A collection of ready-to-use IT documentation templates for sysadmins, MSPs (Managed Service Providers), IT managers, and helpdesk teams. Each template is a standalone markdown file that can be adopted as-is, converted to your preferred format, or imported into documentation platforms like Confluence, IT Glue, Hudu, or SharePoint.
| Template | File | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Network Diagram Template | network-diagram-template.md | Document network topology, IP ranges, VLANs, and connections |
| Server Inventory | server-inventory.md | Track all physical and virtual servers with specs, roles, and contacts |
| Runbook Template | runbook-template.md | Step-by-step procedures for operational tasks and incident response |
| SOP Template | sop-template.md | Standard operating procedures with approval workflow |
| Onboarding Checklist | onboarding-checklist.md | New employee IT provisioning and access setup |
| Change Management Form | change-management-form.md | Document, review, and approve infrastructure changes |
- Fork or download this repository
- Replace all
[PLACEHOLDER]values with your organization's information - Customize sections to match your environment (tools, systems, naming conventions)
- Store in your documentation platform of choice
- Assign owners and review schedules for each document
- Update as infrastructure and processes change
A structured document for capturing your network architecture when a full diagramming tool is not available, or as a companion document to your Visio/draw.io diagrams.
Sections include:
- WAN/Internet connections with ISP details, circuit IDs, and bandwidth
- Firewall configuration summary (model, firmware, HA status, public IPs)
- VLAN table with ID, name, subnet, gateway, DHCP scope, and purpose
- Core switch and distribution layer inventory
- Wireless infrastructure (controllers, SSIDs, authentication)
- Server network assignments
- DMZ configuration
- Site-to-site VPN tunnels
- Cloud connectivity (AWS VPC, Azure VNet, Direct Connect/ExpressRoute)
- IP address allocation summary
A comprehensive tracker for all physical and virtual servers in your environment.
Fields captured per server:
- Hostname, FQDN, operating system, and version
- Physical location (rack, unit) or hypervisor host
- Hardware specs (CPU, RAM, storage, NIC configuration)
- IP addresses (primary, iLO/IPMI/iDRAC management)
- Role/purpose and critical applications
- Backup schedule and method
- Patch group and maintenance window
- Primary contact and escalation path
- Warranty/support expiration
- Recovery tier (Tier 1-4 per DR plan)
A step-by-step guide for performing routine operational tasks or responding to specific incidents. Designed to be followed by any qualified team member, not just the original author.
Sections include:
- Purpose and scope
- Prerequisites (access, tools, permissions)
- Step-by-step procedures with expected outputs
- Verification steps after each major action
- Rollback procedures if something goes wrong
- Troubleshooting common issues
- Escalation contacts
- Revision history
Example runbook topics:
- Failover to backup domain controller
- Restore database from backup
- Patch deployment procedure
- SSL certificate renewal
- New VLAN deployment
- Firewall rule change process
- Emergency account lockout response
A formal Standard Operating Procedure document with approval workflow, suitable for compliance audits and quality management systems.
Sections include:
- Purpose and objectives
- Scope and applicability
- Definitions and acronyms
- Roles and responsibilities
- Prerequisites and safety considerations
- Detailed procedure steps
- Quality control checkpoints
- Documentation and record-keeping requirements
- References to related SOPs
- Approval signatures (author, reviewer, approver)
- Revision history with change descriptions
A comprehensive IT onboarding checklist for new employees, covering everything from account creation through day-one setup and first-week verification.
Phases covered:
Pre-arrival (1-2 weeks before start):
- Active Directory / identity provider account creation
- Email account and distribution lists
- Software license assignments
- Hardware ordering and configuration
- Badge/access card request
- Phone/extension setup
Day one:
- Hardware handoff and asset tag recording
- Initial login and password setup
- MFA enrollment
- Email configuration
- VPN setup and testing
- Core application access verification
- Security awareness training assignment
- IT policies acknowledgment
First week:
- Application-specific training
- Verify all access is working
- Introduce to IT support channels
- Confirm backup/sync is running
- Verify endpoint protection is active
Offboarding companion checklist also included -- disable accounts, recover hardware, revoke access, transfer data ownership.
A formal change request and approval document for infrastructure and application changes. Suitable for ITIL-aligned change management processes.
Sections include:
- Change request details (title, requester, date, urgency)
- Change type (Standard, Normal, Emergency)
- Description of change and business justification
- Systems and services affected
- Risk assessment (likelihood and impact)
- Implementation plan with timeline
- Testing and validation plan
- Rollback plan
- Communication plan (who needs to be notified)
- Approvals (CAB, manager, technical lead)
- Post-implementation review
- Assign an owner to every document
- Set a review schedule (quarterly for critical docs, annually for stable ones)
- Update immediately after any infrastructure change
- Use version control (this repo, or your doc platform's versioning)
- Write for the person who will follow the procedure at 3 AM during an outage
- Include screenshots and expected outputs
- Avoid assumptions -- document every step, even "obvious" ones
- Use numbered steps, not paragraph-style prose
- Include "if this, then that" branching for common variations
- Use consistent naming conventions
- Tag documents by system, team, and compliance framework
- Maintain a master index (this README serves as one)
- Link related documents to each other
- Store documentation in a system with access control
- Mark sensitive documents (network diagrams, server inventories) as Confidential
- Do not include actual passwords, keys, or secrets in documentation -- reference the password vault
- Restrict access to security architecture documents to authorized personnel
These documentation templates support requirements across multiple frameworks:
| Framework | Requirement | Templates That Help |
|---|---|---|
| NIST 800-171 | 3.4.1 -- System baseline configurations | Server Inventory, Network Diagram |
| NIST 800-171 | 3.4.3 -- Track and review changes | Change Management Form |
| NIST 800-171 | 3.6.1 -- Incident response capability | Runbook Template |
| CMMC | CM.2.061 -- Establish configuration baselines | Server Inventory, Network Diagram |
| SOC 2 | CC8.1 -- Change management | Change Management Form, SOP Template |
| HIPAA | 164.308(a)(8) -- Evaluation procedures | SOP Template, Runbook Template |
| PCI DSS | 1.1.2 -- Network diagram | Network Diagram Template |
| PCI DSS | 12.1 -- Security policy documentation | All templates |
| ISO 27001 | A.8 -- Asset management | Server Inventory |
| ISO 27001 | A.12.1 -- Operational procedures | Runbook Template, SOP Template |
Petronella Technology Group helps businesses build comprehensive IT documentation:
- Managed IT Services - Full IT management with documentation
- Network Security - Secure network design
- Cybersecurity Assessments - Documentation-driven audits
Contact us or call (919) 348-4912.
Created and maintained by Petronella Technology Group - a cybersecurity and managed IT services firm based in Raleigh, NC. With 23+ years of experience and zero client breaches, we help businesses secure their infrastructure and achieve compliance.
- Website: petronellatech.com
- Phone: 919-348-4912
- Free Assessment: Book a consultation
MIT License - See LICENSE for details.