Plannin' and writin' stuff down,

Good documentin’ is the difference between rememberin’ how things work and bein’ stuck at 11 PM on a Sunday ‘cause the server’s down and nobody remembers how it was set up. Documentin’ might not be the most excitin’ part of IT operations, but it’s one of the most important.

Why Document?

Types o’ Documentation in IT Wranglin’

Dokumentasjon er viktig i IT-drift for å sikre at systemer kan vedlikeholdes, feilsøkes og videreutvikles på en effektiv måte. Uten god dokumentasjon kan det bli vanskelig og tidkrevende å forstå hvordan systemene fungerer, og det kan føre til feil og nedetid. Det finnes flere typer dokumentasjon som brukes i IT-drift, og det er viktig å velge riktig type dokumentasjon for den aktuelle oppgaven.

Documentation’s mighty important in IT wranglin’ to make sure systems can be maintained, troubleshooted, and further developed in an efficient manner. Without good documentation, it can be difficult and time-consumin’ to understand how the systems work, and it can lead to errors and downtime. There’s several types o’ documentation used in IT wranglin’, and it’s important to choose the right type o’ documentation for the task at hand.

Teknisk dokumentasjon

Teknisk dokumentasjon beskriver hvordan systemene er bygget opp og hvordan de fungerer. Dette kan inkludere arkitekturdiagrammer, databasemodeller, kodeeksempler og API-dokumentasjon. Teknisk dokumentasjon er primært rettet mot utviklere og systemadministratorer.

Technical documentation describes how the systems are built up and how they function. This can include architecture diagrams, database models, code examples, and API documentation. Technical documentation is primarily aimed at developers and system administrators.

Brukerdokumentasjon

Brukerdokumentasjon beskriver hvordan brukerne skal bruke systemene. Dette kan inkludere brukerveiledninger, opplæringsmateriell og feilsøkingsveiledninger. Brukerdokumentasjon er primært rettet mot sluttbrukere.

User documentation describes how users should use the systems. This can include user guides, training materials, and troubleshooting guides. User documentation is primarily aimed at end-users.

Driftshåndbok

En driftshåndbok beskriver hvordan systemene skal driftes og vedlikeholdes. Dette kan inkludere prosedyrer for oppstart og nedstengning, overvåking, sikkerhetskopiering og gjenoppretting. Driftshåndboken er primært rettet mot driftspersonell.

An operations manual describes how the systems should be operated and maintained. This can include procedures for startup and shutdown, monitoring, backup, and recovery. The operations manual is primarily aimed at operations personnel.

Network Maps

A network map shows the physical and/or logical structure of the network. It can be anything from a simple sketch to a detailed diagram with VLANs, IP addresses, and firewall rules.

A good network map should include:

• All network devices (switches, routers, firewalls, access points)
• VLAN structure with subnet
• IP addresses for important devices (servers, gateway)
• Connections between devices

IP Plan

An IP plan is a rundown of how IP addresses are divvied up in the network. It helps ya keep things tidy and avoid ruckus (two contraptions with the same address).

Example:

Static Addresses:

Checklists

Checklists make shore nothin’ gets forgot. They’re mighty helpful for tasks ya don’t do too often, like settin’ up a new server or doin’ a security check-up.

Example: Checklist for a new Linux server:

• Install the operatin’ system (Debian/Ubuntu)
• Update all packages (sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade)
• Create a user with sudo access
• Disable root login via SSH
• Configure the firewall (ufw)
• Install necessary software
• Set up backup
• Document the server in the IP plan
• Test that the service is workin’

Change Documentation

Every time ya make a change to a production environment (server, network, service), ya oughta document it. A simple log’ll do just fine:

## Endringslogg

### 2026-04-14 - Oppgradert Nginx
- **Hva:** Oppdatert Nginx fra 1.24 til 1.26
- **Hvorfor:** Security update (CVE-2025-XXXX)
- **Hvem:** Ola
- **Resultat:** OK, no downtime

### 2026-04-10 - Nytt VLAN for IoT
- **Hva:** Created VLAN 40 for IoT devices
- **Hvorfor:** Isolate IoT from the rest of the network
- **Hvem:** Kari
- **Resultat:** OK, all printers moved to VLAN 40

Runnin’ Docs

Runnin’ Docs tells ya how a system’s workin’ right now:

Tools for Documentin’

Task 1 - Draw a Simple Network Map

Use draw.io (free) to draw the network at home or at school:

1. Start with the internet connection and the router
2. Add switches and access points
3. Draw in servers, PCs and other devices
4. Write on IP addresses where you know ‘em

It don’t need to be perfect. The point is to start thinkin’ visually ‘bout the network.

Task 2 - Make Yer Own Checklist

Think on somethin’ ya do regular with IT (like settin’ up a new VM, installin’ a development machine, or configurin’ VS Code). Write up a checklist for the process:

• What’s all the steps involved?
• What do ya most often forget?
• Can ya simplify any o’ them steps?

Save it in a Markdown document so ya can use it next time.

Task 3 - Document One o’ Yer Services

Pick a service ya done set up (a VM, a Docker container, a web server) and write a short runnin’ doc:

• What does this here service do?
• How do ya start ‘er up or shut ‘er down?
• What’s the IP address and port?
• Is there a backup, now?

Write it in Markdown and put it in a Git repository.

Summin’ It Up

• Docs for Yer Future Self: Write it like yer explainin’ to someone who don’t know a thing
• Network Maps and IP Plans give ya a clear view of the infrastructure
• Checklists make sure nothin’ gets forgot when doin’ the same tasks over and over
• Change Logs keep track of what was done, when, and by who
• Operational Documentation describes how the systems work today
• Use Markdown + Git for easy, version-controlled documentation