4 ms·

This is a good example of the kind of case study I will point to when someone starts to get cranky with my unyielding principle of putting the entire business i

This is a good example of the kind of case study I will point to when someone starts to get cranky with my unyielding principle of putting the entire business inside a single SQL database. When you have geo replicas and point-in-time restoration capabilities which can synchronously bring 100% of the business back from the dead in a matter of seconds/minutes... How many $8.4m days before a complete rewrite of all systems would be justified? If you are going to entertain a rewrite, why not use one system to rule them all so you can audit one thing and move on with life? This industry does not seem like a good fit for non-traditional technology stacks. I'd strongly consider putting my entire casino on a mainframe if I could. Any vendor who indicates a lack of willingness for integration with that tech stack would be instantly disqualified from selection. I feel like this is a really good technology bullshit filter for the kind of industry MGM is operating in. If it's not good enough for Visa or Amex, it's not good enough for a gambling operation.

paulddraper 3y ago
What was their tech stack?
sentimentscan 3y ago
It seems like a bug/wrong infra, nothing that mainframe could fix. >it's not good enough for Visa or Amex, it's not good enough for a gambling operation. We have multicloud/kubernetes
1970-01-01 3y ago
>putting the entire business inside a single SQL database. I too have a theory that you could get away with this and come out ahead of the industry. The problem is no CEO has the balls to try it in FinTech or any other heavily regulated industry.
- aorloff 3y ago
  The business logic has to live somewhere, and triggers and stored procedures are just not the right place to do it. Plus these guys apparently got majorly pwned. I don't think any particular blend of stack was to blame, more likely they have a lord-of-the-flies driven technology "architecture" and simply hoped nothing bad ever happened.
kawhah 3y ago
The hackers have taken down slots, cash registers and EPOS handhelds, controllers for doors and elevators, ATMs, kitchen ordering systems, display screens, etc. Even if all their business data was 100% retrievable, they are losing money every day that customers are wandering around a casino full of darkened screens, and playing a working slot or getting a drink involves waiting 20 minutes for an employee with a pencil, notebook and a handful of cash.

paulddraper 3y ago

What was their tech stack?

sentimentscan 3y ago

It seems like a bug/wrong infra, nothing that mainframe could fix. >it's not good enough for Visa or Amex, it's not good enough for a gambling operation. We have multicloud/kubernetes

1970-01-01 3y ago

>putting the entire business inside a single SQL database. I too have a theory that you could get away with this and come out ahead of the industry. The problem is no CEO has the balls to try it in FinTech or any other heavily regulated industry.

aorloff 3y ago
The business logic has to live somewhere, and triggers and stored procedures are just not the right place to do it. Plus these guys apparently got majorly pwned. I don't think any particular blend of stack was to blame, more likely they have a lord-of-the-flies driven technology "architecture" and simply hoped nothing bad ever happened.

kawhah 3y ago

The hackers have taken down slots, cash registers and EPOS handhelds, controllers for doors and elevators, ATMs, kitchen ordering systems, display screens, etc. Even if all their business data was 100% retrievable, they are losing money every day that customers are wandering around a casino full of darkened screens, and playing a working slot or getting a drink involves waiting 20 minutes for an employee with a pencil, notebook and a handful of cash.