Technological disruptions gave rise to the modern world and all of its conveniences. However, any disruption in the order of things can lead to chaos. Although nothing is immune to natural disasters, climate shocks, supply-chain bottlenecks, cyberattacks and economic instability, technology can be resilient to weather storms.
What Is Resilient Tech?
Resilient technology refers to the ability of devices, systems and processes to withstand any event that could interrupt them. This concept is broad, but its merits are universal. It mitigates systemic risks, minimizes downtime, ensures business continuity and promotes customer satisfaction.
A globalized world wouldn’t be possible without resilient tech. The interconnectedness and interdependence of national, regional, and local economies mean that a significant disruption in one area can have dramatic ripple effects on others.
For example, GPS, a moderately resilient global satellite navigation system, is vulnerable to physical attacks. Catastrophic damage to its corresponding ground infrastructure would force motorists to print out directions and read maps, freeze stock markets and delay emergency services.
Key Principles of Technology Resilience
It takes a unique set of characteristics to label a technology resilient. On the fundamental level, engineers think of the following when building resilient devices:
Modularity
Modular technologies can overcome adversities because their complex systems consist of self-contained units. They lend themselves to independent isolation, allowing you to protect the whole when some parts get compromised. The unaffected components remain functional while you repair or replace the impacted ones.
Decentralization
Decentralized systems have no single point of failure. Distributing control, power and/or functionality across various components or locations lowers the probability of total system interruption.
Redundancy
Devices with multiple copies of critical components or systems are less likely to succumb to disruption. A backup can seamlessly take over if one fails, ensuring nonstop operation.
Scalability
Resilient tech can scale up or down resources if necessary. It can expand or contract its capacity to handle ever-changing loads without experiencing performance dips.
Interoperability
Interoperable devices can frictionlessly exchange data with third-party systems to sustain collaboration. They allow relevant stakeholders to receive essential information for decision-making and enable coordinated responses to disruptive events.
Adaptability
Adaptable technologies are flexible enough to adjust how they work in the face of disruption. They anticipate potential interferences, react to changes as they happen and proactively learn from interruptions to evolve accordingly.
Recoverability
The ability to bounce back from a failure quickly and automatically is key to minimizing the impact of a disruptive incident. Resilient tech can bring failed systems and services back online and reinstate compromised data with its integrity intact, ensuring complete availability.
Hardware Resilience vs. Software Resilience
Resilience is crucial for the physical and digital sides of technology. Hardware and software must coexist, so fragility is not an option.
What Constitutes Hardware Resilience?
Resilient hardware is rugged. Meeting United States military standards like the MIL-STD-810 proves it can stay durable and reliable in various conditions. Depending on the testing method, a device can demonstrate resistance against humidity, impact, temperature shock, sand and dust, vibration, fluid contamination, salt fog, and/or dozens of other hazards.
Hardware resilience is synonymous with self-healing. It detects and corrects errors early enough to minimize damage and prevent critical failure.
What Constitutes Software Resilience?
Resilient software degrades gracefully to avoid failure when faced with unpredictable stress. It doesn’t crash in a chaotic environment. It may slow down or lose some functionality. Still, it continues to operate meaningfully to buy you time to figure out what went wrong and help you recover as soon as possible without letting anything get irretrievably destroyed.
Building and Verifying Technology Resilience Properly
Architecture, design, deployment and ongoing monitoring all contribute to resilience. Devices and systems are resilient until they’re not. Simulating chaos matters because controlled tests should uncover weaknesses, not real-life disruptions.