Hints for Building & Operating High Quality Services

   Mark Verber

Early Draft, Version 0.15 -- October 1, 2006

Studying the architecture, design, implementation, and operations of a number of complex services has led me to some generalizations about design principles, architectural elements, operational processes, and organization structures which lead to the successful deploy quality services. The generalizations found in this document are based on the authors experience with a range of mission critical services for more than twenty five years, as well as interviews and papers about other complex services.

The following is very, very rough draft. Many of the sections are cut & pasted from notes I made to myself at one time or another.  I would greatly appreciate questions, feedback, suggestions etc.

Forward

A Good Foundation

• The Need for Good Architecture
• Counting the Cost and Setting the Goal
• Design Principles & Heuristics
• Role of Virtualization

Tackle Tough Manageability Issues

• Service Routing
• State Stores
• Component Requirements

Build Operational Infrastructure

• Configuration Management
• Core Operational Elements
• Other Operational Elements

Develop Good Practices

• Processes
• Organizational Structures

About the Author

Interested in building these sort of system?  Want to work in San Francisco?  Drop me a note. We are hiring.