We live in a world filled with constant noise. Whether it’s the buzz of modern technology, the demands of daily life, or the stream of notifications from our devices, distractions are everywhere. During the past few days, I took a detour into the world of radars and was able to draw some parallels between concepts applied in detection/filtering and my day-to-day work as a DevOps engineer. And as I gave it more thought, it dawned on me how these same ideas can be applied as life lessons. Learning how to filter out this noise, much like advanced technologies do in aviation and software development, is essential for maintaining clarity and focus.
The F-22 is one of the most advanced stealth fighter jets in the world. It’s radar cross section (RCS) is engineered to be as small as possible, minimizing its detectability. Although much of the intricate details are confidential (and I am far from expert on aircraft design), it includes using radar-absorbent materials and shaping the aircraft in such a way to reflect radio waves away from the detection systems. As a result, the F-22 can cut through the noise of radar signals, staying undetected amindst a flurry of other signals. On the other end of the spectrum (pun intended), radar detection systems employ a variety of noise reduction techniques, such as Doppler filtering or DSP, to detect key targets. On both ends, precision is a key element for achieving mission success.
Shifting over to the DevOps side, monitoring and observability are fundamental practices for maintaining system health. Observability gives us insight into the behavior and performance of our applications, allowing teams to understand and troubleshoot issues in real time. Monitoring tools provide alerts when something goes wrong, offering a lifeline to resolve problems quickly.
But when there are too many alerts, the system can become counterproductive. This leads to alert fatigue, where engineers are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of notifications and can miss critical ones. Noise in the form of excessive alerts diminishes the accuracy and effectiveness of the monitoring system, just like radar clutter that obscures the detection of an F-22.
The lesson here is clear: effective monitoring isn’t about generating endless data but focusing on the most relevant information. By filtering out unnecessary noise, DevOps teams can respond more efficiently to real issues. Just as an F-22 reduces its radar cross section to stay focused on its mission to avoid attracting enemies, we too need to filter out the noise in our lives to maintain focus on what truly matters. Life is full of distractions; work pressures, social media, and constant notifications. These can overwhelm us and drown out our ability to focus on our goals and values.
This idea is captured in Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” on the topic of the Time Management Matrix. This framework provides a powerful lens through which to filter the noise of our daily lives.
We’re often trapped by the infinite backlog of urgent, bouncing between real crises (Quadrant 1) and the continuous interruptions and time-wasters that demand our attention, but add little value (Quadrants 3 and 4). True effectiveness, however, lies in the proactive space of Quadrant 2. Here, we plan, we strategize, we are conscious how we spend our time. That’s how we start filtering the noise. By being intentional and setting clear priorities, we can “lock onto target”.
Whether in the skies, our information systems, or in our daily lives, noise is unavoidable. But success depends on our ability to filter out that noise and focus on what truly matters. By consciously saying “no” to the unimportant noise and deliberately scheduling time for Quadrant 2, we move from being the firefighters that is all to familiar to DevOps/SRE/Platform folks and shift towards thoughtful architecting where we control the machines and not the machines controlling us. The key is to stay on target.