Integrating hermeneutics

 

Proposal: Integrating hermeneutics with the "Normalize, Visualize, Iterate" (NVI) framework can indeed significantly boost the value Equitus.us PowerGraph provides to IBM Power10/11 users. Here's how:

1. Normalize: Establishing a Common Ground for Interpretation

Hermeneutics emphasizes understanding context and shared meaning. In the "Normalize" phase, this translates to:

• Standardized Data Formats & Ontologies: Before interpretation, data from diverse IBM Power10/11 sources (OS logs, hypervisor metrics, application traces, network data) needs to be brought into a consistent, understandable format. Hermeneutics informs how this normalization should occur, ensuring that the standardized data retains its original meaning and context, rather than losing it in translation.

• Contextual Tagging & Metadata: Beyond just formatting, normalization with a hermeneutic lens means enriching data with relevant metadata. This includes system configurations, workload types, patch levels, and operational policies. This contextual information becomes crucial for meaningful interpretation later.

• Baseline Definition: Establishing "normal" behavior for specific Power10/11 environments is a core part of normalization. Hermeneutics helps define what constitutes "normal" by considering historical data, best practices, and the intended purpose of the system, rather than just statistical averages.

  • Value Add: Equitus.us PowerGraph, by normalizing data with hermeneutic principles, ensures that all subsequent visualizations and analyses are built upon a foundation where data points are not just numbers, but components of a coherent system narrative. This makes comparisons and anomaly detection much more reliable.

2. Visualize: Revealing Patterns and Narratives for Deeper Understanding

Visualization is where hermeneutics truly shines, transforming raw, normalized data into interpretable insights.

• Meaningful Graph Construction: PowerGraph can utilize hermeneutic principles to design visualizations that intuitively represent relationships and hierarchies within the Power10/11 ecosystem. This isn't just about pretty charts; it's about creating visual metaphors that aid understanding. For example, a "call tree" visualization of an application's resource usage isn't just data, it's a visual narrative of how different components interact.

• Highlighting Anomalies within Context: Instead of just flagging an outlier, PowerGraph can visualize why it's an outlier in relation to the established "normal" (from the Normalize phase) and other contextual factors. A spike in CPU usage on a Power10 system might be an anomaly, but if visualized alongside a scheduled batch job, its meaning shifts from a problem to an expected event.

• Narrative Flow in Dashboards: Dashboards can be designed not just as collections of metrics, but as guided tours through the system's operational story. Users can "read" the state of their Power10/11 environment, understanding causality and impact through the visual flow.

• Interactive Exploration for "Horizons of Understanding": Hermeneutics speaks of a "fusion of horizons"—where the interpreter's understanding merges with the text's meaning. PowerGraph's interactive visualizations allow users to explore data from different angles, drill down into details, and pivot between perspectives, thereby "fusing their horizons" with the data's inherent story.

• Value Add: PowerGraph empowers users to "read" their Power10/11 system's performance and health. Visualizations become more than just data displays; they become a language through which the system communicates its state, allowing for quicker comprehension and identification of root causes or optimization opportunities