[SERVER] Keeping Your Own Changelog For Changes to Your Instance

Why Keep a Changelog?

An internal changelog is essential for managing your CircleCI Server environment. Without one, troubleshooting becomes significantly more difficult, and CircleCI Support cannot provide optimal assistance. A well-maintained changelog enables faster incident resolution and helps identify the root cause of issues quickly.

What to Document

System Changes

Version upgrades - Document the date, version numbers (from/to), and who performed the upgrade
Configuration changes - Any modifications to server settings, environment variables, or feature flags
Infrastructure changes - Updates to underlying infrastructure (Kubernetes, VMs, storage, networking)

Deployments & Integrations

New integrations - VCS connections, authentication providers, or third-party tools
Policy changes - Updates to runner configurations, resource classes, or organizational policies
Security updates - Certificate renewals, secret rotations, or access control modifications

Incidents & Issues

Outages or degradations - Time, duration, affected services, and resolution steps
Performance issues - When noticed, symptoms, and any remediation attempts
Error patterns - Recurring issues or unusual behaviors

Changelog Format

Use a consistent format for all entries. For example:

[DATE] [TIME] | [CHANGE TYPE] | [PERFORMED BY]
Description: [What changed]
Reason: [Why it changed]
Impact: [Expected or observed effects]
Rollback: [How to revert if needed]

Applied Example:

2025-11-15 14:30 UTC | Version Upgrade | ops-team@company.com
Description: Upgraded CircleCI Server from v4.5.1 to v4.6.0
Reason: Security patches and new runner features
Impact: 15-minute downtime during upgrade; all pipelines resumed normally
Rollback: Snapshot available at snapshot-20251115-1400

Best Practices

Document BEFORE major changes - Include planned maintenance windows and expected impacts
Update IMMEDIATELY after changes - Don't rely on memory; log it right away
Include timestamps in UTC - Avoid timezone confusion when working with support
Note who made the change - Enables follow-up questions and accountability
Link to related tickets - Connect changelog entries to support cases or internal tickets
Keep it accessible - Store in a shared location (Git repo, or ticketing system)
Regular reviews - Frequent (possibly monthly), audits ensure completeness and accuracy

How This Helps CircleCI Support

When you contact CircleCI Support with a changelog, we can:

Correlate issues with recent changes - Quickly identify if a problem started after a specific update
Avoid redundant questions - We already have the context we need
Provide targeted solutions - Recommendations based on your specific configuration history
Reduce resolution time - Less back-and-forth means faster fixes
Prevent repeated issues - Historical patterns help identify systemic problems

Getting Started

Minimum viable changelog:

Create a shared document (Google Doc, Confluence page, or Git repository)
Add entries for the last 90 days of changes you can recall
Commit to logging all future changes immediately
Review and update weekly

When Opening a Support Ticket

Always include:

Link to or excerpt from your changelog covering the last 30 days
Specific timestamp when the issue began
Any changes made within 48 hours before the issue

Additional Resources