Identify what is running
Record the application revision or other release identity, hosting location and relevant runtime versions. Confirm which repository and build output correspond to the live system.
Deployment handoff
Turn one person's memory into a process the team can review.
Begin by documenting what actually happens. Replacing the tooling before understanding it can move the uncertainty somewhere else.
Faith Forge Labs ยท Reviewed October 16, 2026
Walk through a protected rehearsal
Have the current operator explain the build, configuration, database steps, service restarts and checks. Use a separate environment so missing knowledge can be discovered without improvising against production.
Record where credentials are managed and who owns access; do not copy secret values into the instructions.
Write down the exceptions
What happens if a migration fails, a worker stays on older code or a vendor is unavailable? Mark unknown answers as questions for investigation, rather than filling gaps with assumed commands.
Ask another authorized maintainer to follow the notes
A successful rehearsal reveals whether the instructions are usable. Keep the check results, missing prerequisites and recovery limits with the revised notes.
Use the release checklist or ask about a deployment review.