Migration Runbook

A migration runbook is an executable operating guide for moving a system from one state to another. In software and AI work, it defines more than the target change. It lays out the sequence, owners, checks, timing, rollback criteria, communication points, and exact commands or configuration updates required to complete the move safely. That makes it different from a loose checklist: a strong runbook can be followed under deadline pressure without relying on one person's memory. For model and API migrations, this matters because the old version may disappear on a fixed date. Swapping a model name or upgrading an SDK is rarely the whole job. Prompts, latency, cost, tool behavior, safety rules, evaluation baselines, and monitoring expectations all need to be checked before the cutover. A runbook turns those checks into a repeatable process. It also creates an audit trail: what changed, who approved it, which tests passed, and how the team would reverse the move if production behavior regressed.