"The sticky-plaster data bridge" - Part 3 of 14: THE DATA ARCHITECTURE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT (free excerpts)

This is the third part of the chapter titled “The Data Architecture Construction Project”, from the book “The Data Garden And Other Data Allegories”.

<< Click here to go back to Part 2 ("What’s going on?!")

Click here to go to Part 4 ("Don’t worry about the data losses"") >>

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The sticky-plaster data bridge

As you draw closer to the structure, you can see that it’s covered in what appears to be large plasters and bandages. You rub your eyes in disbelief. They literally look like the kinds of plasters you’d use if you grazed your knee, but blown up to a much bigger size and plastered all over it.

You want to get a closer look, so ask: “Can you take me to the base of the structure, please?”

The Head Builder nods in response to your request. “Boss, if you don’t mind me asking, why are you interested in coming down here? Don’t you just want to get to your office? That’s what all the other architects normally do.”

You smile at the suggestion that you’d allow yourself to fall into that stereotype. “I need to see what’s actually going on, because otherwise I’m not going to know if our plans are practical or not.”

“Oh, OK. I just thought you were an architect, that’s all.”

You hold back a laugh. “I am an architect!”

“But don’t architects just stay in their office drawing pictures?” You can’t tell whether your new colleague is joking or not, but if he’s not, you can see why your predecessors may have failed to deliver very much.

At this point, you’ve arrived at the base of the flyover and you decide to continue your conversation later. It’s going to be important for people to understand the role you’re going to be playing and how everyone’s going to have to work together, but if your Head Builder’s thinking this way, it’s going to take more than a five-minute chat.

You both get out of the car and look up at the patchwork structure. “Do you know what’s underneath the plasters?”

The Head Builder shakes his head. “I couldn’t be absolutely sure. We think it’s old data pipework, but the people that built it retired a few years ago and we only have people who know how to tend to the plasters. Trouble is, the plasters themselves are now so inter-twined, there’s only a handful of people who know how to maintain them now, too.”

“Wow.” What you’re looking at is both a crazy marvel of engineering and a maintenance nightmare.

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