Controlling Wildfires While Only Getting Singed

Discover strategies for managing and improving challenging software systems in this 40-minute conference talk from NDC Conferences. Learn techniques for stabilizing legacy monoliths, undocumented systems, and codebases with unconventional logic. Explore approaches to testing, monitoring, re-architecting, and documenting complex systems. Gain insights on prioritizing urgent tasks, measuring progress, and communicating effectively to gain buy-in for system and team improvements. Delve into topics such as understanding domain knowledge, balancing reactive and proactive work, implementing living documentation, and addressing security, stability, and architectural concerns. Examine methods for prioritizing tasks when everything seems urgent, including cost-benefit analysis and key performance indicators. Investigate systems monitoring, service level agreements, and effective testing strategies. This intermediate-level talk aims to equip you with the tools and enthusiasm to tackle challenging systems and lead positive change in your organization.

Intro
The Battle Plan Get an overview Prioritise Measure Communicate Be ready for failure
Start on the same page
Understanding Domain
Reactive Work
Have a visible business impact
Living Documentation
Documentation as measurable work?
Proactive Work
Security Deadlines Stability Architectural Cost Alignment To Product Need Standardisation Upcoming Technical Requirements
Prioritising when everything is urgent
Letting things burn
Transparency
Cost/Benefit Analysis
Deployment
Key Performance Indicators
Systems Monitoring
Service Level Indicators, Service Level Objectives And Service Level Agreements
Testing
Start from the top
Are current tests automated or manual? • Do the tests match the expected behaviour? • Do they match the code? • Are they maintainable? • What's the lightest most effective touch?
But what about the unit tests?
You can't fix the world
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