If I’m doing a task for the second or third time, I start planning to automate it. Automating a task, as by ansible or a script, documents the task procedure.

If I’m doing a task for the second or third time, I start planning to automate it. Automating a task, as by ansible or a script, documents the task procedure. Documented procedures generally can be verified, iterated, extended, enhanced, and reverted. Invoking an automated procedure should not be more complex or require more preparation than manually performing the task. Once a procedure is automated, modifications to the procedure should be implemented via the automation, not manually. I didn’t mean to lay out a bunch of principles off the top of my head, I’ll stop!