Mature technology teams don’t just automate, they architect their automation through standards, structure, and feedback loops.
The result is a repeatable system where everything from design to deployment is governed, auditable, and scalable.
Build Your Standards Top-Down, Not Bottom-Up
Before we get started, it’s important to address a critical concept. Too many organizations rush to publish “standards” for everything under the sun, without structure, hierarchy, or clarity. The result is chaos disguised as governance.
Instead, I recommend a top-down approach to designing your standards and automation framework. One that scales with intent, not noise.
There are five core layers (L0–L4), plus two higher layers (Programs and Patterns) that define what you deliver and how you deliver it.
When drafting standards or creating automation, always start at the top:
- Program (Why): Define what capability or service your team provides.
- Pattern (What): Describe the approved ways that capability can be delivered.
- L0 (Building Blocks): Modular “Lego pieces” that can be reused across multiple patterns.
- L1 (Governance SOPs): High-level, auditable operating procedures. These explain what must be done and why, not how.
- L2 (Standards): Define the exact configuration values or thresholds that must be applied consistently.
- L3 (Runbooks): Step-by-step technical procedures that bring the L1/L2 requirements to life.
- L4 (Automation): Convert the L3 runbooks into automated pipelines, validations, and feedback loops.
Mature organizations work this way, top-down, not bottom-up.
They begin with the Program (the “why”), define the Patterns (the “what”), and then build the how underneath.
This approach ensures every standard, SOP, and automation has a purpose. You’re not just automating tasks, you’re automating intent, aligned with strategy and governance.
You can’t automate excellence until you’ve defined what excellence looks like.
Programs
At the top level sits the Program, a unifying layer of governance that defines the capability itself.
A Program represents something your team is committed to delivering or required to offer to the organization.
Goal: Deliver consistent, compliant SQL Server environments across the enterprise — on-prem, in the cloud, or hybrid.
Examples:
- SQL Server Deployment Program
- SQL Server Patching & Lifecycle Program
- SQL Server Monitoring & Alerting Program
Each Program contains multiple Patterns, each solving a distinct architectural use case.
Patterns
Patterns represent approved, reusable architectural blueprints for specific use cases.
They define what configurations your organization officially supports, and when to use each one.
Examples:
- SQL Server Standalone Instance
- SQL Server Always On Availability Group (AOAG)
- SQL Server Failover Cluster Instance (FCI)
- SQL Server Managed Instance (Azure)
Each Pattern draws from a library of Block Kits, which define the underlying technical building blocks.
L0 – Block Kits: The Reusable Building Blocks
L0 is the foundation, your Block Kits.
Think of them as Lego pieces that can be combined to form any approved SQL Server Pattern.
Each Block Kit is a modular, standardized component representing a key part of the platform lifecycle.
Examples:
- SQL Engine Installation
- Service Account Configuration
- Database File Layout
- Backup & Restore Configuration
- Monitoring Agent Setup
Each Block Kit is supported by:
- L1 SOPs – governance-level guidance
- L2 Standards – configuration and compliance rules
- L3 Runbooks – tactical, step-by-step instructions
Goal: Establish reusable, standardized components that support multiple patterns. Write once, reference often.
L1 – SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures – Audit & Governance)
L1 SOPs define the governance-level expectations for each Block Kit.
They are audit-focused, documenting what must be done and why, ensuring compliance, traceability, and alignment with internal controls.
These are not technical step-by-step guides, they are about the what and why, not the how.
Example (SQL Service Account Setup):
- Service accounts must be domain-managed
- Passwords must meet corporate complexity policy
- Accounts must be members of the “SQL Managed Service” AD group
- Evidence of compliance must be attached to the change record
Goal: Provide auditable, policy-driven guidance without dictating execution details.
L2 – Standards (Technical Policy & Guardrails)
L2 Standards define the non-negotiable guardrails for each Block Kit.
Where L1 explains what’s required, L2 defines the exact values or configurations that must be enforced.
Examples:
- SQL Server maxDOP = 8 (default)
- TempDB must have at least 4 equally sized files
- Backups must use AES-256 encryption
- Log retention = minimum 30 days
Goal: Enforce technical consistency and compliance through clear, measurable requirements.
L3 – Runbooks (Tactical, Step-by-Step Implementation)
L3 takes the requirements from L1 and the rules from L2, and turns them into tactical, actionable steps.
These are your “open this console → run this script → validate this output” guides.
Examples:
- Step-by-step SQL install using approved service accounts
- PowerShell or T-SQL commands to create AOAG listeners
- Verification steps for SQL Agent job replication
- Post-deployment validation scripts for CIS compliance
Goal: Provide detailed, repeatable execution steps for engineers or automation pipelines.
L4 – Automation & Optimization
At L4, your organization fully integrates all prior levels into automated pipelines and feedback systems.
This is where deployment, validation, and optimization happen continuously — closing the loop from governance to execution.
Examples:
- Azure DevOps pipeline executes SQL deployment via L3 logic
- Automated validation jobs cross-check against L2 standards
- Audit reports auto-populate based on L1 compliance data
- Metrics feed back into the Program for continuous improvement
Goal: Achieve self-enforcing, data-driven automation tied directly to your governance framework.
The Hierarchy in Action (Example: SQL Server AOAG Pattern)
| Level | Artifact Type | Purpose | Example |
| Program | Governance | Define capability & scope | SQL Server Deployment Program |
| Pattern | Architecture | Blueprint for use case | SQL Server AOAG Deployment Pattern |
| L0 | Block Kits | Modular building blocks | Service Accounts, Backup Config, Engine Install |
| L1 | SOP | Audit-level guidance | Ensure domain accounts |
| L2 | Standards | Technical guardrails | MaxDOP, TempDB config, encryption |
| L3 | Runbook | Tactical execution | Install, configure, verify AOAG |
| L4 | Automation | System enforcement | Azure DevOps pipeline validates and deploys |
Final Thoughts
Each layer serves a purpose:
- L1 keeps auditors and leadership confident.
- L2 keeps engineers aligned.
- L3 keeps operations consistent.
- L4 keeps automation intelligent.
- L0 ties it all together through reusable components.
When your standards flow this way, from Program to Pattern, from governance to automation you don’t just deploy Patterns, you deploy trust, repeatability, and velocity.
Don’t miss my latest posts…
Brendan McCaffrey 