Introduction
It is 2045 and the following announcement is made by some software company:
And with the release of APM Version 235, the software is now 100% self-aware. There is no need to have administrators anymore. Our software can and will do it all for you. Contact our sales staff to see a demo today.
Is the above strictly a figment of some veteran science fiction writer's imagination? Perhaps not. Google and others have started baby steps along this path. While some worry about robots taking their jobs or the rise of nano-robotics, I think about what a world with truly-self-aware software would be and is there still a role for APM Administrator.
Self-Aware Software
Earlier this year, I noted all the things that a good APM Administrator would do. I would expect truly self-aware software do the following and a lot more.
1) Install and Upgrade Flawlessly
Installations/Upgrade/Migrations would have no problems from start to finish. If needed, virtual servers are created and configured. The correct combination on configuration parameters are determined to handle current and the anticipated needs for the next six months or so.
If an issue is found, then it must be self-corrected immediately. After the installation, the software monitors for exceptions and changes in metrics that deviate from the pre-installation baseline.
2) Self-correct/Self-configure
The software tirelessly and continuously monitors logs, supportability metrics, etc. for limits that are about to be approached and changes the parameters to a new optimized setting. (Which would also keep in mind the current settings of other configuration parameters.) If needed, conversations are initiated with the self-aware network and application server software to resolve issues.
3) Conduct Long-term Analysis
The software also looks periodically at historical trends and uses this information to make better decisions. This may include determining time periods where the monitoring software is stressed more than usual.
Wrap-up
So what do think? What other characteristics of self-awareness would APM software have?
In conclusion, I don't expect this very soon. After all, we can't even do a good grammar checker or translator.
Note:
This above blog should not be seen as an endorsement of any software. No future plans about any APM release for CA Technologies or other software companies are contained herein.