Complex systems usually operate in failure mode. This is because a complex system typically consists of many discrete pieces, each of which can fail in isolation (or in concert).

The merging of development and operations to speed product delivery, or DevOps, is all about agility, automation and information sharing. In DevOps, servers are often treated like cattle”that can be easily replaced, rather than individual pets”to be nurtured.

This article has been contributed by Gene Kim, Author of the book “The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win”. In my thirteen year journey of studying high performing IT organizations, I’ve started to see a new and unsettling trend.

Google Tech Talks November 5, 2008

ABSTRACT

In 1993 cfengine was one of the first open source configuration management systems for Unix, and the first to perform self-healing, long before IBM’s autonomic computing initiative drew attention. Cfengine is now used on hundred of thousands of computers all