In the world of IT operations, “observability” is a concept that has been around for some time. Having worked in IT operations for over 30 years, I can say that before anyone even called “observability,” we were actually looking at ways to achieve the same end.
The definition can vary, but in essence, observability is about understanding a given system by tracking and analyzing external outputs. When done correctly, Observability tells us two things:
- what’s going on
- Ways to improve leading to better future outcomes
Back to Basics: 4 Steps to True Observability
Despite all the potential of observability, many IT leaders I’ve spoken with don’t feel like they’re actually getting what they promise. Over time, the concept of observability has become very complex. In my opinion, unnecessarily yes. I think many teams can realize the power of observability by taking a simpler approach. Here are some key steps to get started.
#One. Don’t collect more data, collect the right data.
Large enterprises today are inundated with an incredible amount of data points collected through various monitoring systems. Over time, huge databases have emerged. When problems arise all the time, operators don’t know where to start. No one has time to view all captured data. Also, the reality is that many of these data points have nothing to do with the user experience that really matters.
Start by doing a cohesive inventory of all the data being collected, especially related to application performance. Explore what you need to capture and what you don’t.
#2. Evaluate approaches and tools honestly.
Next, we conduct an objective evaluation of our current tools and approaches. Find out how you can rationalize the different tools you’re using. By reducing the number of tools that must be procured, implemented, and supported, teams can realize many benefits, including cost savings, management overhead, and monitoring “noise.”
#three. Make sure you have the right team
As you go through this process, it’s important to look at the people viewing your data.
In recent years, we have often seen organizational disconnection as the environment continues to evolve. For example, a team of network engineers will be tasked with evaluating a growing body of application-centric data.
As we built our site reliability engineering (SRE) function in other organizations, we were able to assemble a team of top talent across key technology areas. We had network engineers, Java programmers, database administrators, mainframe experts, all of whom were the company’s top experts in their field.
Having the right expertise in the right place was critical. With this team, we were able to make significant progress in terms of establishing observability and gaining actionable insights for improvement. Most importantly, you have the expertise to put these insights into action.
#4. Breaking down silos
True observability cannot be achieved with monitoring silos. Ultimately, it’s not just about networks or apps, it’s about overall observability that reveals what the user experience is really like. All the different aspects need to be reviewed together to make the decision that is best for your user experience and business.
conclusion
The promise of observability is not fully realized in many enterprise IT shops today. By removing data and tools that don’t create value and taking a holistic, user-centric approach, teams can establish effective and robust observability.
Visit us for more details. here. Also, you can see IDC report It demonstrates the critical capabilities NetOps teams need to gain complete network visibility and control.