What’s Your Biggest Sev1 That Became Forgotten Post-RCA?

In our fast-paced tech industry, Severity 1 (Sev1) incidents are an inevitable part of the landscape. These high-impact outages can disrupt services, frustrate users, and challenge even the most seasoned engineers. Yet, once the immediate crisis has passed and the root cause analysis (RCA) has been documented, it seems that many of these incidents become little more than footnotes in our professional history.

Inspired by recent discussions on navigating Sev1 incidents without becoming overwhelmed, I invite you to share your stories. Let’s reflect on our experiences and perhaps offer some tips for those who may find themselves in the eye of the storm.

The Nature of Sev1 Incidents

Severity 1 incidents are defined by their critical impact on service availability and user experience. They can stem from various causes, including software bugs, configuration errors, or infrastructure failures. The challenge is not only to restore service but to do so efficiently while minimizing damage.

A Cross-Section of Sev1 Stories

• The SSL Certificate Fiasco: One developer recounted an incident from seven years ago when an expired SSL certificate on a video player built for Twitch affected millions of users. The developer, who was more focused on video development than web operations, was awakened in the middle of the night to resolve the issue. It highlighted the importance of having clear ownership of infrastructure components and routine checks to prevent such oversights.

• Mass Reboot Catastrophe: Another tale involved an accidental simultaneous reboot of 30% of machines in a major datacenter. A reused Salt script led to chaos as clusters crashed. However, the SRE team adapted swiftly, bypassing the overloaded deployment system to manually restart services. This incident showcased the importance of having contingency plans and the ability to adapt under pressure.

• The Invoice Processing Blunder: A coworker at a third-party invoice processing company made a simple yet impactful error by incorrectly summing up fields from invoices. The confusion it created for a customer’s CFO was a stark reminder of how critical attention to detail is in financial processing systems.

The Aftermath and Moving On

What’s fascinating about these stories is not just the incidents themselves but how quickly we, as an industry, move on. Once the RCA is complete and the fires are extinguished, the urgency fades. For many, these Sev1 incidents become ancient history within months. Often, the only evidence left are the post-mortem documents that rarely see the light of day again.

Lessons Learned and Tips for the Less Experienced

1. Stay Calm and Focused: In the heat of a Sev1 incident, it’s crucial to maintain composure. Panic can lead to rushed decisions that may exacerbate the situation. Take a moment to assess before diving into solutions.

2. Have Clear Ownership: Ensure that roles are well-defined within your team. Knowing who is responsible for what can prevent confusion and streamline communication during an incident.

3. Practice Incident Response: Regular drills and simulations can prepare your team for real-world scenarios. Familiarizing yourself with emergency protocols can significantly reduce response times.

4. Document Everything: While the incident may fade from memory, documenting the RCA and the steps taken to resolve the issue is vital. This knowledge is invaluable for future reference and for onboarding new team members.

5. Cultivate a Blame-Free Culture: Encourage open discussions about errors without fear of retribution. This fosters a learning environment where teams can grow from mistakes.

6. Reflect and Share: Take time to reflect on what went wrong and why. Sharing stories within and outside your organization can help others learn and may even prevent similar incidents in the future.

Conclusion

Sev1 incidents are a rite of passage in the tech world. While they can be daunting, they also provide invaluable learning opportunities. As we share our stories and insights, we not only grow as individual engineers but also strengthen the resilience of our teams and organizations.

So, what’s your biggest Sev1 that became forgotten post-RCA? Let’s keep the conversation going and learn from each other’s experiences.