Can Skynet Beat Humans in Signal Detection?

Background

Database Performance Management

Measure ‘All the Things’ in 1-Second Detail

Your Mandate

Manage 300x more data

with 1.5x more people.

Signal Detection Theory

Humans process up to 500GB of data per second.

Find the Outliers

Signal DetectionEasy Hard

Easy Signal Detection

Easy signals are always easy, regardless of set size.

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Set Size Set Size

Hard Signal Detection

Hard signals get harder as set size increases.

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Signal Detection in Use

Statistical Process Controls are “Easy”

Upper Control Limit

Lowe Control Limit

Signal Detection in Systems

1-Second CPU over 5 Minutes

What’s the cause?

Looking at Work

In a database, a query is work.

But, I have 300 query classes.

Crap.

Graph Everything

Query Execution Time

CPU

Reduce DataZoom & Remove the Obvious

1/10th of Data Points

Query Execution Time

CPU

Man vs MachineMan Machine

Man vs MachineMan Machine

Non-linear increasing CPU Statistically significant

Man vs MachineMan Machine

Non-linear increasing CPU Statistically significant

Pattern!

Not model friendlyPattern!

Pattern!

Shortcomings

Elephantsin the room?

Shortcomings

Humans lose with a

known pattern

Key Thoughts

Our brains do much better with fewer distractors, so eliminate them!

With unknown patterns, humans find signals faster than computers.

Thanks

http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielproulx/3524826318/http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627301003920

http://www.himandus.net/elefunteria/eday/puzzles/hunt_24.htmlhttp://www.federaljack.com/terminator-robots-a-reality/

Remember: Less is more.