Architectural Decision Records

Posted by Tracy Bannon on Monday, June 24, 2024

xOPS: Transdiciplinary approach to incorporating AI into the Software

For today, I’m going to define ๐˜…๐—ข๐—ฝ๐˜€ as ๐——๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ฆ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ข๐—ฝ๐˜€ + ๐——๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ข๐—ฝ๐˜€ + ๐— ๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—ฝ๐˜€. Why though? Because the integration of AI capabilities into our software requires more than traditional DevSecOps.

I’ve spent decades architecting software solutions for complex challenges, I’ve learned that pragmatism, integration, and flexibility are paramount.

๐˜…๐—ข๐—ฝ๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ป’๐˜ ๐—ฎ ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ต๐—ผ๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ด๐˜†; it’s a transdisciplinary mindset that integrates the ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜€ of DevSecOps, DataOps, and MLOps.

Alignment makes sure we are addressing our AI systems to be technically adept as well as also ethically grounded, secure, and strategically coherent.

In ๐——๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ฆ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ข๐—ฝ๐˜€, prioritize ‘security by design’ and ‘defense in depth’ to bake cybersecurity into every layer of the infrastructure. Automated workflows and continuous monitoring underscore the proactive stance against emergent threats, while compliance and risk management remain the compass in navigating the complex regulatory landscape. ๐—ž๐—ฒ๐˜† ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐——๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ฆ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ข๐—ฝ๐˜€:

  • Secure by Design/Defense In Depth
  • Automated Workflows
  • Monitoring
  • Infrastructure as Code
  • Compliance and Risk Management
  • Culture of Continuous Improvement

๐——๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ข๐—ฝ๐˜€ extends the agility of DevOps to data management, emphasizing data quality, integrity, and agile practices. It’s a commitment to compliance and governance that doesn’t compromise on collaboration. It means we all acknowledge, data as the keystone of informed decision-making. ๐—ž๐—ฒ๐˜† ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐——๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ข๐—ฝ๐˜€

  • Applying DevOps to data management
  • Data Quality and Integrity
  • Agile Data Management
  • Compliance and Governance
  • Collaboration

๐— ๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—ฝ๐˜€ has a few different definitions. Iโ€™m using it as the effective lifecycle management of AI, from model creation to monitoring and validation. Automating and reproducing workflows enhances collaboration but also drives AI solutions to be robust and responsive to an ever-changing operational environment. ๐—ž๐—ฒ๐˜† ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐— ๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—ฝ๐˜€

  • Effective lifecycle management of AI
  • Model Lifecycle Management
  • Model Monitoring and Validation
  • Automated and Reproducible Workflows
  • Collaboration

๐˜…๐—ข๐—ฝ๐˜€ is often used to mean fusion of a few thingsโ€ฆ and my suggestion is no different. This is weaving together different sets of principles ranging from AI assurance to software architecture.

The true power of the xOps concepts lies in its ability to foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, automation, and flexibility.

Seems like a pretty natural call to action for architects, engineers, and leaders alike to reimagine the software development lifecycle (SDLC) so we can safely leverage the potential of AI in service to humanity.

#xOps #DevSecOps #DataOps #MLOps #CyberSecurity #SoftwareArchitecture

DALL-E and I worked together on the pic.