Maintenance & Support
Document: 37-maintenance-support.md
Version: 1.0.0
Purpose
This document defines the maintenance and support standards used across all Rundown projects.
Maintenance ensures that applications remain secure, reliable, compatible, and performant after deployment. Support provides structured assistance when clients encounter issues or require guidance.
Together, maintenance and support extend the lifecycle of every Rundown application beyond its initial release.
Maintenance Philosophy
Production software is never truly finished.
Applications require continuous maintenance to remain secure, reliable, and effective as technology, business requirements, and user expectations evolve.
Maintenance is proactive.
Support is reactive.
Both are essential.
Responsibilities
Maintenance includes:
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Dependency updates
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Security updates
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Performance reviews
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Infrastructure maintenance
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CMS updates
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Backup verification
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Monitoring review
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Preventive improvements
Support includes:
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Issue investigation
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Bug resolution
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Client assistance
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Operational guidance
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Incident communication
Non-Responsibilities
Maintenance and support should not automatically include:
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New feature development
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Major redesigns
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Scope expansion
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New integrations
Enhancements outside the agreed maintenance agreement should follow the project's change request process.
Support Channels
Every maintenance agreement should define:
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Primary communication channel
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Business hours
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Emergency contact process
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Response expectations
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Escalation procedure
Clients should know exactly how to request assistance.
Service Levels
Support expectations should be documented.
Typical considerations include:
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Initial response time
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Target resolution time
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Priority definitions
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Business hours
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Emergency support availability
Service commitments should align with contractual agreements.
Issue Classification
Issues should be categorized by impact.
Critical
Examples:
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Website unavailable
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Data loss
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Security incident
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Payment failures
Requires immediate attention.
High
Examples:
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Major feature unavailable
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Significant performance degradation
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Broken client workflows
Should be prioritized promptly.
Medium
Examples:
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Minor functional defects
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CMS usability issues
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Non-critical integrations
Scheduled according to priority.
Low
Examples:
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Cosmetic issues
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Minor content adjustments
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Small usability improvements
Resolved through normal maintenance planning.
Scheduled Maintenance
Maintenance activities may include:
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Framework updates
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CMS updates
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Dependency upgrades
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SSL verification
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Backup testing
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Performance review
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Security review
Scheduled maintenance reduces long-term operational risk.
Client Communication
Clients should receive regular maintenance updates where applicable.
Typical reports may include:
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Completed work
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Outstanding issues
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Security updates
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Performance observations
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Recommended improvements
Communication should emphasize outcomes rather than technical activity.
Enhancement Requests
New feature requests should be evaluated separately from maintenance.
Evaluation should consider:
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Business value
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Technical complexity
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Timeline
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Budget
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Dependencies
Maintenance agreements should not become undefined development retainers.
Maintenance Reviews
Recurring reviews should assess:
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Application performance
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Security posture
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Infrastructure health
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User feedback
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Technical debt
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Improvement opportunities
Maintenance should continuously improve production systems.
Engineering Decision
Proactive Maintenance Strategy
Status: Accepted
Decision
Rundown provides structured maintenance and support through proactive operational practices rather than reactive issue resolution alone.
Reasoning
A proactive maintenance strategy:
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Improves reliability.
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Reduces operational risk.
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Increases application longevity.
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Strengthens client relationships.
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Supports continuous improvement.
Maintenance Checklist
During each maintenance cycle, verify:
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Dependencies reviewed.
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Security updates applied.
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Monitoring reviewed.
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Backups verified.
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Performance reviewed.
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Outstanding issues evaluated.
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Client communication completed.
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Improvement opportunities documented.
Summary
Maintenance and support ensure that Rundown applications continue to deliver value long after deployment.
By combining proactive maintenance with responsive support, Rundown protects client investments, reduces operational risk, and builds lasting engineering partnerships.
Related Documents
Related ADRs
- ADR-003: Documentation Information Architecture