IT infrastructure, software projects and organizations are all systems that are required to be resilient, ie have the ability to absorb change, tolerate transients and maintain their self-organizing capacity in unexpected or even hostile circumstances.
As IT Engineers we are asked to build systems that are reliable, scalable and affordable. As Software Engineers we are required to deliver solutions that provide an excellent experience, are reusable and ready on time. As entrepreneurs, we want to build organizations that are performing, adaptive and lasting. IT infrastructure, software projects and organizations are all systems that are required to be resilient, ie have the ability to absorb change, tolerate transients and maintain their self-organizing capacity in unexpected or even hostile circumstances. In each of these domains we rely on techniques, tools and processes to manage these system in a predictable, repeatable way.
I will propose that there are significant parallels between these disciplines, and that comparing the toolboxes, patterns and anti-patterns will suggest ways to improve our ability to build resilient IT systems as the industry moves towards Software Defined Infrastructure and embraces cultural shifts such as DevOps, blurring the lines between software, IT and organizations.