Devops Runbooks

DevOps Runbooks Skill

Creates actionable runbooks for operational procedures, incident response, and system maintenance.

What This Skill Does

• Creates operational runbooks
• Documents incident procedures
• Defines escalation paths
• Provides troubleshooting guides
• Documents rollback procedures
• Captures operational knowledge

When to Use

• Incident response planning
• On-call documentation
• System maintenance procedures
• Disaster recovery planning
• Knowledge transfer

Reference Files

• references/RUNBOOK.template.md - Comprehensive operational runbook format

Runbook Structure

1. Overview - Purpose and when to use 2. Prerequisites - Access and tools needed 3. Quick Reference - Key commands and URLs 4. Procedure - Step-by-step with verification 5. Rollback - How to revert changes 6. Troubleshooting - Common issues 7. Escalation - When and how to escalate

Best Practices

• Commands must be copy-pasteable
• Include expected output for each step
• Document decision points clearly
• Define rollback at each step
• Keep procedures current (test regularly)
• Include escalation contacts

Runbook: {{PROCEDURE_NAME}}

Service: {{SERVICE_NAME}} Last Updated: {{DATE}} Owner: {{TEAM_OR_PERSON}} Severity: {{P1|P2|P3|P4}}

---

Overview

Purpose: {{WHAT_THIS_RUNBOOK_ADDRESSES}}

When to Use: {{TRIGGER_CONDITIONS}}

Expected Duration: {{TIME_ESTIMATE}}

---

Prerequisites

• [ ] Access to {{SYSTEM_1}}
• [ ] Access to {{SYSTEM_2}}
• [ ] {{TOOL}} installed
• [ ] On-call permissions

Required Credentials

---

Quick Reference

Key Commands

{{MOST_COMMON_COMMAND_1}}
{{MOST_COMMON_COMMAND_2}}

Important URLs

Key Contacts

---

Procedure

Step 1: {{STEP_TITLE}}

{{STEP_DESCRIPTION}}

{{COMMAND}}

Expected Output:

{{EXPECTED_OUTPUT}}

If Unexpected: Go to Troubleshooting

---

Step 2: {{STEP_TITLE}}

{{STEP_DESCRIPTION}}

{{COMMAND}}

Verify:

{{VERIFICATION_COMMAND}}

---

Step 3: {{STEP_TITLE}}

{{STEP_DESCRIPTION}}

Decision Point:

• If {{CONDITION_A}}: Continue to Step 4
• If {{CONDITION_B}}: Skip to Step 6
• If {{CONDITION_C}}: Escalate

---

Step 4: {{STEP_TITLE}}

{{STEP_DESCRIPTION}}

---

Verification

Success Criteria

• [ ] {{CRITERION_1}}
• [ ] {{CRITERION_2}}
• [ ] {{CRITERION_3}}

Verification Commands

{{HEALTH_CHECK_COMMAND}}

Expected:

{{HEALTHY_OUTPUT}}

---

Rollback

If the procedure fails or causes issues:

Step 1: {{ROLLBACK_STEP}}

{{ROLLBACK_COMMAND}}

Step 2: {{ROLLBACK_STEP}}

{{ROLLBACK_COMMAND}}

Verify Rollback

{{VERIFY_ROLLBACK}}

---

Troubleshooting

{{ERROR_SCENARIO_1}}

Symptom:

{{ERROR_MESSAGE}}

Cause: {{ROOT_CAUSE}}

Resolution:

{{FIX_COMMAND}}

---

{{ERROR_SCENARIO_2}}

Symptom: {{SYMPTOM}}

Resolution: {{FIX}}

---

{{ERROR_SCENARIO_3}}

Symptom: {{SYMPTOM}}

Resolution: {{FIX}}

---

Escalation

When to Escalate

• {{ESCALATION_TRIGGER_1}}
• {{ESCALATION_TRIGGER_2}}
• Duration exceeds {{TIME}}

Escalation Path

1. L1: {{CONTACT}} 2. L2: {{CONTACT}} 3. L3: {{CONTACT}}

Escalation Template

Subject: [{{SEVERITY}}] {{SERVICE_NAME}} - {{ISSUE_SUMMARY}}

Issue: {{DESCRIPTION}}
Started: {{TIME}}
Impact: {{IMPACT}}
Actions Taken: {{ACTIONS}}
Current Status: {{STATUS}}

---

Related Runbooks

• {{RELATED_RUNBOOK_1}}
• {{RELATED_RUNBOOK_2}}

---

Appendix

A. Architecture Context

{{RELEVANT_ARCHITECTURE_INFO}}

B. Historical Issues

C. Automation Opportunities

• {{AUTOMATION_IDEA_1}}
• {{AUTOMATION_IDEA_2}}

---

Quality Checklist

• [ ] Steps are clear and actionable
• [ ] Commands are copy-pasteable
• [ ] Verification steps included
• [ ] Rollback procedure documented
• [ ] Escalation path defined
• [ ] Troubleshooting covers common issues
• [ ] Tested recently (within {{TIMEFRAME}})