The Fabled "Five Eights" of J2EE Availability

Over on Java Lobby Rick Ross is talking about a report that claims that J2EE applications are only averaging 88% uptime. I have to say I'm actually surprised it's so good. J2EE is stunningly complicated and it's got to be just about impossible to keep all the pieces straight and in order. Sometimes this kind of thing really makes you wonder if the systems we're building are exceeding our capabilities to actually understand them. Even the basic Java platform has gotten to be pretty complicated, spread components around to a few machines with a bunch of network links and mountains of interface abstractions it's amazing the systems can accomplish anything at all, throw in a WAN or two and I'm surprised we don't see more stories about IT directors jumping from windows(the real ones -- in tall buildings -- not Microsoft's).

Posted by Kimbro Staken