Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) has become a cornerstone of efficient IT operations, primarily in large-scale tech companies. However, its principles offer immense value beyond traditional tech environments. Industries like manufacturing, healthcare, energy, and agriculture increasingly rely on complex IT infrastructures to deliver consistent results. Adopting SRE practices tailored to these unique contexts can help organizations achieve reliability, scalability, and operational excellence.
Understanding Non-Traditional IT Infrastructures
Non-traditional IT infrastructures often support specialized applications and hardware. For example, manufacturing systems rely on programmable logic controllers (PLCs) to automate production lines. Similarly, healthcare IT systems integrate electronic health records, imaging devices, and real-time patient monitoring. These environments differ significantly from the cloud-native architectures common in Big Tech. Customizing SRE practices to fit these environments requires a nuanced understanding of their operational dynamics and constraints.
Prioritizing Reliability Metrics That Matter
In non-traditional IT setups, traditional metrics like latency and throughput may not fully capture reliability needs. For instance, in manufacturing, uptime of robotic systems is critical. In healthcare, systems must deliver patient data with near-zero delays to ensure safety. Defining service level objectives (SLOs) tailored to these environments is essential. Metrics should focus on industry-specific priorities such as data integrity, physical system availability, and fault-tolerant operations.
Building Resilient Monitoring Systems
Monitoring in non-traditional IT infrastructures often requires hybrid approaches. These environments include legacy systems, proprietary devices, and modern software, making centralized monitoring complex. SRE teams can use specialized tools like OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) for industrial devices or HL7-compliant systems for healthcare. Unified dashboards that consolidate telemetry data across diverse endpoints enable better visibility and faster troubleshooting.
Automating Maintenance and Recovery Processes
Automation lies at the core of SRE practices, but its application in non-traditional environments demands creativity. Automated updates, backups, and failover mechanisms must accommodate industry-specific constraints. In energy IT systems, for example, automation must ensure that real-time control systems remain unaffected. Employing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) principles can help manage configurations in hybrid infrastructures while reducing manual intervention.
Conducting Domain-Specific Chaos Engineering
Chaos engineering is an excellent tool for building resilience by simulating failures. However, its implementation in non-traditional IT environments must account for domain-specific risks. In manufacturing, introducing controlled failures in robotic systems or production lines can identify vulnerabilities without disrupting operations. Healthcare systems can benefit from simulated outages to evaluate emergency response protocols without compromising patient safety.
Addressing Regulatory and Compliance Challenges
Industries like healthcare and energy are heavily regulated, adding layers of complexity to IT operations. SRE teams must align their practices with compliance requirements such as HIPAA for healthcare or NERC-CIP for energy. Regular audits and compliance monitoring should be integrated into daily workflows. Automated compliance checks can reduce the risk of human error and ensure adherence to stringent standards.
Fostering Cross-Functional Collaboration
SRE teams in non-traditional IT environments often work with domain experts, such as doctors, engineers, or plant operators. Effective collaboration ensures that reliability practices align with operational needs. Regular workshops, cross-training sessions, and shared incident postmortems can bridge the gap between IT and domain-specific expertise. This collaboration helps SRE teams design systems that are both reliable and practical for end users.
Scaling Through Modularity
Non-traditional infrastructures often grow incrementally rather than scaling vertically like cloud-based systems. SRE teams can adopt modular approaches to enable seamless scaling. For example, in agriculture, adding IoT sensors to monitor soil conditions should not disrupt existing workflows. Designing scalable, plug-and-play components ensures that systems remain reliable even as new devices and processes are introduced.
Continuous Improvement Through Feedback Loops
Feedback loops are vital for refining SRE practices over time. In non-traditional IT environments, feedback should come from diverse sources, including operators, engineers, and external audits. Incident postmortems can uncover root causes specific to the domain, driving continuous improvement. Iterative updates to SLOs, automation scripts, and monitoring systems ensure that reliability evolves with operational needs.
Also read: Steps and Strategies for Disaster Recovery Planning for IT Operations
Conclusion
Adopting SRE best practices in non-traditional IT infrastructures unlocks new opportunities for reliability and efficiency. Tailoring SRE principles to specialized environments fosters collaboration and ensures compliance, scalability, and continuous improvement.
