What does "runbook" mean in programming?
runbook is one of the most common terms in software development. This guide explains what it means, how it is used in practice, and why it matters, with real examples from the developer world.
Definition
A documented set of procedures for handling operational tasks or incidents. When an alert fires at 3am, the on-call engineer follows the runbook: step-by-step instructions for diagnosing and resolving the issue. Good runbooks are specific, tested, and kept up to date.
Example
"The database disk full alert links to the runbook: it tells the on-call engineer exactly which query to run to free space and how to alert the team."
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