As the business evolves, so must the network which supports all of the applications used to run the business. It is co-evolution: The change in a business' needs drive the demand and any increased network capability enhances the responsiveness of the business, often driving further change. The burning question for most businesses is whether this cyclic behavior has become a consciously observed pattern, or is just subject to the "whims of forces beyond any control." To understand how we can harness and embrace this change, it would help to see the results of co-evolution in other networks. If we explore the use of networks in the human body, what can we derive as lessons learned?
The human body has a nervous system that provides signals about the environment, and is a conduit for control and feedback through the entire body. The circulatory system enables the flow of nutrients and removal of waste throughout the system. Both systems are complimentary as they work together and service each others needs.
| Human body | Network |
| The body's networks allow sub-systems (i.e. digestive, brain, pulmonary) to run independently to a large degree, passing key information back and forth as needed. | A platform that provides the necessary "plumbing" - rich user experience, dynamic execution environment , intelligent mediation platforms, real time data frameworks, optimal system footprints, dynamic network coordination, automated orchestration and tooling to enable autonomic management, monitoring & reporting. |
| Human bodies come in a range of shapes and sizes and can perform a large array of tasks that have changed over the millennia. The networks in a human body can be tuned to meet specific demands for arbitrary periods of time. Plus, after a human body is tuned to meet specific stringent requirements, it can be retuned over time to perform other requirements. | A platform that delivers "service when needed- as needed" based on the needs of the business' explicit service requirements. |
At my company, Adaptivity, call our (trademarked) network design methodology "Fit for Purpose" in much the same way an athlete trains to be fit for a specific sport (ballet dancers have different bodies and train differently than football players.)
In our next post, I will discuss how to embrace change and make it your ally.
Sheppard Narkier
Co-Founder and Chief Scientist of Adaptivity
Sheppard.narkier@adaptivity.com
Tony Bishop is CEO, Adaptivity. He'd previously served as SVP and chief architect of Wachovia's Corporate Investment Banking Technology Group, where his team earned numerous awards for its SOA and utility computing infrastructure. Tony has 19 years' experience and is the recipient of 40 under 40 Most Innovative IT Leaders, Premier 100 IT Leaders as selected (by ComputerWorld in 2007) and a member of Wall Street Gold Book 2007.
Sheppard Narkier is chief scientist and co-founder of Adaptivity. Prior to that, he was head of software portfolio management and IT governance for the Wachovia Corporate Investment Banking Technology Group. Sheppard has more than 29 years of experience in the IT industry. He focuses on cost-effective IT systems and is an acknowleged expert at reusable components (frameworks, programs, architecture), the realtime enterprise, SOAs, messaging and legacy system integration.
Intelligent Network Computing archive.
The opinions expressed in this Weblog are those of the writer and may not represent the opinions of Network World.
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