Don’t Forget To Document

Greetings. I would like to make my debut to TheSysAdminLog by discussing a fundamental necessity of any IT department. While not as glamorous as virtualization, disaster recovery, or Windows/Linux debates, this concept is equally as important to those of us who must support a large number of systems on a daily basis…

Documentation.

While most of us acknowledge the importance of documentation, we all hate doing it. It’s a cumbersome and inconvenient chore. Why spend time diagramming, taking screenshots, and writing intricate details about the setup of a particular system, when we could be lab-testing the features of a new upgrade or stringing CAT5 cable around the office of a vacationing co-worker? (guilty)

However, documentation can be a life-saver in a number of situations. Firstly, your co-workers will one day appreciate it. I am a member of a team of about a half dozen people. While each of us hold an over-arching knowledge of all the systems we support, we also each have our own areas of specialty. Documentation can be a lifeline for your co-workers in the event that you are unavailable. It is bad enough being called in the middle of the night because of a critical system crash. It’s even worse being unable to reach the person who set up the system, then being left to feel your way through the dark to get the system back online.

Also, your own documentation can provide a much-needed help to yourself. Whether it be short-term memory loss, or simply the span of a couple of years since the initial setup, we may often forget the intricate details of system. The only problem with a stable system is that we deal with them so little that we tend to forget exactly how they work. In the midst of a crisis, we should not be taking the time to re-learn or re-familiarize ourselves with a particular setup. It’s game time! Open up that PDF and get to work!

Next, keep your successors in mind. This may be the weakest motivation for writing documentation, since day to day system administration at a former employer no longer seems important. However, once you leave your company, someone else needs to take care of your responsibilities. If you leave behind a flaming pile of chaos, this won’t reflect well on you. If nothing else, summon some compassion and empathy for your IT descendants. They’re people too!

Undoubtedly, many system admins avoid documenting in an attempt to ensure job security for themselves. However, what does it say about one’s confidence in their job performance when they hold their knowledge hostage to keep their job? It’s also important to realize that securing a current position in this manner could also secure a lack of any promotion in the future.

So, save yourself and your co-workers a bit of headache, and document your work. If you don’t, then please be sure to look both ways before crossing the street. Your fellow employees will appreciate it.