Why We Blackbox: Unraveling Daily DevOps

Introduction:

Imagine you’re on a treasure hunt, and the treasure is a part of a big project called XYZ. As a DevOps engineer, I recently dived into a section called Part X, it was like stepping into a mysterious maze!

The Backstory of Part X:

So, Part X is this complex piece of the project, made up of many little parts (They were using a combination of multiple technologies for deployment like Python, ansible, and, shell scripts, Jenkins, and git repo committing to each other after some operation ). Here’s the kicker — Part X was 100% completed, but the product owner wanted me to migrate Part X to AWS Cloud ECS.

My Understanding of Part X,

I reviewed each sub-section of Part X, comprehending the technologies employed and the written code. However, I couldn’t discern the rationale behind their utilization.

I repeatedly found myself asking a basic question: Why are they using so many different technologies? As a DevOps engineer, my inclination is towards simplicity. Integrating numerous technologies not only complicates the system but also introduces additional management challenges. But still Why ???

I raised the ‘why’ question with the project manager, seeking clarification on whether they were aware of the reasons behind these technological choices.

The Puzzling Dialogue with the Project Manager:

Project Manager: We don’t have any idea about why we all integrated this stuff and You need to black-box part X.

What is meant by Black-Box the things/stuff/project?

When something is called a “Black-Box,” it means you have a project or thing, but there’s no instruction manual or guide to tell you how it works inside. It’s like having a mysterious box where you can’t see what’s happening inside.

So, if you need to figure out how this project or thing works, you have to look at what goes in and what comes out. It’s like solving a puzzle without knowing the rules — you try different things to see what happens until you understand how it functions. That’s the basic idea of dealing with a Black-Box.

What I Learned:

By blackboxing Part X, I learned cool things about how projects can be like puzzles, and sometimes, you need to look at each piece on its own. It’s like finding the balance between seeing the big picture and figuring out the tiny details. I was able to get all the technologies used and why, and I was also able to reduce unwanted stuff from the project.

The Takeaway:

So, in the world of project adventures, blackboxing is like having a magic key. It helps you unravel the mysteries and work smarter. As you tackle your projects, think about trying the blackbox trick — it might just make everything a bit clearer and more fun!

Feel free to reach out to me → Suyog Shinde

Thank you