Durable computing: What is it and why now?

About this episode

The episode discusses durable computing, its importance in managing distributed systems, and its implications for developers and AI.

Managing distributed systems and complex workflows can be challenging. What happens when something fails? If a task isn't executed to completion, that can lead to serious problems. From transaction and billing failures to deploying software, even small issues can have significant consequences. This is one of the reasons for durable computing. Designed to isolate code from crashes, it preserves state so a task is completed even when something fails. To discuss durable computing, explore why it matters today and how we've been using it at Thoughtworks, Brandon Cook and John Coleman join host Alexey Boas on the Technology Podcast. They dive into the current platform ecosystem and what it means for developers — and requires of them. They also talk about the value of durable computing for AI, explaining why the concept of 'durable agents' offers an important of avenue of investigation in a world eager to embrace agentic systems. Learn more about durable computing in this blog post from July 2025: https://www.thoughtworks.com/insights/blog/cloud/durable-computing-making-easier-resilience-distributed-systems

People in this episode

Host: Alexey Boas

Guests: Brandon Cook, John Coleman

Topics covered

• durable computing
• distributed systems
• software deployment
• AI
• resilience

Keywords

• durable computing
• distributed systems
• resilience
• AI
• durable agents

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Thoughtworks

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