Technical Documentation in IT With System Architecture and Design

Technical documentation within IT can generally be broken down into several sections:

System architecture and design

This section describes the overall structure and organization of a system, including the different components, their relationships, and how they interact with one another. For example, a power-user may need to understand the system’s architecture to identify bottlenecks and optimize performance.

Example, System architecture:

+-------------+       +-------------+         +-------------+
|   Frontend   | <--> |   Backend    | <--> |   Database   |
+-------------+       +-------------+         +-------------+

The system consists of three main components: a frontend, a backend, and a database. The frontend handles the user interface and communicates with the backend using a REST API. The backend handles business logic and communicates with the database to persist data.

API reference

This section documents the specific endpoints and functionality of an API, including request and response formats, and any error codes that may be encountered. For example, an advanced user may use the API reference to automate tasks and integrate the system with other tools.

Installation and deployment

This section provides instructions on how to install and set up the system, including any dependencies and configurations that need to be made. For example, a power-user may use this section to set up a development environment or deploy the system to a production environment.

Example, Installation and Deployment:

1. Install Node.js version 12 or later.
2. Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/example/my-app.git
3. Install dependencies: npm install
4. Create a .env file with the following environment variables:
   • PORT=3000
   • DATABASE_URL=mongodb://localhost:27017/my-app
5. Start the server: npm start

Troubleshooting and FAQ

This section provides solutions to common issues that users may encounter and answers to frequently asked questions. For example, an advanced user may use this section to diagnose and resolve problems with the system.

Example, Troubleshooting and FAQ:

Q: How do I fix a “connection refused” error when connecting to the database? A: This error typically indicates that the database server is not running or is not configured correctly. Check the following:

1. Make sure the database server is running.
2. Verify that the DATABASE_URL environment variable is set correctly.
3. Check the database’s logs for more information.

Q: What are the system’s maximum limits? A: The maximum limit for the number of concurrent users is 10,000, the maximum limit for the number of requests per second is 1,000 and the maximum limit for the storage is 1TB

Release notes

This section lists the changes made in each release of the system, including bug fixes, new features, and any breaking changes.