Batya & Dravos
Dravos
Batya, I’ve been sketching firewall architectures as if they were constellations—every rule a star—yet I hear your cautious approach to change. How do you decide when a protocol can bend without breaking the whole system?
Batya
You look at the whole map, not just one star, before you move anything. A protocol that seems safe at first can ripple through the whole network, so I test it in a sandbox, watch the logs, and only then let it join the live sky. If it shows any instability, I hold back. That way the system stays steady while I still learn where a little bend might be acceptable.
Dravos
Nice, you’re not just shooting off code like a fireworks show. Still, after you merge, set up a kill‑switch in case that single packet decides to play a prank. Predictability is a luxury; you want every change to be a locked box, not a loose key.
Batya
That’s the right mindset. I always keep a kill‑switch ready and test the whole flow in a separate lab before I bring it live. If one packet misbehaves, I can cut it off instantly and prevent a cascade. Predictability is our first guardrail.
Dravos
Good, kill‑switch in place, lab tests on point—like a chess board with every piece mapped. Just keep the lab as close to live as possible, or you’ll end up chasing ghosts that only exist in the sandbox. One rogue rule can still splash across the whole network.
Batya
Exactly. I set up a mirror of the production environment – same hardware, same traffic patterns – so a rule behaves the same way it will in the real world. Then I add a rollback plan, tight monitoring, and alerts that fire as soon as something looks off. Even a seasoned guard knows a rogue rule can act like a stray arrow, so I keep the safety net tight and pause before I push anything live.
Dravos
Sounds like you’re tightening the lattice until every thread is visible. Just remember, even the tightest net has a tiny sliver when you cut the rope. Keep the cut‑off protocols ready—no surprises, just systematic checks.
Batya
I’ll keep the net taut and the rope‑cut plan in place. A systematic check before and after any change is the only way to avoid surprises.