Life at New Relic: More Than Monitoring (Part 1)
Blog post from New Relic
In a conversation with Josh Biggley, an Ops Strategist at New Relic, the discussion centered on the concept of observability and its distinction from traditional monitoring. Observability is defined as the democratization of data, allowing organizations to break down data silos and make informed decisions by asking both known and unknown questions of their data. This approach requires a cultural shift within organizations to enable teams to access and utilize data effectively, rather than restricting it through gatekeeping. Observability empowers teams to quickly identify and resolve issues, thereby reducing mean time to resolution and enhancing operational efficiency. It transforms data into compelling narratives that drive organizational change, exemplified by Josh's experience at Cardinal Health, where observability led to significant cost reductions without technical disruptions. Josh emphasizes that monitoring is passive, focusing on anticipating system failures, whereas observability is active, enabling deeper insights into why issues occur.