Create Operational Runbook

Generate a runbook for operational procedures, incident response, or troubleshooting.

Process

1. Parse Arguments

Extract from user input:

• Topic: Procedure name (required) - e.g., "database failover", "deploy to production"
• Type: incident, operational, troubleshooting, emergency (default: operational)
• Service: Specific service/system (optional)

2. Analyze Context

Based on the topic and type, gather relevant information:

For incident runbooks:

• What alerts trigger this runbook?
• What are common causes?
• What metrics indicate the issue?
• What are the resolution steps?

For operational runbooks:

• What is the procedure?
• What are the prerequisites?
• What are the verification steps?
• What could go wrong?

For troubleshooting runbooks:

• What symptoms indicate the issue?
• What diagnostic steps are needed?
• What are common fixes?
• When to escalate?

For emergency runbooks:

• What constitutes the emergency?
• What immediate actions are required?
• Who needs to be notified?
• What is the recovery process?

3. Load Skill and Generate

1. Load the runbook-creation skill for templates
2. Select appropriate template based on type argument
3. Generate runbook with:
   • Comprehensive metadata
   • Step-by-step procedures
   • Decision trees where applicable
   • Troubleshooting sections
   • Escalation paths

4. Create File

Determine file location:

Priority order:
1. docs/runbooks/{type}/RB-{number}-{slug}.md
2. docs/operations/runbooks/RB-{number}-{slug}.md
3. runbooks/RB-{number}-{slug}.md

Numbering:

• Find existing runbooks, increment number
• Or use date-based: RB-2025-01-{sequence}

5. Populate Content

Generate content sections based on type:

All types include:

• Metadata table (ID, category, service, owner, dates)
• Overview (purpose, when to use, expected outcome)
• Prerequisites
• Main procedure with numbered steps
• Troubleshooting section
• Escalation path

Type-specific sections:

Type	Additional Sections
incident	Alert details, impact assessment, communication templates
operational	Rollback procedure, verification checklist
troubleshooting	Symptom/cause matrix, diagnostic commands
emergency	Immediate actions, notification list, recovery steps

Output Content

Incident Runbook Structure

# Incident Runbook: {TOPIC}

| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| **ID** | RB-INC-{NUMBER} |
| **Alert** | [Alert name] |
| **Severity** | [SEV1/2/3/4] |
| **Service** | {SERVICE} |
| **Owner** | [Team] |
| **Last Updated** | {DATE} |

## Alert Details
[Alert trigger conditions]

## Immediate Actions (First 5 Minutes)
1. Acknowledge alert
2. Assess impact
3. Initial communication

## Diagnosis
[Decision tree and diagnostic steps]

## Resolution
[Step-by-step fix procedures]

## Verification
[How to confirm resolution]

## Communication
[Status update templates]

## Post-Incident
[Cleanup and follow-up tasks]

Operational Runbook Structure

# Runbook: {TOPIC}

| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| **ID** | RB-OPS-{NUMBER} |
| **Category** | Operational |
| **Service** | {SERVICE} |
| **Owner** | [Team] |
| **Last Updated** | {DATE} |
| **Estimated Duration** | [Time] |

## Overview
[Purpose and when to use]

## Prerequisites
[Access, tools, knowledge needed]

## Procedure

### Step 1: [Name]
[Detailed instructions with commands]

### Step 2: [Name]
[Detailed instructions]

## Verification
[How to confirm success]

## Rollback
[How to undo if needed]

## Troubleshooting
[Common issues and fixes]

Example Invocations

/create-runbook "database failover"
→ Creates operational runbook for database failover procedure

/create-runbook "high error rate" type=incident service="api-gateway"
→ Creates incident runbook for API gateway error rate alerts

/create-runbook "pod crash loop" type=troubleshooting service="order-service"
→ Creates troubleshooting guide for order service pod crashes

/create-runbook "security breach response" type=emergency
→ Creates emergency runbook for security incidents

Content Generation Guidelines

When generating runbook content:

Commands

• Include actual, tested commands
• Use environment variables for sensitive data
• Add expected output examples

Decision Points

• Use clear flowchart notation
• Cover all branches (success and failure)
• Include "when in doubt" guidance

Timing

• Estimate time for each step
• Note SLA implications
• Include "if taking too long" escalation

Communication

• Provide copy-paste templates
• Include notification channels
• Specify stakeholder expectations

Post-Creation Guidance

After creating the runbook:

1. Fill in specifics - Replace placeholders with actual commands/URLs
2. Validate commands - Test all commands in non-production
3. Review with SME - Have subject matter expert verify
4. Test execution - Do a dry run of the procedure
5. Train team - Ensure operators know it exists
6. Schedule review - Set calendar reminder for quarterly review

Quality Criteria

Generated runbook must:

• Have unique identifier
• Include all required metadata
• Provide actionable step-by-step instructions
• Include verification steps after each major action
• Cover failure scenarios and rollback
• Define escalation path and contacts
• Be testable in non-production environment