You can describe the history of enterprise architecture in three phases: Business systems planning, Early enterprise architecture, and Modern enterprise architecture. Looking at these three phases and the associated changes in the information technology industry, I propose that we've entered a new phase, which I'll dub the postmodern era of enterprise architecture.

Samba is a widely used open source software suite that provides file and print services for Microsoft Windows clients using Linux and Unix. It enables users to share files and printers over a network, regardless of their operating system.

Observability is the ability to gain insights into the internal behavior of a system or application by analyzing its outputs. Especially with the rise of complex, distributed systems, observability is an essential element of modern software engineering. Implementing an observability solution requires careful consideration of the specific needs of your system and the available tools and technologies.

How information flows within an organization makes a decisive difference in its success. A delivery company that tracks the impact of decisions on fuel and vehicle costs will outperform one that freely assumes whatever costs arise from its fleet. An online retailer that can notice when people abandon their shopping journey will optimize better than one that treats payment as the start of its interaction with the consumer. A healthcare provider that stores patient records accessibly and securely will deliver better care than one that has to gather patient histories repeatedly.

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was one of the first lines I keypunched to 5-hole paper tape in 1976. Dartmouth BASIC was a joy—I wrote pages and pages of line after line in a notebook and carefully thought through the outcomes before daring to sit at the keypunch. Getting the tape right on the first try meant I would not have to rekey or splice the tape; perfection on the first attempt was so very satisfying. I was the master of the machine.

IT has crossed a complexity threshold where additional automation and monitoring are needed. This new environment requires a new way of thinking about visibility, so many organizations are embracing the concept of observability.

[ Learn how IT modernization can help alleviate technical debt. ]

Telecommunications service providers have varying requirements for the products and technology that go into their networks. A typical large service provider access network comprises thousands, if not tens of thousands of devices. However, with many nodes constrained by a limited power and real estate budget, this access network is a delicate mix of scale and device-specific requirements, such as smaller form factor, lower power consumption, and possible environmental hardening.

As a manager of project managers, I spend a good chunk of time explaining the value that IT project management can provide. To some, its immediate usefulness is not instantly tangible in IT, since most project managers do not contribute to the codebase directly or regularly.