# Maintenance Windows

Schedule planned maintenance, notify users in advance, and manage expected downtime transparently with your customers.

## What are Maintenance Windows?

Maintenance windows are scheduled periods of planned downtime when you'll be performing updates,
upgrades, or other work that may affect service availability. Communicating these in advance
helps set customer expectations and builds trust.

### Benefits of Scheduled Maintenance

- **Proactive Communication:** Customers know about planned downtime in advance
- **Reduced Support Load:** Fewer "is this down?" inquiries during maintenance
- **Professional Image:** Shows you plan and communicate changes responsibly
- **Better Planning:** Customers can plan around known maintenance times

## Creating Maintenance Windows

### Step-by-Step Guide

01. Navigate to the Maintenance section in your UpReport dashboard  
02. Click "Schedule Maintenance" button  
03. Provide a clear, descriptive title (e.g., "Database Migration" or "Security Updates")  
04. Set the start date and time  
05. Set the expected end date and time  
06. Select which components will be affected  
07. Choose the maintenance status for affected components  
08. Add a detailed description of the work being performed  
09. Set notification timing (how far in advance to notify subscribers)  
10. Save and publish the maintenance window

#### 💡 Timing Best Practices

- • Schedule during low-traffic periods (typically nights or weekends)  
- • Consider your users' time zones when planning  
- • Allow buffer time in case maintenance runs longer than expected  
- • Notify users at least 24-48 hours in advance for major maintenance

## Maintenance Status Types

### Under Maintenance

Service is temporarily unavailable due to planned maintenance.

Use when: Complete service downtime is expected during maintenance.

### Degraded Performance

Service is available but may be slower or have limited functionality.

Use when: Rolling updates or partial system maintenance.

### Maintenance Timeline States

1

#### Scheduled

Maintenance is planned and users have been notified.

2

#### In Progress

Maintenance is currently being performed.

3

#### Completed

Maintenance has finished and services are fully operational.

## Notification Management

Effective communication is key to successful maintenance windows. UpReport automatically
notifies your subscribers at the right times.

### Automatic Notifications

#### 📅 Pre-Maintenance

- • Initial announcement (configurable timing)  
- • 24-hour reminder (optional)  
- • 1-hour reminder (optional)  
- • Maintenance starting notification

#### 🔧 During & After

- • Status updates during maintenance  
- • Delay notifications if extended  
- • Completion announcement  
- • Services restored confirmation

### Notification Channels

#### Email

Status page subscribers

#### SMS

Business+ plans

#### Integrations

Slack, Teams, webhooks

## Communication Best Practices

### Clear Messaging

Write maintenance announcements that are easy to understand:

**Good Example:**  
"We'll be performing database upgrades this Saturday from 2:00 AM to 6:00 AM EST. During this time, you may experience slower response times when accessing your dashboard. All data will remain safe and no action is required from you."

### Set Expectations

- • Clearly state what services will be affected  
- • Explain the expected impact (downtime vs. slower performance)  
- • Provide realistic time estimates with some buffer  
- • Explain the benefits of the maintenance work

### Follow Up Communication

- • Send updates if maintenance takes longer than expected  
- • Notify users immediately when maintenance is complete  
- • Confirm that all services are fully operational  
- • Apologize for any inconvenience caused

## Emergency vs Planned Maintenance

### 📅 Planned Maintenance

Scheduled in advance with proper notification timing.

- • System upgrades  
- • Security patches  
- • Performance optimizations  
- • Infrastructure improvements  
- • Database migrations

### 🚨 Emergency Maintenance

Urgent work that can't wait for a scheduled window.

- • Critical security vulnerabilities  
- • System failures requiring immediate fix  
- • Data corruption issues  
- • Network infrastructure problems  
- • Compliance requirements

#### ⚡ Emergency Maintenance Guidelines

For emergency maintenance, create the maintenance window as soon as possible, even if work has already started. This ensures transparency and keeps all stakeholders informed of the situation and expected resolution time.

## Maintenance Calendar & Planning

Good maintenance planning helps minimize user impact and ensures smooth operations.

### 📊 Planning Tips

- • Analyze traffic patterns to find low-usage times  
- • Consider different time zones of your user base  
- • Group related maintenance tasks together  
- • Leave adequate time between maintenance windows  
- • Plan for rollback procedures if needed

### 🗓️ Scheduling Strategy

- • Use recurring maintenance windows for regular updates  
- • Avoid scheduling during business-critical times  
- • Consider seasonal traffic variations  
- • Coordinate with your development and deployment schedules  
- • Document lessons learned for future planning