Dark Architecture & How to Forklift Upgrade Your Infrastructure with Zero Downtime

Dave ConnorsVP, Technical Operations, Dyn

@daveconnors from @DynInc at #structureconf

Problem We Are Trying To Solve

InputsBlack Magic

(Your Current System Architecture)Outputs

Different Black Magic (Your New System Architecture)

Inputs

InputsInputs

Outputs

OutputsOutputs

Scalex10, x102, etc.

Performance(t2 - t0) <= (t1 - t0)

t1

t2

t0

t0

CouplingTight -> Loose

@daveconnors from @DynInc at #structureconf

Dark Architecture• A way of thinking about, and technical

approach to, solving the scale/performance/coupling problem while enabling the business to succeed and keeping (some) of your hair

• Break big problems into smaller problems• We stand on shoulders of giants– Fowler, Amazon, Netflix, etc.@daveconnors from @DynInc at #structureconf

High Level of Dark Architecture• Legacy approach: Flag Day Upgrade/Deploy– 3 month project -> 6 months, flag day upgrade– “all hands on deck”, cross fingers, fight fires, FML…

• Dark architecture– Prioritize by “flows” through system– Run legacy and dark architectures in parallel– Two inputs, two outputs, throw one away

@daveconnors from @DynInc at #structureconf

Legacy Approach: Start

Input

Legacy System

100% of functionality enabled

100% of functionality consumed

Output

New System

0% of functionality enabled

0% of functionality consumed

Legacy Approach: Flag Day!

Input

Legacy System

100% of functionality enabled

0% of functionality consumed

Output

New System

100% of functionality enabled

100% of functionality consumed

Legacy Approach: Flag Day!

Input

Legacy System

100% of functionality enabled

0% of functionality consumed

Output

New System

100% of functionality enabled

100% of functionality consumed

Dark Architecture Approach

@daveconnors from @DynInc at #structureconf

Dark Architecture: Start

Input

Legacy System

100% of functionality enabled

100% of functionality consumed

Output

New System

0% of functionality enabled

0% of functionality consumed

InputOutput

Dark Architecture: Throw One Away

Input

Legacy System

100% of functionality enabled

100% of functionality consumed

Output

New System

2% of functionality enabled

2% of functionality consumed

InputOutput

Dark Architecture: Shift Flows

Input

Legacy System

100% of functionality enabled

98% of functionality consumed

Output

InputOutput

New System

2% of functionality enabled

2% of functionality consumed

Dark Architecture: Business Choice

Input

Legacy System

100% of functionality enabled

80% of functionality consumed

Output

New System

20% of functionality enabled

20% of functionality consumed

InputOutput

Customer impact over elegant system diagrams

• Your customers are not paying you to have pretty whiteboards of elegant system architectures

• Your customers are paying you to make their pain go away. This gets priority.

• Option to continue system migration

@daveconnors from @DynInc at #structureconf

Questions?

Dave ConnorsVP, Technical Operations, Dyn

@daveconnors from @DynInc at #structureconf