The term evokes the image of stovepipes rising above buildings, each functioning individually.
A simple example of a stovepipe system is one that implements its own user IDs and passwords, instead of relying on a common user ID and password shared with other systems.
Stovepipes are systems procured and developed to solve a specific problem, characterized by a limited focus and functionality, and containing data that cannot be easily shared with other systems.A stovepipe system is generally considered an example of an anti-pattern, particularly found in legacy systems.
However, in certain cases stovepipe systems are considered appropriate, due to benefits from vertical integration and avoiding dependency hell.
[2] For example, the Microsoft Excel team has avoided dependencies and even maintained its own C compiler, which helped it to ship on time, have high-quality code, and generate small, cross-platform code.