How Better Measurement of User Outcomes Drives System Quality

In the developer world, measurement of code and infrastructure has long served as the “eyes” into system quality and performance. But, as our systems become more focused on microservices and “serverless” function-centric models, the paradigm of measuring the system by its code breaks down. The solution seems to come from looking at things from the user’s perspective and measuring and testing user outcomes. Find out how this shift is changing everything from monitoring to testing to system design.

Speaker:

James Urquhart, Senior Vice President of Performance Analytics, SOASTA Inc.

James Urquhart is Senior Vice President of Performance Analytics at SOASTA, Inc., the leading provider of cloud performance testing and analytics. Named one of the ten most influential people in cloud computing by both the MIT Technology Review and the Huffington Post, and a former contributing author to GigaOm and CNET, Mr. Urquhart brings a deep understanding of these disruptive technologies and the business opportunities they afford. Mr. Urquhart is a seasoned technologist with over 25 years of experience in distributed systems development and deployment, focusing on service-oriented architectures, cloud computing, and automation. Prior to joining SOASTA, Mr. Urquhart held leadership roles at Dell, Cisco, Cassatt, Sun and Forte Software. Mr. Urquhart graduated from Macalester College with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Physics.

Schedule:

5.30pm - 6.00pm: Networking

6.00pm - 6.15pm: Welcome note by Guru Chahal, VP Product, Avi Networks

6.15pm - 7.15pm: Presentation by James Urquhart, SVP, Performance Analytics, SOASTA

7.15pm - 8.00pm: Networking

Pizza and beer will be provided.