Lessons from Bletchley Rupert Brown and Ian Race Global Markets and Research Technology June 2009 V0.2 Draft

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Precursors to Bletchley International Telegraphic network (aka Victorian Internet) Mature Electromechanical Technology Capabilities Switch to HF Radio for wireless transmission. Large scale Command and Control investments in UK during 1930’s in the run up to WW2 Railways – (Centralised Line control e.g. LMS Bletchley Control) National Grid (went live in 1941) Fighter Command

International Telegraphic network (aka Victorian Internet)

Mature Electromechanical Technology Capabilities

Switch to HF Radio for wireless transmission.

Large scale Command and Control investments in UK during 1930’s in the run up to WW2

Railways – (Centralised Line control e.g. LMS Bletchley Control)

National Grid (went live in 1941)

Fighter Command

Bletchley’s Unique Technical Achievements First Stored Program “Computer” i.e. Colossus Including parallel execution techniques Engineered to solve the initial problem and the next probable problem Initiated the transition from Electromechanical to solid state data processing devices to provide the capability to meet the performance requirements demanded

First Stored Program “Computer” i.e. Colossus

Including parallel execution techniques

Engineered to solve the initial problem and the next probable problem

Initiated the transition from Electromechanical to solid state data processing devices to provide the capability to meet the performance requirements demanded

Bletchley’s “Architectural” achievements Created complex large scale data collection network – Y Stations Reduced Code Breaking process times to intraday by 1945 Rigorous Process Control to ensure quality – use of “Pair” techniques at intercept stations Data Staging and Preprocessing techniques – Newmanry and Testery Statisical control and sampling techniques to select most significant traffic. Had to manage partial/inconsistently coded/unreliable data

Created complex large scale data collection network – Y Stations

Reduced Code Breaking process times to intraday by 1945

Rigorous Process Control to ensure quality – use of “Pair” techniques at intercept stations

Data Staging and Preprocessing techniques – Newmanry and Testery

Statisical control and sampling techniques to select most significant traffic.

Had to manage partial/inconsistently coded/unreliable data

People Factors All systems are a combination of ego & mathematics Never more true than in this case Recruited a selection of good people with different skill sets Team work – huts Individual key input improved and built on by others Support from huge population with partition of labour Elevator pitch (letter to Churchill) Assisted by poor practice

All systems are a combination of ego & mathematics

Never more true than in this case

Recruited a selection of good people with different skill sets

Team work – huts

Individual key input improved and built on by others

Support from huge population with partition of labour

Elevator pitch (letter to Churchill)

Assisted by poor practice

Operational Risk – or More People Enigma operators did things specifically instructed not too Repeated (Operational Risk) assessments concluded no code break Experts were believed Beliefs were (apparently) not tested The allies in their coding practice did not make the same mistakes

Enigma operators did things specifically instructed not too

Repeated (Operational Risk) assessments concluded no code break

Experts were believed

Beliefs were (apparently) not tested

The allies in their coding practice did not make the same mistakes

Project Management and Delivery issues Price of failure was well defined and visible every day codes were not broken Limited resources Skills Material No attractive green field technologies or vendor roadmap to distract effort No “Personal” Computers – just pencils and squared paper. Limited budget – Churchill personally intervened to provide extra spend Military Command and Civil Service = Pointy Haired Boss

Price of failure was well defined and visible every day codes were not broken

Limited resources

Skills

Material

No attractive green field technologies or vendor roadmap to distract effort

No “Personal” Computers – just pencils and squared paper.

Limited budget – Churchill personally intervened to provide extra spend

Military Command and Civil Service = Pointy Haired Boss

Some observations Problem had to be solved by detailed rigorous mathematical analysis of the data There was almost no prior art – (other than the early Polish Bombes + Von Neumann) Problem domain was fairly limited – non functional requirements (i.e. time) were dominant No partially correct result data possible Resultant data was in German and also Italian so needed further manual translation and interpretation – this was a different skill set from the cryptographers

Problem had to be solved by detailed rigorous mathematical analysis of the data

There was almost no prior art – (other than the early Polish Bombes + Von Neumann)

Problem domain was fairly limited – non functional requirements (i.e. time) were dominant

No partially correct result data possible

Resultant data was in German and also Italian so needed further manual translation and interpretation – this was a different skill set from the cryptographers

Key Lessons Life or Death is the ultimate project motivator Lack of choice and scarcity drives automation, efficiency and innovation Quality/Integrity of input data is paramount (GIGO). Domain aligned / Partitioned organizational structure needed Sustained Sponsorship at the highest level is a critical enabler Technology addresses Non-Functional problems Luck still played a critical part

Life or Death is the ultimate project motivator

Lack of choice and scarcity drives automation, efficiency and innovation

Quality/Integrity of input data is paramount (GIGO).

Domain aligned / Partitioned organizational structure needed

Sustained Sponsorship at the highest level is a critical enabler

Technology addresses Non-Functional problems

Luck still played a critical part