Software entropy
17 Jan 2005 - Dave…the tendency for software, over time, to become difficult and costly to maintain…
…software rot…
This not describes not only software that is developed but the actual computer systems over time. That is, unless something is done to counteract the tendency!
The recommended practice for programmers is to refactor the code. Refactor mercilessly according to c2.com.
But what about the computer systems themselves? There are lessons to be learned from refactoring software that can be applied to computer systems. Think about it, like software, a computer system is a dynamic, evolving entity. Disorder is continuously introduced into the system. There has to be a process that’s performed from time to time to bring the computer system into a more consistent state.