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Overview

The Administration Guide template helps you create documentation for system administrators, DevOps teams, and IT professionals responsible for deploying, configuring, and maintaining your software.
Administration guides should be organized by the phases of acquiring, installing, and using the software—not by the order of first-time setup or feature groupings in the UI.

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When to Use This Template

Use the Administration Guide template when you need to document:
  • System installation and deployment procedures
  • Configuration and scaling guidance
  • Security architecture and permissions management
  • Monitoring, logging, and troubleshooting
  • User and organization management
  • Upgrade and maintenance procedures

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How to Organize It

Avoid these common mistakes:
  • Don’t organize by the order of first-time setup steps (makes it hard to find settings later)
  • Don’t organize by how features are grouped in the software UI
  • These approaches make it difficult for users to find features and for writers to add new content
Instead, organize by lifecycle phases that administrators will return to repeatedly throughout their use of the software.

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Template Structure

1

Product Overview

Provide a high-level introduction to the product from an administrator’s perspective:
  • What the software does
  • Key architectural concepts
  • Administrator’s role and responsibilities
2

Planning

Help administrators understand the system before deployment:
  • Architecture: System components and how they interact
  • System design: Deployment patterns and topology options
  • Security: Authentication, authorization, encryption, and compliance
  • Capacity planning: Resource requirements and sizing guidance
3

Installation

Guide administrators through the deployment process:
  • System requirements: Hardware, software, and network prerequisites
  • Supported platforms: Operating systems, cloud providers, containers
  • Deploying: Step-by-step installation instructions
  • Upgrading: Migration paths and upgrade procedures
  • Uninstalling: Clean removal procedures if needed
4

Configuring

Document configuration options and best practices:
  • Initial configuration steps
  • Scaling: Horizontal and vertical scaling options
  • Performance tuning
  • Integration with external systems
  • Configuration file reference
5

Monitoring

Explain how to track system health and performance:
  • Monitoring tools: Built-in dashboards and third-party integrations
  • Logs: Log locations, formats, and rotation policies
  • Automation of monitoring: Setting up alerts and automated responses
  • Metrics and KPIs to track
  • Health check endpoints
6

Managing

Document ongoing administrative tasks:
  • Access and permissions: Role-based access control (RBAC)
  • Creating accounts: User provisioning workflows
  • Organizations: Multi-tenancy and organization management
  • Users and groups: Managing teams and departments
  • Backup and restore procedures
  • Data retention policies
7

Troubleshooting

Help administrators diagnose and resolve issues:
  • Common problems and solutions
  • Diagnostic procedures
  • Log analysis techniques
  • How to collect support information
  • Known issues and workarounds

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Code Example

Here’s an example of documenting a configuration section: 
## Configuring Database Connections

Edit the `config/database.yml` file to configure your database connection:

```yaml
production:
  adapter: postgresql
  host: db.example.com
  port: 5432
  database: myapp_production
  username: admin
  password: ${DB_PASSWORD}
  pool: 20
  timeout: 5000
Configuration Parameters:
ParameterDescriptionDefaultRequired
hostDatabase server hostnamelocalhostYes
portDatabase port number5432No
poolConnection pool size5No
timeoutConnection timeout (ms)5000No
Use environment variables for sensitive values like passwords. Never commit credentials to version control.

## Best Practices

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Task-Oriented" icon="list-check">
    Organize content by what administrators need to accomplish, not by menu structure or setup order.
  </Card>
  
  <Card title="Safety First" icon="shield">
    Highlight destructive operations, security implications, and backup recommendations.
  </Card>
  
  <Card title="Provide Context" icon="lightbulb">
    Explain the "why" behind configurations, not just the "how." Help admins make informed decisions.
  </Card>
  
  <Card title="Include Examples" icon="code">
    Show realistic configuration examples and common deployment scenarios.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Real-World Examples

Learn from these excellent administration guides:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Atlassian Crowd" icon="link" href="https://confluence.atlassian.com/crowd/administration-guide-16482404.html">
    Enterprise identity management administration guide
  </Card>
  
  <Card title="Mattermost" icon="link" href="https://docs.mattermost.com/guides/administrator.html">
    Open-source team collaboration platform admin guide
  </Card>
  
  <Card title="Jamf Connect" icon="link" href="https://docs.jamf.com/jamf-connect/1.17.0/administrator-guide/About_this_Guide.html">
    macOS identity and access management
  </Card>
  
  <Card title="Intel ASM" icon="link" href="https://www.intel.com/content/dam/support/us/en/documents/memory-and-storage/ssd-software/ASM-Win.pdf">
    Storage system administrator guide (PDF)
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Tips for Success

<Accordion title="Keep it maintainable">
  - Use consistent formatting and structure
  - Link related sections together
  - Version your documentation alongside the product
  - Update troubleshooting sections based on support tickets
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Make it searchable">
  - Use clear, descriptive headings
  - Include error messages verbatim so users can search for them
  - Add keywords administrators might search for
  - Create a comprehensive index or glossary
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Test with real admins">
  - Have IT professionals review your documentation
  - Watch administrators perform tasks using your guide
  - Collect feedback from support teams
  - Update based on common questions and confusion points
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Consider different audiences">
  - Some admins are experts, others are beginners
  - Provide both quick reference and detailed explanations
  - Include architectural diagrams for visual learners
  - Offer troubleshooting decision trees
</Accordion>

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