Vantus field guide / 14 entries
Operations And Monitoring
Reading order
Start with the operating context, then move into the tradeoffs and implementation evidence you actually need.
01
Intro
Start here / 8 entries
Build the operating context before making a technology decision.
- Asset Inventory: What Software and Hardware You Actually HaveTrack your software licenses, hardware, and cloud resources so you're not caught off guard when something fails or someone leaves.5 minRead
- Backup and Restore: What You're Actually Paying ForUnderstand what backup services do, what restoration actually costs in time, and how to avoid the 'we have backups' nightmare.7 minRead
- Change Management for Small BusinessStop making untracked changes that break production systems. A simple process that prevents Friday afternoon disasters.5 minRead
- How To Communicate During An OutageKeep customers, employees, and stakeholders informed during a crisis without making things worse.5 minRead
- Monitoring Basics for Owners Without a DevOps TeamUnderstand what monitoring does, what it costs, and how to get visibility into your systems without hiring a dedicated team.6 minRead
- Monthly Ops Review: What to Look AtA monthly health check for your IT operations. Catch problems early, verify everything is working, and plan ahead.6 minRead
- Quarterly IT Review: What to CheckFour times a year, step back and look at your entire IT operation. Strategic planning for non-technical owners.7 minRead
- User Offboarding, Access Reviews, and SecurityWhen employees leave, their access should leave with them. A practical guide to offboarding that protects your business.6 minRead
02
Intermediate
Go deeper / 6 entries
Connect the underlying systems, tradeoffs, and ownership boundaries.
- The First 60 Minutes of an Outage: What to DoStop panicking and start fixing. A structured first hour that prevents a 2-hour outage from becoming a 2-day disaster.6 minRead
- How To Use CISA's KEV List To Prioritize PatchingStop patching everything equally. Use the government-maintained list of actively exploited vulnerabilities to focus your effort.6 minRead
- Incident Response: A Step-by-Step GuideHandle security incidents and major outages with a repeatable process that limits damage and gets you back online faster.8 minRead
- Monitoring Tools and Early Warning SystemsCompare monitoring approaches from free to enterprise. Pick what matches your budget and risk tolerance.7 minRead
- Patching Cadence and Exceptions: What to Patch WhenStop patching randomly. A practical schedule that balances security with business continuity.6 minRead
- Postmortems: What to Do After an IncidentTurn outages and incidents into lessons that prevent future occurrences. A practical guide to running useful postmortems.6 minRead