Attributes of a good runbook

A useful runbook helps someone take accurate action quickly during operational work.

Five A’s:

Actionable: The times when you reach for a runbook are times of action, not times of learning about big picture and design philosophy. A single explanatory sentence for context is okay, but the main content is supposed to be a list of detailed tasks.
Accessible: Even the best runbook is worthless if you can’t find it. Ideally, each alert has its associated runbook. Metadata and searchability (from the web, command line or chat system) increase accessibility.
Accurate: It’s better to have no runbook at all than to have an incorrect runbook. Tasks that can be cut&pasted directly increase accuracy. Keeping track of the “last run” date improves confidence.
Authoritative: There can be only one. Build processes that help weed out competing or outdated versions.
Adaptable: A runbook needs to change with the system it’s about. Ideally, it’s owned by the system owner. Its maintenance works identical to code: have feedback loops; integrate it in your release process and incident reviews; if it’s broken, fix it; automate where it makes sense.

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