DevOps Culture in the
CIA
Karthik Gaekwad
DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
#DevOpsCIA @iteration1
Howdy!
• I’m Karthik Gaekwad
• Senior Web Engineer
• Mentor Graphics Embedded
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
• From Austin,TX
• We have great BBQ,
chill people and
brutal summers!
No Dawg,
I’m no secret agent...
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
#Dammit
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
CULTURE
MEASUREMENT
AUTOMATION
SHARING
Pillars of
DevOps
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
Based on...
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
Kinds of Roles...
Analysts Operatives
Understand trends, and
gather intelligence data
Work in the field, James
Bond type
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
Sisterhood
• Group of female analysts who were
tracking Bin Laden in the 1990’s
• Realized that there was something called Al
Queda
• 1995: Code name “Alec Station”
• Goal:Track Bin Laden
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
“I was counseled once in a performance review that I was
spending too much time working on bin Laden. They said we
were obsessed crusaders, overly emotional, using all those
women stereotypes.”
“There were just warning after warning,” she said. “We knew
something huge was going to happen.”
Cindy Storer
CIA Analyst
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
Other warnings also sent: May, June, July 2001
9/11
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
The first question that was asked by everybody:
How did this happen?
Incredible feeling of guilt of not doing more, and not
stopping the tragedy.
Congress blamed CIA for
negligence
CIA blamed Alec Station in
internal investigation
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
The DB has
been running hot for
a while now. It’s going
to fail soon.
Cool.That’s non
functional, so we’ll
do it later.
In our world....
Sysadmin PM
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
Muffin head!!!
I hate the pager, and I
hate the game
WHY
DIDN’T YOU
TELL ME????
Sysadmin PM
In our world....
Post 9/11
• Intelligence Gathering
• Strategic -> Tactical
• One Analyst target one specific Al Queda
leader (including Bin Laden)
• Many of the sisterhood changed roles
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
Mass Organizational Restructure
• Analysts became Targeters
• Sent to the field
• Worked with Operatives, field agents
• Integrated into elite military units
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
Post 9/11
Distributed teams with various skills
not a siloed organization anymore
• Departments CIA had a common goal
• Data Metrics collected -> Actionable
• Shared Intelligence across teams
• People of different roles collaborating
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
Recap
Isn’t this #DevOps?
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
CULTURE
MEASUREMENT
AUTOMATION
SHARING
Let’s work together
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
Alison Chaiken
Embedded Linux,Thought Leader
“Get rid of the devs; get
rid of the ops; let’s just
find people who can solve
problems”
This is Zero Dark Thirty
for IT...
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
“Some books you give to friends, for the joy of
sharing a great novel. Some books you
recommend to your colleagues and employees, to
create common ground. Some books you share
with your boss, to plant the seeds of a big idea.
The Phoenix Project is all three.”
- Jeremiah Shirk,
Integration & Infrastructure Mrg
Kansas State University
@realgenekim
Thank You for
your time!
• https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/
manhunt-the-search-for-bin-laden/
index.html
• http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307955885
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Manhunt:_The_Search_for_Bin_Laden
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013

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DevOps at the CIA

  • 1. DevOps Culture in the CIA Karthik Gaekwad DevOpsDays MountainView 2013 #DevOpsCIA @iteration1
  • 2. Howdy! • I’m Karthik Gaekwad • Senior Web Engineer • Mentor Graphics Embedded #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013 • From Austin,TX • We have great BBQ, chill people and brutal summers!
  • 3. No Dawg, I’m no secret agent... #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013 #Dammit
  • 4. #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013 CULTURE MEASUREMENT AUTOMATION SHARING Pillars of DevOps
  • 7. Kinds of Roles... Analysts Operatives Understand trends, and gather intelligence data Work in the field, James Bond type #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
  • 8. Sisterhood • Group of female analysts who were tracking Bin Laden in the 1990’s • Realized that there was something called Al Queda • 1995: Code name “Alec Station” • Goal:Track Bin Laden #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
  • 9. #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013 “I was counseled once in a performance review that I was spending too much time working on bin Laden. They said we were obsessed crusaders, overly emotional, using all those women stereotypes.” “There were just warning after warning,” she said. “We knew something huge was going to happen.” Cindy Storer CIA Analyst
  • 10. #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013 Other warnings also sent: May, June, July 2001
  • 11. 9/11 #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013 The first question that was asked by everybody: How did this happen? Incredible feeling of guilt of not doing more, and not stopping the tragedy. Congress blamed CIA for negligence CIA blamed Alec Station in internal investigation
  • 12. #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013 The DB has been running hot for a while now. It’s going to fail soon. Cool.That’s non functional, so we’ll do it later. In our world.... Sysadmin PM
  • 13. #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013 Muffin head!!! I hate the pager, and I hate the game WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME???? Sysadmin PM In our world....
  • 14. Post 9/11 • Intelligence Gathering • Strategic -> Tactical • One Analyst target one specific Al Queda leader (including Bin Laden) • Many of the sisterhood changed roles #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013 Mass Organizational Restructure
  • 15. • Analysts became Targeters • Sent to the field • Worked with Operatives, field agents • Integrated into elite military units #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013 Post 9/11 Distributed teams with various skills not a siloed organization anymore
  • 16. • Departments CIA had a common goal • Data Metrics collected -> Actionable • Shared Intelligence across teams • People of different roles collaborating #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013 Recap Isn’t this #DevOps?
  • 17. #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013 CULTURE MEASUREMENT AUTOMATION SHARING Let’s work together
  • 18. #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013 Alison Chaiken Embedded Linux,Thought Leader “Get rid of the devs; get rid of the ops; let’s just find people who can solve problems”
  • 19. This is Zero Dark Thirty for IT... #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013 “Some books you give to friends, for the joy of sharing a great novel. Some books you recommend to your colleagues and employees, to create common ground. Some books you share with your boss, to plant the seeds of a big idea. The Phoenix Project is all three.” - Jeremiah Shirk, Integration & Infrastructure Mrg Kansas State University @realgenekim
  • 20. Thank You for your time! • https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/ manhunt-the-search-for-bin-laden/ index.html • http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307955885 • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Manhunt:_The_Search_for_Bin_Laden #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013