The overwhelming majority of a software systemâ s lifespan is spent in use, not in design or implementation. So, why does conventional wisdom insist that software engineers focus primarily on the design and development of large-scale computing systems?

In this collection of essays and articles, key members of Googleâ s Site Reliability Team explain how and why their commitment to the entire lifecycle has enabled the company to successfully build, deploy, monitor, and maintain some of the largest software systems in the world. Youâ ll learn the principles and practices that enable Google engineers to make systems more scalable, reliable, and efficientâ lessons directly applicable to your organization.

This book is divided into four sections:

• Introductionâ Learn what site reliability engineering is and why it differs from conventional IT industry practices
• Principlesâ Examine the patterns, behaviors, and areas of concern that influence the work of a site reliability engineer (SRE)
• Practicesâ Understand the theory and practice of an SREâ s day-to-day work: building and operating large distributed computing systems
• Managementâ Explore Google's best practices for training, communication, and meetings that your organization can use