By name: troubleshooting description: Systematic IT troubleshooting methodology
IT Troubleshooting Methodology
Objective
Systematically diagnose and resolve IT issues using proven troubleshooting frameworks.
Troubleshooting Framework
1. Problem Identification
Information Gathering:
- What is the exact symptom?
- When did it start?
- What changed recently?
- Who is affected?
- Is it intermittent or constant?
Scope Definition:
- Single user vs multiple users
- Single system vs multiple systems
- Single application vs platform-wide
2. Hypothesis Generation
Common Categories:
- Configuration change
- Resource exhaustion
- Network connectivity
- Authentication/authorization
- Software bug
- Hardware failure
- External dependency
Prioritization:
- Recent changes (most likely)
- Known issues (check KB)
- Common failure modes
- Environmental factors
3. Testing and Validation
Isolation Testing:
- Can you reproduce the issue?
- Does it happen in isolation?
- What conditions trigger it?
Comparison Testing:
- Working vs non-working system
- Before vs after
- Different users/permissions
4. Resolution Implementation
Change Control:
- Document current state
- Make one change at a time
- Verify after each change
- Have rollback plan
Verification:
- Confirm issue resolved
- Check for side effects
- Test edge cases
- Get user confirmation
5. Documentation
Required Documentation:
- Root cause
- Resolution steps
- Time to resolution
- Prevention measures
Domain-Specific Checklists
Network Issues
- Check physical connectivity
- Verify IP configuration
- Test DNS resolution
- Check firewall rules
- Trace network path
- Review recent changes
Database Issues
- Check connection count
- Review slow query log
- Check disk space
- Verify replication status
- Review recent schema changes
- Check backup status
Security Issues
- Review access logs
- Check authentication systems
- Verify permissions
- Scan for vulnerabilities
- Review recent access changes
- Check compliance status
Cloud Issues
- Check service health
- Review resource limits
- Verify IAM permissions
- Check network configuration
- Review recent deployments
- Check billing/quotas