Download System Configuration Document Templates

The goal of the system configuration document is to serve as reference material for the backup/system administrators, and to be able to bring new staff up to speed on the way in which the backup system works. This should contain at least the following:

Operating system and application configuration details of the backup server, including items such as:
Network configuration — host resolution method, details of any hard-coded host entries required, etc.
Performance characteristics — does the system become heavily loaded during backups?
Process listing — what would a “typical” list of backup-related processes resemble?
List of installed packages or applications

Explanation of any design decisions that may not be readily apparent (e.g., “this system is running version X of the operating system because…” or “despite the corporate standard, disks need to be partitioned in this fashion to facilitate…”). This avoids someone “fixing” a design which, although not the normal for the operating system or the company, is actually required for the backup product

Licenses installed in the backup environment
Contact details for support providers along with information on the SLAs in place with those providers. Where there is no “single point” for support, a breakdown listing the vendors responsible for supporting each aspect of the system should be provided
Physical (hardware) layout covering all forms of media used
Ongoing capacity planning and reporting
An overview of each backup schedule in use, and deviations from the norm (e.g., “full backups occur on Saturdays except for server Y, which has a full backup performed on Sunday due to batch processing requirements”)
Any abnormal steps involved in the configuration of the backup product that would not be immediately obvious
Media management policies with respect to the movement of media once extracted (physically) from the backup system
If the system was designed and commissioned by a third party, references to any purchase orders, tender documents, statements of work, design briefs, etc., so that everyone involved can understand immediately whether an aspect of the configuration is “original” or “new”
Reference to any corporate policies that must be followed in relation to the use of the backup system
References to acceptance test documentation that was produced during the commissioning of the backup environment
References to other documentation that can be used when working with the backup environment

Enterprise Backup, Preston De Guise