Uncertain InfrastructuresWhat Science Tells Us About IT

Mark Burgess

Promises we can keep?Promises we can keep?

P - DescriPingH - StuffHY - ThaYtS - HappenS I - ..ah

C - ...S - .. ok whatever

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SemanticsSemantics and and DynamicsDynamicsDesired-state and actual behaviourDesired-state and actual behaviour

DevDev + + OpsOps What you intend + What actually happensWhat you intend + What actually happens

Dev ? Ops ?

… but they are only in approximate balance

IT would be easy if systems were deterministic ...IT would be easy if systems were deterministic ...

LOGIC rains environmental complexity ...LOGIC rains environmental complexity ...

… … onto knife-edge sensitivityonto knife-edge sensitivity

“Continuous delivery requires continuous automation ... not power-assisted intervention”

Autonomous infrastructure

There is no such thing as an immutable systemThere is no such thing as an immutable system

No No intendedintended change is not the same as no change at all change is not the same as no change at all

““Many worlds” branches and relativityMany worlds” branches and relativity

““The history of attempts to prevent cracks from spreading or evade The history of attempts to prevent cracks from spreading or evade their consequences is almost the history of engineering.”their consequences is almost the history of engineering.”-- J.E. Gordon -- J.E. Gordon The New Science of Strong MaterialsThe New Science of Strong Materials

Failures are semanticFailures are semanticProcesses are dynamicProcesses are dynamic

Harp not on that keyboard!Harp not on that keyboard!Orchestration?Orchestration?Choreography?Choreography?

Control is ...Control is ...

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Tw: @markburgess_osl