Operating ManualLast updated: 08/02/2023

The operating manual contains all necessary information and tasks to operate and manage a product or object. For software products, the operating manual is mostly relevant for IT operations to install, integrate, manage and upgrade the product.

4.1 System Overview

Content: main software components, applications, interfaces, external dependencies, host names/IP addresses (if necessary), ports/protocol and firewall rules.

Typical sections of an Operating Manual

System overview: main software components, applications, interfaces, external dependencies, host names/IP addresses (if necessary), ports/protocol and firewall rules
Installation and onboarding: prerequisites such as specific hardware/software/server configuration and requirements, licenses.
Check lists

Step by step instructions to install software or system, e.g. how to integrate the Single Sign-On between customer’s cloud provider or on-site Active Directory, and the products user authentication module to integrate the employees.
How to check and validate the proper functionality of the system.
Monitoring and maintenance of the system – e.g. check disk space, run security and safety audits, backup and recovery of data, archive old data, get and install updates and upgrades.
How to uninstall and remove the software by system engineer for all parts.
Information to handle typical questions and support requests by the end user, for the support department of the customer – e.g. faq, link to support portal of vendor, contact to vendor’s support for 2nd and 3rd level support to get assistance, along with the support level agreement (SLA), along with possible emergency procedures and guidance in case of human.

4.2 Installation and onboarding

Prerequisites

Content: specific hardware/software/server configuration and requirements, licenses, ...) and check lists

Installation process

Content: step-by-step instructions to install software or system, e.g. how to integrate the Single Sign-On between customer’s cloud provider or on-site Active Directory, and the products user authentication module to integrate the employees

Installation validation

How to check and validate the proper functionality of the system

4.3 Monitoring and maintenance

Describe tasks and procedures to monitor and maintain the system – e.g. check disk space, run security and safety audits, backup and recovery of data, archive old data, get and install updates and upgrades

Task List

4.4 Uninstall software

Describe step by step procedure and requirements to uninstall and remove any remaining files. Include user permissions and outcome of removal including existing data.

4.5 Support

Information to handle typical questions and support requests by the end user, for the support department of the customer e.g. faq, link to support portal of vendor, contact to vendor’s support for 2nd and 3rd level support to get assistance, along with the support level agreement (SLA), along with possible emergency procedures and guidance in case of human error or system outage