What is a runbook?
Firstly, what is a runbook? A runbook is a detailed, step-by-step guide for completing complex tasks and operations, such as IT and cyber disaster recovery and cloud migration. Runbooks standardize processes across an organization while giving team members easy access to all the information they need to fulfill their roles. Runbooks are used to document and manage the execution of IT processes but can also be used for much more, such as automating the orchestration of these processes.
What is runbook automation software?
So now we know what a runbook is, what is runbook automation? Runbook automation software, like Cutover, represents the next generation of runbook software. Rather than requiring manual tracking and updates, in conjunction with multiple bridge calls and emails, and other activities that cause delays and create the risk of human error, Cutover runbooks automate the orchestration of IT operations. Not only that, Cutover can also use AI to generate runbooks and suggest improvements, creating even more efficiency before and during an IT operations event.
Benefits of runbook automation software
Using automated runbook software has many benefits, including:
Enhanced efficiency and productivity
Cutover’s automated runbook software integrates with your existing IT disaster recovery software, enabling you to see all activity and data in one central execution platform. Rather than managing the orchestration of an event in a spreadsheet or isolated runbook platform and constantly switching between applications and messaging methods, include all automated and manual tasks into one automated runbook, automate the orchestration, and get real-time visibility into how activities are progressing.
Reduced human error and increased consistency
Automated orchestration reduces human error by removing repetitive manual tasks and the need for manually updating plans. This creates confidence in your ability to recover quickly and effectively.
Faster disaster recovery
Cutover’s automated runbooks have been proven to reduce execution time by 50%. Danske Bank achieved a 300% improvement in resilience efficiency by using Cutover’s automated runbook software - they can now fail over 400 services in 14 hours and are continuing to refine, improve, and automate further with the help of runbook automation.
Improved compliance and standardization of processes
The ability to use approved templates to create automated runbooks with runbook automation software enables standardization and ensures that plans are compliant. Cutover’s automated audit trails also make regulatory reporting easier and more accurate, as there is no need to manually reconstruct what happened after an event has finished, when it may have been difficult to record everything that happened while it was going on.
The impact of runbook automation on businesses
The impact of runbook automation has been proven in the largest banks and other regulated industries. Cutover customers have seen a 60% reduction in audit preparation time and a 70% reduction in planning and testing time by using the platform.
One major American bank successfully orchestrated IT disaster recovery using Cutover’s automated runbooks, achieving faster disaster recovery planning and testing. This made them better prepared for data center isolation events and gave the team the ability to make better decisions during tests, leading to failover tests being executed in under 24 hours.
Automated runbooks can also be used to completely automate some processes that only require human oversight. For example, a multinational investment company used runbook automation to implement one-click failover for 38 applications, leading to 53% more efficient failover.
Cutover: Your runbook automation software
Cutover’s Collaborative Automation SaaS platform enables enterprises to simplify complexity, streamline work, and increase visibility. Cutover’s automated disaster recovery runbooks connect teams, technology, and systems, increasing efficiency and reducing risk in IT disaster and cyber recovery. Cutover is trusted by world-leading institutions, including the three largest US banks and three of the world’s five largest investment banks.
Find out how to create a runbook or see runbook examples.