| Recurring |
one_organization |
a) The software failure incident has happened again at one_organization:
The article mentions that United Continental Holdings Inc. has been battling technical problems since it combined some of its major computer systems in March. This incident was not the first time the company faced computer issues after merging systems with Continental's in March [14053].
b) The software failure incident has happened again at multiple_organization:
The article does not provide specific information about similar incidents happening at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was primarily related to the design phase. The issue stemmed from the merger of United's computer systems with Continental's in March, which led to a series of technology problems. The computer glitch causing delays and forcing United to issue handwritten boarding passes was a result of issues introduced during system development and updates [14053]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in the article was primarily due to issues within the United Airlines' computer systems. The article mentions that United's website and reservation system shut down for over two hours, causing delays for 200 flights [14053]. Additionally, the article highlights that the glitch was a result of technology problems that began when United merged computer systems with Continental's in March, indicating internal system issues [14053].
(b) outside_system: There is no specific mention in the article of the software failure incident being caused by contributing factors originating from outside the system. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was primarily due to non-human actions. The computer glitch that caused the United Airlines system to shut down for over two hours and delay 200 flights was not identified or fixed at the time of the incident [14053]. The glitch was a result of technical issues within the system rather than human actions.
(b) Human actions also played a role in the incident as United employees had to resort to issuing handwritten boarding passes to passengers due to the system failure [14053]. Additionally, the decision to merge computer systems with Continental's in March, which initiated a series of technology problems for United Airlines, was a human action that contributed to the software failure incident. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the article was primarily due to hardware issues. The article mentions that United Airlines experienced a computer glitch that caused their website and reservation system to shut down for over two hours, leading to delays for 200 flights and thousands of passengers [14053]. The glitch was not specifically identified or fixed, indicating a hardware-related issue rather than a software-related one. Additionally, the article highlights that the outage did not affect planes in flight, further suggesting a hardware-related problem.
(b) The software failure incident was not explicitly attributed to software issues in the articles. The focus was on a computer glitch that caused the system shutdown and delays, with no specific software-related contributing factors mentioned. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 14053 was non-malicious. The incident was described as a computer glitch that caused United Airlines' website and reservation system to shut down for over two hours, leading to delays for 200 flights and thousands of passengers. The glitch was attributed to technical problems resulting from the merger of United's computer systems with Continental's in March. There was no indication in the article that the failure was due to malicious intent or actions [14053]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident involving United Airlines was primarily due to poor decisions. The incident was a result of ongoing technical problems that began when United merged computer systems with Continental's in March [14053]. This decision to merge systems led to a series of technology problems, including the recent computer glitch that caused delays for 200 flights and impacted thousands of passengers. The decision to combine systems without adequately addressing the technical challenges and ensuring system stability ultimately resulted in the software failure incident. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the article as United Airlines faced nationwide computer issues after merging computer systems with Continental's in March. This merger led to a long string of technology problems, including the recent computer glitch that caused delays for 200 flights and forced the airline to issue handwritten boarding passes [14053].
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is highlighted in the article as the precise cause of the computer glitch that shut down United's website and reservation system for over two hours was not known. The outage was described as a network outage, and United confirmed the glitch via Twitter, indicating an unexpected and accidental nature of the failure [14053]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident reported in Article 14053 was temporary. The United Airlines computer glitch caused the reservation system and website to shut down for over two hours, leading to delays for 200 flights and thousands of passengers [14053]. The glitch was not permanent as the systems were eventually brought back online after the outage was resolved. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a crash. The United Airlines' computer glitch caused their website and reservation system to shut down for over two hours, leading to delays for 200 flights [14053].
(b) omission: The system omitted to perform its intended functions at an instance(s) during the incident. Passengers were unable to access their boarding passes electronically and had to resort to handwritten notes issued by United employees due to the system failure [14053].
(c) timing: The system performed its intended functions correctly but too late during the incident. The computer glitch caused delays for 200 flights, impacting thousands of passengers, as the system shutdown lasted for over two hours [14053].
(d) value: The system performed its intended functions incorrectly during the incident. The glitch led to the system not working for about two-and-a-half hours, affecting passenger reservation systems, website access, and flight operations [14053].
(e) byzantine: There is no indication in the article that the software failure incident exhibited behaviors of a byzantine failure.
(f) other: The software failure incident also resulted in long lines at ticket counters, grounded flights to certain hubs, and passengers experiencing discomfort and frustration due to the system failure [14053]. |