4 ms·

There are examples of both. Firmware and embedded software usually is a one time purchase. Tax software requires ongoing updates. FAA software would fall somewh

• pphysch 1y ago
  It really is a binary though. Either you need to think about and deal with deploying (system-wide) updates, or you don't. Even infrequent ~5y update lifecycles tend to be extremely painful unless there is substantial investment in treating it as an essential business process. This leads to a "kick the can" mentality that translates to show-stopping amounts of tech debt.
  • tialaramex 1y ago
    Five years is almost the worst case. In five years most of the people who did it last time are either in a different post or have left, meanwhile related systems have probably changed, so if they did leave documentation and if you can find it still, that may no longer be the correct process. When Let's Encrypt was created it could have issued 3 year certificates. But it didn't because they knew that's a bad idea, the whole point of Let's Encrypt was automation, and if the certificates expire in 3 years you will say "Eh, we'll automate later" and never do the work.
    • ethbr1 1y ago
      5 years is far from the worst case. 50 years is a better upper bound.
      • tialaramex 1y ago
        Fifty years is often so different that it counts as a novel problem each time, so there's little value in knowing how you did it last time.
• yencabulator 1y ago
  Lots of firmware is upgradable these days. Some of of it even should be updated regularly, or you end up with weird novelty problems like your bluetooth earbuds being vulnerable to drive-by attacks.