[BBLISA] Parallels across approaches to design

[Paul Beltrani]

Stumbled across this recently.  It's from
http://thoriumenergy.blogspot.com/2008_06_01_archive.html
which discusses Admiral Rickover's approach to the Navy's Nuclear program.

"
Rickover was answerable for failure, but he did have the power to
bring about success. Rickover quite obviously had though a lot about
nuclear safety. And within the reach of the Nuclear Navy Rickover's
answers were successful. Rickover's safety solutions were simple:
1. Use highly trained personnel
2. Design first rate equipment
3. Design equipment to be easily repaired
4. Build in redundancy for every thing important
5. Make sure that contractors do not cut corners
6. Make sure that all parts fulfill all specifications
7. Don't deviate from successful formulas
8. Service often, redundancy allows the servicing of an operating
reactor by putting a parallel system online.
9. Write manuals for everything, perfect them, and see to it that they
are followed too the letter.
"


Thought there were some interesting parallels for System Design and
Administration.  While I fully support a flexible and agile approach
to design, some of the basics are just that,  basics.

e.g.
1. Use highly trained personnel
	Procedures are nice, but you still need people with clue.

3. Design equipment to be easily repaired
	Simpler is generally better

4. Build in redundancy for every thing important

5. Make sure that contractors do not cut corners

6. Make sure that all parts fulfill all specifications
	Avoid 1/2 baked implementations, finish what you start.

7. Don't deviate from successful formulas
	Don't reinvent the wheel.

8. Service often, redundancy allows the servicing of an operating
reactor by putting a parallel system online.
	You shouldn't have to take downtime to do admin.

9. Write manuals for everything, perfect them, and see to it that they
are followed too the letter.
	Document what you do.  If reasonable, write the procedure for someone
less skilled to do it to.


  - Paul Beltrani