You need to have a documented procedure that everyone in the SA team
follows for updating system configuration files. This procedure should be
consistently used everywhere that configuration files are updated. It should
be documented clearly in a step-by-step manner, including the procedure
to follow if any of the steps fail, and given to all SAs as they join the
team. The procedure should include creating revision histories, locking the
configuration files so that only one person at a time can edit them, running
automated checks on the format of or information in the files,
and, if appropriate, notifying other systems or applications that an update
has occurred. It is a fundamentally good practice that should be followed
at all times by everyone. It is simple and surprisingly often can save
the day.