| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
- Vodafone experienced a network outage affecting customers, leading to service disruption and leaving many customers without access to calls or data [27921].
- Vodafone had previously faced network issues, as indicated by the statement, "We've just had confirmation that we're currently experiencing some network issues," suggesting a recurring problem [27921].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
- Optus also faced network issues similar to Vodafone, with some customers experiencing mobile services being blocked due to a system error, resulting in the inability to use voice and data services [27921].
- Both Vodafone and Optus encountered network outages around the same time, indicating a simultaneous occurrence of similar incidents at different organizations [27921]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
operation |
(a) The software failure incident seems to be related to the operation phase rather than the design phase. The articles mention issues affecting mobile services of customers, with Optus stating that a system error caused some mobile customer services to be blocked, resulting in customers being unable to use voice and data services [27921]. This indicates that the failure was more operational in nature, caused by a system error during the operation of the services. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in the articles seems to be primarily within the system. Both Vodafone and Optus acknowledged issues with their networks and mentioned working on restoring services internally. Vodafone mentioned engineers working to restore the network, and Optus stated they were investigating the cause of the issue affecting their mobile services [27921]. These statements indicate that the failure originated from within the telcos' systems or networks. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident related to non-human actions:
- The network outage affecting Vodafone and Optus customers was caused by a system error that blocked some mobile customer services, leading to the inability to use voice and data services [27921].
- Optus mentioned that the issue was unrelated to other carriers, indicating that the failure was not caused by external human actions but rather an internal system error [27921].
(b) The software failure incident related to human actions:
- Customers expressed frustration on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, venting about the inability to make calls or access data, indicating the impact of the failure on users due to human actions [27921].
- Optus acknowledged the issue and apologized to customers for the inconvenience caused by the failure, suggesting that human actions might have contributed to the system error that blocked mobile services [27921]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The article mentions that Optus faced an issue where "a system error caused some mobile customer services to be blocked" [27921].
- This system error led to customers being unable to use voice and data services, indicating a hardware-related failure that originated in the system [27921].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- Vodafone acknowledged a network outage and mentioned that engineers were working to restore the network within the hour, indicating a software-related issue [27921].
- Optus also mentioned that they were investigating the cause of an issue affecting some customers' mobile services, which points to a software-related failure [27921]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles does not indicate any malicious intent behind the network outages experienced by Vodafone and Optus. The issues were attributed to system errors and a network outage, with both telcos actively working to restore services and apologizing to customers for the inconvenience caused. There is no mention of any deliberate actions aimed at harming the systems ([27921]).
(b) The software failure incident can be categorized as non-malicious, as it was caused by system errors and technical issues rather than any intentional harm or malicious activities by individuals. Both Vodafone and Optus acknowledged the problems, worked on resolving them, and offered compensations to affected customers. The focus was on restoring services and addressing the technical issues rather than dealing with any malicious attacks ([27921]). |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles does not directly point to poor decisions as the intent behind the failure. The incident seems to be more related to technical issues and system errors rather than poor decision-making.
(b) The software failure incident appears to be more aligned with accidental decisions or mistakes rather than poor decisions. The outage was attributed to a system error that caused mobile customer services to be blocked, leading to customers being unable to use voice and data services [27921]. Additionally, Optus mentioned that the issue was unrelated to other carriers, indicating that it was an accidental technical fault rather than a deliberate poor decision [27921]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is not explicitly mentioned in the provided article [27921].
(b) The software failure incident seems to be accidental as it was described as a system error that caused some mobile customer services to be blocked, leading to customers being unable to use voice and data services [27921]. This issue was unrelated to other carriers and affected an isolated group of customers [27921]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles was temporary. Both Vodafone and Optus experienced network outages affecting their customers' mobile services. Vodafone acknowledged the issue and mentioned that engineers were working to restore the network within the hour [27921]. Optus also confirmed the problem and stated that they were investigating the cause of the issue affecting some of their customers' mobile services [27921]. The outage was eventually resolved, with Optus mentioning that the majority of customers were back up and running by 9 p.m. on the same day the issue began [27921]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the articles can be categorized as a crash. Both Vodafone and Optus experienced network outages, leaving customers without access to calls or data. The systems were not performing their intended functions, resulting in a loss of service for customers [27921].
(b) omission: The software failure incident can also be categorized as an omission. Customers were unable to make calls or access data during the outage, indicating that the systems omitted to perform their intended functions at that instance [27921].
(c) timing: The software failure incident does not seem to be related to timing issues. The systems were not performing their intended functions due to the outage, rather than performing them too late or too early [27921].
(d) value: The software failure incident can be categorized as a value issue. The systems were performing their intended functions incorrectly during the outage, leading to a loss of service for customers [27921].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit characteristics of a byzantine failure. The systems were not behaving with inconsistent responses or interactions; instead, they were simply not functioning as expected during the outage [27921].
(f) other: The other behavior exhibited by the software failure incident is a loss of service for customers. Both Vodafone and Optus customers were unable to make calls or access data, leading to frustration and complaints on social media platforms [27921]. |