Support for small to large footprint introspection database and query

Introspection is runtime operational states, metrics, notifications and smartness saved from the ongoing activities of the system. Since the system can be deployed in different modes and with different configurations, this dedicated container and query can take different shapes and forms. 

The smallest footprint may merely be similar to log files or json data while the large one can even open up the querying to different programming languages and tools. Existing hosting infrastructure such as container orchestration framework and etcd database may provide excellent existing channels of publications that can do away with this store and query altogether but they rely highly on network connectivity while we took the opportunity to discuss that Introspection datastore does not compete but only enhances offline production support. 

The depth of introspection is also unparalleled with dynamic management views that is simply not possible with third party infrastructure. The way to get the information is probably best known only to the storage system and improves the offering from the storage product. 

Introspection is the way in which the software maker uses the features that were  developed for the consumers of the product for themselves so that they can expand the capabilities to provide even more assistance and usability to the user.  In some sense, this is automation of workflows combined with the specific use of the product as a pseudo end-user. This automation is also called ‘dogfooding’ because it relates specifically to utilizing the product for the maker itself.  The idea of putting oneself in the customers shoes to improve automation is not new in itself. When the product has many layers internally, a component in one layer may reach a higher layer that is visible to another standalone component in the same layer so that the interaction may occur between otherwise isolated components. This is typical for layered communication. However, the term ‘dogfooding’ is generally applied to the use of features available from the boundary of the product shared with external customers.