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Checklists

Checklists are actionable ticket templates for change management. They are synchronized with runbooks and provide a structured way to track progress during maintenance operations.

📋 Available Checklists

Wazuh Upgrades

Templates

🎯 How to Use Checklists

Before You Start

  1. Copy the checklist into your change ticket or issue tracker
  2. Fill out metadata completely: 
    operator: <your name>
customer: <customer name>
infrastructure: <system identifier>
change_ticket: <ticket number>
maintenance_window_start: <ISO 8601 timestamp>
maintenance_window_end: <ISO 8601 timestamp>
target_version: <version number>
snapshot_id: <snapshot identifier>
runbook_ref: <runbook filename>
  3. Review the runbook referenced in the checklist
  4. Verify prerequisites are met

During Execution

  1. Follow the checklist order - items are sequenced for safety
  2. Check off each item as you complete it: - [x] Completed item
  3. Reference the runbook for detailed commands (don't copy commands into checklist)
  4. Document deviations in the notes section
  5. Stop if you hit a no-go gate and escalate

After Completion

  1. Complete all validation items
  2. Attach health snapshots (pre and post)
  3. Document findings in the checklist notes
  4. Update the change ticket
  5. Close the checklist only when all items are checked

📊 Checklist Structure

A) Metadata Header

Required information for audit trail and tracking: - Operator name - Customer/infrastructure details - Change ticket reference - Maintenance window - Target versions - Snapshot identifiers

B) Pre-Flight Checks (No-Go Gates)

Mandatory safety checks that must pass before proceeding: - [ ] Disk usage < 90% - [ ] All services active (running) - [ ] Valid backup/snapshot exists - [ ] Change ticket approved - [ ] Within maintenance window

C) Pre-Change Snapshot

Capture baseline system state: - [ ] Document current versions - [ ] Check service status - [ ] Review disk usage - [ ] Verify cluster health - [ ] Check for recent errors

D) Execution Steps

Main procedure items (references runbook for details): - [ ] Step 1 (reference: Runbook Section X) - [ ] Step 2 (reference: Runbook Section Y) - [ ] Validation check - [ ] Continue...

E) Post-Change Snapshot

Verify system state after changes: - [ ] Confirm new versions - [ ] Verify all services running - [ ] Check cluster health - [ ] Review logs for errors

F) Post-Validation

Final checks before closure: - [ ] Functional tests passed - [ ] Performance acceptable - [ ] Customer notification sent - [ ] Documentation updated

G) Notes & Findings

Document any issues, deviations, or observations

🔄 Synchronization with Runbooks

CRITICAL: Checklists and runbooks must stay synchronized.

  • Checklists contain brief descriptions and reference runbook sections
  • Runbooks contain detailed commands and troubleshooting
  • Don't duplicate commands - reference the runbook instead
  • When updating a runbook, check if checklist needs updates
  • When updating a checklist, verify runbook sections match

Example of Proper Referencing

❌ WRONG - Duplicating commands in checklist: 

- [ ] Upgrade indexer
  ```bash
  sudo apt-get update
  sudo apt-get install wazuh-indexer=4.12.0-1
  ```

✅ CORRECT - Referencing runbook: 

- [ ] Upgrade Wazuh Indexer (reference: Runbook Section 2.1)

🛑 No-Go Gates in Checklists

Every checklist includes mandatory no-go gates. DO NOT PROCEED if any check fails:

## B) Pre-Flight Checks (No-Go Gates)
- [ ] Disk usage < 90% on all partitions (STOP if > 90%)
- [ ] All Wazuh services are `active (running)` (STOP if any failed)
- [ ] Valid snapshot/backup created and verified (STOP if missing)
- [ ] Change ticket CHG-XXXXX approved (STOP if not approved)
- [ ] Within maintenance window (STOP if outside window)
- [ ] All prerequisites from runbook verified

📝 Creating New Checklists

When creating a new checklist:

  1. Start with the template: Use CHECKLIST-TEMPLATE.md
  2. Reference existing runbook: Ensure a corresponding runbook exists
  3. Include all metadata fields: Don't skip the header section
  4. Add appropriate no-go gates: Based on the procedure's risks
  5. Test in practice: Validate in non-production first
  6. Submit via PR: Include rationale for new checklist

📸 Health Snapshot Tracking

Both pre and post snapshots must be: 1. Captured during the procedure 2. Documented in the checklist 3. Attached to the change ticket 4. Reviewed for any anomalies

What to Include in Snapshots

  • Component versions (before/after)
  • Service status (all components)
  • Resource utilization (disk, memory)
  • Cluster health status
  • Recent error logs (last 50 lines)
  • API connectivity test results
  • Runbooks - Detailed procedures referenced by checklists
  • Upgrade Guides - Version-specific upgrade information
  • Templates - Change note templates for documentation
  • Catalog - Customer infrastructure information