analysis 101: what is a system?

Analysis 101: What is a System?

& why we in IT have it wrong :(

In Short…

“A Computer!” 

In Short…

“A Computer!” 

WRONG!

In Short…

“A system is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole” 

– Miriam Webster Dictionary

In Short…

“A system is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole” 

– Miriam Webster Dictionary

WRONG!

In Short…

“A system is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated structure and exhibiting integrated behaviour” 

– Miriam Webster Dictionary

Recap and ExamplesIt is NOT…• Desktop Machine Hardware• Server Hardware• Objects in an Application• Routers• Cloud• Virtual Machines

It IS…• Applications Components AND

their Workflows• Desktops, Operating Systems

AND How they’re used• Servers AND How they Process

Requests• Business Entities AND How they

server their customers • The Earth AND How it’s

ecosystem Behaves• Any Aggregation of the Above

SYSTEMS ARE EASY TO FIND!What does a system look like?

Find Structures…Structure – The ‘Statics’• WHAT’s the structure of the

system?• Entities, Departments,

Roles, Servers, Computers, Applications.

• Can themselves be ‘self-contained’ subsystems– Treated as Black Box– Still Affects the Whole This is a Structure

Watch Interactions…Behaviour – The ‘Dynamics’• HOW does the system

behave?• How do people,

applications, systems, networks etc. interact

• Watch interactions– Activities, Events,

Responses…

Mason Admires His Work

Bird Poops on Statue

Mason Curses Bird

The System is ALL OF IT!!

Mason Admires His Work

Bird Poops on Statue

Static

Static

Static

Static

Dynamic

Dynamic

Dynamic

Mason Curses Bird

…And EACH OF IT!!

• Each Item is a Subsystem

• Even the Statue…– How does it respond in

the Wind?

System System

System

Images from Dreamtime.com

Systems Are EVERYWHERE!

Hence…

Real Systems Are Somewhat Fractal!• Systems are made up of

[Sub]Systems– the Internet– Businesses

• Business• Applications• Data• Technology

• Each Has– Structure (What it is)– Behaviour (How it

Behaves) Hex Fractal Carpet – Eric Baird, 2009

What About Enterprises?• Interacting Departments

– Teams of staff Performing A Function

– Uses Business function software– …Running on Network 

Infrastructure…– With Servers…– …Desktops…– …Laptops…– …Mobile Phones/Tablets– …Consuming and Producing

Information– …To Address Stakeholder Need

Another way to find statics and dynamics:

Nouns (italic) = Structures = Statics

Verbs (bold) = Behaviour = Dynamics

It’s EVERYTHING! More than Your ROLE!

ALL Mathematical! • Analytical forms of Systems Thinking• Systems Thinking Founded 1940

– Not New, but new to Masses & especially to enterprise IT• Systems Science added Analytical Frameworks• Complex Systems and Complexity Science Hot Topics!• Brings in Capabilities from Operations Research, Stochastics, Risk,

Trigonometry, Calculus, Statistics, Graph Theory, Category Theory, Classical Mechanics, Non-linear Systems and Chaos…

Definition:“Systems thinking has been defined as an approach to problem solving, by viewing ‘problems’ as parts of an overall system, rather than reacting to specific part, outcomes or events and potentially contributing to further development of unintended consequences.” Wikipedia

I’m Often Asked

“Ethar, Why do you

 use the 

terms Statics and Dynam

ics?”

Thanks for ViewingFurther Reading

Systems Sciencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_science   

Systems Thinkinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_thinking    

The Goal – E. M. Goldratthttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Goal-Process-Ongoing-Improvement-ebook/dp/B002LHRM2O/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415269445&sr=1-1&keywords=the+goal 

Theory of Constraintshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_constraints 

Complexity Sciencehttp://www.complexity.ecs.soton.ac.uk/ 

Ethar Alali @EtharUK @Dynacognetics

Managing Director & Chief ArchitectPolymath-MathMo. Programming since 9 years old. TOGAF 9 Certified, Classic and Agile-EA, change agent. Blog: GoadingtheITGeek.blogspot.co.uk

Specialist ICT Strategists & Advisors. Member of HiveMind Network for some of the biggest household and corporate multi-nationals.

Accredited Growth Voucher Advisors certified to deliver IT & Web Growth Consultancy as part of the UK government’s Growth Voucher Scheme.

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