Using a runbook template involves customizing the template to match your organization’s needs, creating a new document, and copying the template into it. Fill in the details for each section, adapting headers and titles as necessary. Include specific instructions for each step, such as initial response actions, diagnostics and analysis, mitigation and resolution, documentation and post-incident analysis, escalation and communication, and follow-up actions. Customize the runbook further by adding examples or guidelines, reviewing and refining the content, and saving the document in a accessible location. Continuously update and improve the runbook based on real incidents and feedback from incident responders for a more effective incident response process.
1. Incident Details
- Incident ID:
- Severity:
- Date/Time Reported:
- Date/Time Resolved:
- Summary:
- Description:
2. Initial Response Actions
- Acknowledge the incident.
- Assign an owner or incident manager.
- Gather necessary information (logs, metrics, etc.).
- Activate the incident communication plan.
- Set up a dedicated incident channel or communication thread.
3. Diagnostics and Analysis
- Identify the impact and affected components.
- Conduct initial troubleshooting.
- Review relevant monitoring data and logs.
- Consult applicable playbooks or runbooks for similar incidents.
- Collaborate with relevant teams (e.g., developers, network engineers).
4. Mitigation and Resolution
- Implement temporary workarounds or mitigation steps.
- Monitor the impact of mitigation steps.
- Execute remediation actions based on the root cause analysis.
- Validate the fix and ensure system stability.
- Communicate progress and status updates to stakeholders.
5. Documentation and Post-Incident Analysis
- Document detailed incident timeline and actions taken.
- Update the runbook or playbook with lessons learned.
- Conduct a post-incident analysis to identify improvements.
- Collaborate with relevant teams to implement necessary changes.
- Schedule a post-incident review meeting.
6. Escalation and Communication
- Escalate to higher levels of management if required.
- Coordinate with customer support teams if customer impact is detected.
- Maintain regular communication with stakeholders during the incident.
- Provide incident updates and resolution details to relevant parties.
- Determine when the incident is resolved and close the incident ticket.
7. Follow-Up Actions
- Conduct a follow-up with the team members involved in the incident.
- Review and update incident response processes and procedures.
- Implement automation or monitoring enhancements based on incident learnings.
- Share incident retrospective and learnings with the broader organization.
- Archive and store incident records for future reference.
