Post-Mortem Report Structuring

Summary

• The meeting provided a comprehensive walkthrough of structuring and documenting an effective post-mortem incident report.
• Key elements discussed included summary writing, timeline construction, root cause analysis, detailed recovery documentation, and crafting actionable follow-ups.
• Emphasis was placed on honest reflection, clarity in communication (notably time zones), and highlighting positives alongside areas for improvement.

Action Items

• N/A: No specific action items or owners were assigned during the discussion.

Structuring a Post-Mortem Report

• A post-mortem should begin with a concise summary outlining the incident, duration, impact, and resolution, clearly stating all times and time zones.
• A detailed timeline must follow, documenting all major events, notifications, actions taken, and their timestamps, ending with service restoration.
• The root cause section should honestly describe what led to the issue, identifying failures in processes such as lack of testing or manual errors, without assigning blame.
• Recovery and resolution documentation should provide granular details of each step taken, including rationale and results, again with precise timing and context.
• Areas for improvement must be listed, capturing gaps in monitoring, automation, or visibility, but solutions can be addressed in future projects.
• The report should also highlight aspects that went well, such as failover systems that minimized impact, to justify preventative investments and demonstrate system effectiveness.

Decisions

• No formal decisions recorded — The discussion focused on best practices and procedural guidance.

Open Questions / Follow-Ups

• No open questions or pending follow-ups were identified during the meeting.