains, and that any official changes are accurate and appropriate.
If proper documentation is put in to place, and management enforces the maintenance of a proper documentation process, if new employees are brought in, or if a technician is brought in to finish what another started, then these books and documentations can be used to ensure that all personnel are on the same page. Proper documentation also helps to enforce department standards, create training outlines, and stay on top of important management tasks such as capacity planning and resource management. Without proper documentation, time can be wasted on technicians and administrators trying to relearn uncommon tasks, figuring out current configurations, and researching problem resolutions that have occurred in the past from outside resources.
It should be every companies, and every IT departments priority to implement a proper IT documentation program.
