Minimum (Lean) System Documentation

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Let’s admit it: any form of system documentation is not up-to-date. The moment we start producing it, it is out-of-date.

If that is the case, we should do with minimum (perhaps, lean) system documentation that is kept current. This begs the next question: How little is enough?

If I imagine myself taking over a system from someone else, I believe the minimum/ lean system documentation should contain the following:

Solution Design
  • description of the high-level process flow
  • description of the main modules/ services in the system
  • what are the architecturally significant use cases or main functions of the system?
  • what processes/ components make up the system? E.g.
    • Are there web-based applications?
    • Are there batch processes?
  • what are the databases in use?
    • What are the primary (entity) tables in use?
  • what output is generated by the system? E.g.
    • Are there printed output?
    • Are there output for system integration?
    • Are there messages (emails/ SMS) sent?
  • what systems are integrated and what integration patterns are used?
    • what are the triggers for interfacing?
  • what user roles are interacting with the system?
  • what are the batch jobs and their inter-dependencies?
  • what 3rd party – whether freeware, open-sourced, or COTS – libraries/ frameworks are in use
    • what are they used for?
Deployment & Maintenance
  • what configuration files are used and location of these files?
  • what are the folders (local/ mounted) in use?
  • where are the log files located?
  • what is the deployment environment (topology) like?

Comments

Unknown said…
Informative article , nice to read dear, but I'd like to suggest you to add a topic about Kaizen Training.thanks!
11/12/2015, 14:23
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