An incident model is a means to streamline & standardise the troubleshooting of critical business systems. As a guide it should include the following information:
- Overview of the system or application
- Topology diagram(s) and/or list of devices
- Flowchart for the incident handling process, with checkpoints and/or milestones
- Template for notifications to the business or stakeholders
- Basic troubleshooting commands
- Links to support contracts & contacts
Additional information can be included, such as links to in depth troubleshooting guides, the original design documentation or configuraton backups. Sometimes I like to include keywords that may be mentioned in tickets related to this system, to help 1st line staff quickly triage an incident & apply the appropriate incident model.
