What are the best ways to document your cloud projects and outcomes?

Any cloud project has to have an architectural reference diagram of some sorts to showcase the lay of the land (current vs target state). Once the setup has been deployed there has to be an as-built document to capture the built state with required configurations. And, presumably there will be some sort of code involved in deployment of any cloud project (IaC, application code, etc.), recommended best practices should be followed to maintain the code in a repository with version controls which may serve to different environments as per business needs (Pre-prod, prod, etc.). Last but not the least, any documentation pertaining to cloud projects should be made keeping in mind the target audience (technical vs non tech) within your businesses.

Documentation is the best way to share the cloud project outcomes with diverse stakeholders. It’s serves as single source of truth of the cloud project . The documentation should include the following 1. Clear scope of the cloud project - well defined by Stakeholders & owners 2. Deliverables or outcome of the cloud project 3. Risk of the cloud projects 4. Resources needed to complete the cloud project. 5. Goal & objectives of each team involved in cloud project 6. Action items with the timelines of various tasks & assignee of each task 7. Budget Considerations

Adequate documentation of cloud projects is crucial. Clearly define and record your goals, scope, and expectations at the project's inception. For clarity, incorporate visual elements like screenshots, diagrams, and charts, and meticulously document all architecture decisions, aligning them with business objectives. Also, continually integrate lessons learned from previous projects to refine processes and avoid recurring errors. I want you to know that regular reviews and updates of your documentation ensure its ongoing relevance and utility.

Documenting your cloud projects and outcomes is crucial for effective project management, knowledge sharing, and future reference. Here are some of the best practices for documenting your cloud projects: Create a project charter for project overview. Develop a detailed project plan. Diagram cloud architecture. Document technical details and changes. Focus on security policies and procedures. Track and manage costs. Store deployment scripts and automation procedures. Record performance metrics. Create runbooks and SOPs for operational tasks. Document lessons learned. Utilize collaboration tools for sharing. Keep documentation up-to-date. Document backup and disaster recovery processes. Include compliance documentation for regulatory projects

Start with a clear idea of what you want to achieve using cloud and work back from that, e.g., plans, architecture, governance, approach, deliverables, timeframe, risks and mitigations, training program, DR/BCP, PR and comms plan and finally budget. One area where things can go wrong, and rapidly so, is excellent cloud cost and performance management. As you plan your program build a FinOps (finance for operations) and AIOps (artificial intelligence for IT operations) capabilities to automatically, manage the cost and performance of your multi-cloud environments.

Two major considerations for using cloud native tools and services: Firstly, how can you get started quickly to capture ideas, brainstorm collaboratively, and share your vision? Cloud computing projects can get stuck in the technology loop (deciding which is the "best" technology to use). Instead, be prepared to iterate as you progress. But on the other hand, a word of warning: cloud based tools can be instrumental in getting started quickly, but they may also have limitations such as limited scale, security, and customisability. Having a reasonable understanding of your requirements before you begin, and how much time will be spent on infrastructure vs innovation, may avoid a lot of tech debt in future.

Modern Software development teams are becoming more and more distributed. This makes collaboration a challenge, hence we need to have collaboration tools for SDLC which are service oriented, sharable and multitenant(Same tool used my many organizations) and elastic. Thus most of the collaborations tools require to be cloud native. Confluence, Git, Jira, Google Docs, Draw.io, Figma, Office 365, Observability Platforms etc to name a few.

In a world of rapidly growing opportunities, a team characterized by frequent team-member changes represents a dynamic element, with each new member navigating their own learning curve to adapt to the specific project. Consequently, it is advisable to maximize automation of documentation processes using cloud-native tools and pipelines. Specifically, the documentation template employed during the design phase should be subject to automated comparison with the post-implementation phase to verify the adherence to design guidelines. Additionally, to ensure that documentation remains consistently current, the implementation of a monitoring pipeline is recommended for promptly incorporating documentation updates.

You should also adopt cloud native ways of working like embracing DevOps, test automation and infrastructure as code. If you are still working like 20 years ago, your journey to the cloud will fail and you will end up paying premium hosting without getting any benefits.

One thing you can do to document cloud projects is using Medium. You can use Medium to create a portfolio of the projects you've worked on and showcase your skills.

Documentation is the unsung hero in successful cloud projects. While adhering to standards is pivotal, it's equally vital to ensure that documents are digestible and accessible to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. I've found value in incorporating visual aids like flowcharts or architecture diagrams, which often convey intricate processes more succinctly than words. Also, leveraging collaborative platforms like StackOverflow or GitHub can promote real-time feedback and iterative updates. Remember, a document is living; its efficacy is in its relevance and ease of understanding for the intended audience.

Effective documentation of cloud projects is essential. Create architecture diagrams, record detailed configurations, and maintain change logs. Deployment guides and cost reports are crucial. Document security measures, performance metrics, and incident reports. Summarize lessons learned and ensure compliance. Detail APIs, network topology, data flows, and backup procedures. Develop a project roadmap, use version control, and collaborate using tools. Create user guides, offer training materials, and centralize knowledge. Regularly update documentation to keep it relevant and accurate.

Documentation is crucial for any project or feature to work and unfortunately is difficult to accomplish given the importance is given sometimes by team members. Documentation helps when new folks join the team and also for remote work culture. All guidance are key (format, style, etc.) but to me there needs to be a push so everyone collaborates on it. Once a project is documented, it is so much easier to share, explain, and find gaps.

Maintain version control for your documentation to track changes over time. Use tools like Git or document versioning features to keep a history of revisions. We used Git to manage our documentation, enabling us to see who made changes, when they were made, and what was modified in each version.

Ensuring consistent and effective documentation is paramount when managing cloud projects. Adopting documentation standards and best practices guarantees clarity and uniformity. Utilising formats like Markdown or HTML can provide a unified structure to documents. Maintaining a consistent language style, such as using an active voice and clear sentences, enhances readability. Organising files and folders using a systematic approach, for instance, incorporating date, project name & version, aids in easy retrieval and referencing. Additionally, adhering to established citation systems like APA or MLA upholds the credibility of the documentation. Hence, these practices combined ensure the creation of trustworthy and user-friendly documentation.

When documenting cloud projects, enhancing comprehensibility and interest is key. Incorporating pertinent details and examples can significantly boost clarity. Utilising visual aids like screenshots, diagrams, or charts can provide a holistic view of cloud structures and capabilities. Equally, integrating tangible code samples, command demonstrations, and test results offers a deeper dive into implementation specifics. Additionally, real-life case studies or client testimonials can attest to the tangible benefits and satisfaction derived from the project. These elements, when combined, create a robust and easily digestible documentation, ensuring stakeholders have a clear understanding of the project's intricacies and value.

I fully endorse the inclusion of relevant details and examples in cloud project documentation. This approach enriches the content and serves as a practical guide for stakeholders and team members. Examples I have seen: During the implementation of Cloud Services and Microsoft Intune for MDM - by including real-world case studies and client testimonials in the documentation significantly elevated its impact. This was further enhanced by adding performance metrics and KPI dashboards captured from Azure Monitor to demonstrate the value and efficiency gains post-implementation. Documentation becomes a multifaceted tool by merging these detailed elements with Project Management artifacts like the WBS or Gantt charts.

In documenting my cloud projects, I've found that peppering in details and examples is key. Screenshots and diagrams give a visual peek into the project's guts, while code snippets offer a tangible guide through its digital pathways. And nothing beats real-world feedback and case studies to showcase the project's impact and value from a grounded, practical perspective.

Whiteboarding and diagramming are an important skillset to bring into any cloud project. While it can be assumed that you should be able to come up with architectures and wireframes, being impressive at it is another aspect altogether. In my experience, it is key to practice within and between projects. Iterate as you involve key stakeholders until every component and its role in the architecture is understood including the tradeoffs made in one design for example security over cost. You can then only provide feedback and testimonials if you intentionally seek them. So don't just take thank you and congratulations as customer feedback, consider optimal ways such as project feedback as during project closing meetings.

1. Begin with a concise project overview, summarizing the purpose, goals, and key features. 2. Provide detailed architecture diagrams illustrating the components, services, and their interactions. 3. Include step-by-step instructions for setting up the infrastructure. Specify configurations, security settings, and any prerequisites. Use code snippets or configuration files for clarity. 4. Offer practical usage examples, demonstrating how to interact with different components. Include sample commands, API calls, or scripts to guide users through common scenarios. 5. Integrate real-world scenarios to showcase the project's application. Describe how the project addresses specific use cases, and provide examples of expected outcomes.

An Architecture Decision Log (ADL) is the unsung hero of cloud projects, acting as a collective memory bank for crucial decisions. Imagine it as a diary that captures the "why" behind each architectural choice. First, it fosters transparency, serving as a single source of truth that everyone can refer to. No more debates about past decisions; the ADL settles it. Second, it's an onboarding lifesaver, giving newcomers a quick history lesson on the project. Third, it's a risk mitigator, documenting not just decisions but also the rejected alternatives. Lastly, it instills a culture of accountability, encouraging thoughtful decision-making. In short, an ADL is a must-have GPS for your cloud project, guiding current actions and future revisits.

Quality of the documentation is key in ensuring visibility into what each team is doing towards reaching the goal, it is also important for the Cloud Project Manager to detect any inconsistencies between the documentation and foresee how this can impact the overall success of the project. It goes back to ensuring that you make it as easy to document so that team members don't have to consider it as another layer of work on top of delivering on the project hence considering the stakeholder documentation preferences infuses documentation into the project and Version Control Systems such as Git can help do the heavy lifting on this.

1. Define a regular schedule for reviewing documentation. This ensures that documentation stays current and aligned with any changes in the project. 2. Assign specific team members the responsibility of maintaining and updating different sections of the documentation. 3. Store your documentation in version control systems like Git. This allows you to track changes over time, revert to previous versions if needed, and collaborate effectively. 4. Display a "Last Updated" timestamp prominently in your documentation. This provides users with visibility into when the documentation was last reviewed and modified. 5. Integrate documentation updates into your CI/CD pipeline.

It's vital to keep cloud project documentation current and precise. With every project change, whether it's feature additions, bug fixes, or performance tweaks, corresponding documentation updates are crucial. Periodic reviews help in identifying and rectifying potential inaccuracies or inconsistencies. Furthermore, garnering feedback from peers, clients, or mentors not only enhances the document's quality but ensures it remains pertinent and user-centric. An up-to-date, regularly-reviewed documentation reflects a project's true state, fostering trust and facilitating efficient collaboration.

From a Project Management perspective, periodic reviews should be aligned with project milestones or sprints. This allows for a structured approach to documentation review, making it an integral part of the project lifecycle rather than an afterthought. Soliciting feedback from stakeholders, team members, and clients during these reviews can provide valuable insights into the documentation's quality, relevance, and completeness. I wholeheartedly agree with the necessity of regular updates and reviews for cloud project documentation.

Sharing and reviewing cloud solution documentation (say Lucid chart or any open source tools) with the team members will help to get their perspective of the design (example: there could be a suggestion to have a dead letter queue for a particular serverless function). Git versioning of the document (swagger, yaml files) also helps to maintain various revisions with the external team on a different timeline.

Project documentation is only useful if people who need it can find it. Things to consider when sharing the documentation are: a. Channel. Either the docs or the reference to the docs should live where the users would normally look for it. b. Deterministic content. If there are multiple versions, the document is still under discussion/draft, or if the scope of the document is limited to specific platforms, it should be clearly noted. c. Know your audience. The right level of technical details in the documentation is what makes it useful to the reader. If they are looking for a step-by-step installation guide, exact cloud resource architecture is probably irrelevant.

Documentation is helpful if it can be easily found and exact content meeting the needs can be searched. - Organise the documents / sections based the it users / stakeholders - Implement tagging / other mechanism to improve the search - Integrate with latest technologies AI / Interactive - Use Diagrams and videos to make it more interesting and easy to understand

Use GitHub to document your cloud projects. Create a repository for your project, like a shared online folder. Write project goals and details using simple text files. Add diagrams for clarity. GitHub helps track changes, showing who made them. It's a collaborative space where the team can contribute and access crucial information, be it about security, costs, troubleshooting, or any project aspect. Keep everything organized in one place for efficient knowledge sharing and project understanding. - Easy to publish and showcase as a portfolio - Free - Cloud native

I always make sure to share our project documentation. It's a little window into what the team and I have been up to. Sharing it with the team, clients, and even future employers just makes sense. It’s a neat way to show off our hard work and my journey in the cloud, using things like portfolios or blogs to give a behind-the-scenes look at all our cool projects

Use diagrams and visualizations: Diagrams and visualizations can help you communicate complex cloud projects and outcomes more effectively. This can help you convey information more clearly and make it easier for others to understand. Record lessons learned: Recording lessons learned can help you document your cloud projects and outcomes and identify areas for improvement. This can help you learn from your mistakes and improve your processes over time.

Consider using a conversational interface to make your cloud project information more accessible to the user. Adding ChatGPT or a similar interface to your cloud project documentation can be a good way to supply background information. It is also a great way to pull in deeper architectural information from the cloud platform provider or conversely help novice users fill in the gaps in their understanding without overburdening the core document.

The use of AI tools to generate documentation will increase in the future exponentially, as it’s a very time consuming creating good quality detailed content and managing / maintaining them. Right now the companies are struggling to use them due to concerns with privacy and securisation of their data as their project information can be leaked, maybe not fully, but in some parts as their data could be used to enrich the AI training database. The creation of open source AI like Vicuna can speed up this process to create private AI tools that are isolated and focused just on your business without asking for 3rd party exclusivity services which will increase the cost, when it’s really easy to setup with a specialised IT department.

When you want to make sure that you follow and implement best practices you might consider taking a Well architected Framework Review. This type of approach allows you to evaluate your current setup against cloud best practices, followed by a list of recomanded remediation actions, showing you a list with the issies you migh have a hih o medium risk. The review tackes the best practices from 6 angles : Operational Excelence, Security, Reliability, Performance Efficiency and Sustainability.

Keep your infrastructure updated. Cloud is changing and evolving fast. Try to keep the most version of the local OS, appliances and clients. You can find yourself with a non working environment from one day to the other. Check as well supportability and lifecycles , since some components may lead to unsupported scenarios. A support ticket in that case may be not accepted.