- A Problem-Solving Pattern
- Step 2: Understand the Environment
- Step 3: List Hypotheses
- Step 4: Prioritize Hypotheses and Narrow Focus
- Step 5: Create a Plan of Attack
- Step 6: Act on Your Plan
- Step 7: Test Results
- Step 8: Apply Results of Testing to Hypotheses
- Step 9: Iterate as Needed
- About this Article
Step 6: Act on Your Plan
With a plan in placeæand reviewed by those with a stake in solving the problemæyou're prepared to act.
While you're acting on the plan, take good notes and make sure that you keep copies of configuration files that you're changing. Nothing is worse than finishing off a series of tests, finding that they didn't solve the problem, and then discovering that you introduced a new problem and can't easily back out your changes. It can also be disheartening to have insufficient or misleading information to report at the conclusion of your test.