The Day Two Problem - Examining Decades of Infrastructure Automation Evolution

Explore the evolution of infrastructure automation through decades of technological advancement in this 20-minute conference talk from Config Management Camp Ghent 2026. Examine the critical distinction between Day One operations, which focus on initial deployment and resource provisioning, and Day Two operations, which encompass the complex challenges of ongoing lifecycle management including updates, configuration drift correction, decommissioning, and maintaining sustained operational health. Analyze how infrastructure automation has evolved to address these persistent Day Two challenges and discover insights into the continuous operational complexities that organizations face beyond initial deployment phases.