Published Date: 2018-07-24
| Postmortem Analysis | |
|---|---|
| Timeline | 1. The software failure incident with the MacBook Pro laptops happened in July 2018 [73255, 73824, 73823]. |
| System | 1. Thermal management system in new MacBook Pro laptops [73255, 73255, 73255] 2. CPUs in new 13-inch MacBook Pros with Intel's eighth-gen CPUs [73824, 73824, 73824] 3. MacOS software in new MacBook Pro laptops [73255, 73255, 73255] 4. Firmware in new MacBook Pro laptops [73255, 73255, 73255] |
| Responsible Organization | 1. Apple was responsible for causing the software failure incident in the MacBook Pro laptops due to a software bug that impacted thermal management and drove clock speeds down under heavy loads [73255, 73824, 73823]. |
| Impacted Organization | 1. Customers who purchased the new MacBook Pro laptops from Apple were impacted by the software failure incident, specifically experiencing underperformance due to thermal throttling [73255, 73824, 73823]. |
| Software Causes | 1. A software bug causing thermal throttling on new MacBook Pro laptops, leading to underperformance [73255, 73824, 73823] |
| Non-software Causes | 1. Thermal throttling due to hardware design issues [73255, 73824] 2. Heat-related throttling due to internal temperatures spiking [73823] |
| Impacts | 1. The software failure incident on the new MacBook Pro laptops caused thermal throttling issues, leading to underperformance in certain scenarios [73255, 73824, 73823]. 2. The software bug resulted in CPUs throttling up and down wildly under high-end workloads, affecting the performance of the Pro-level machines [73824, 73823]. 3. The software fix released by Apple addressed the CPU throttling problem, stabilizing the clock frequency of the CPU and internal system temperature during intense tasks [73823]. 4. The software failure incident impacted the reputation of Apple's new MacBook Pro models, overshadowing their updated features and causing negative headlines and disappointment among users [73823]. 5. The software fix was effective in resolving the up-and-down throttling effect, improving the performance of the affected MacBook Pro models [73824, 73823]. |
| Preventions | 1. Thorough testing under various workloads before the release of the new MacBook Pro models could have potentially prevented the software failure incident [73255, 73823]. 2. Implementing a more transparent communication strategy regarding product issues and their resolutions could have helped prevent customer dissatisfaction and negative publicity [73255, 73823]. 3. Conducting more extensive quality assurance checks to identify and address any software bugs or issues before the products are shipped to customers could have mitigated the thermal throttling problem [73255, 73823]. |
| Fixes | 1. A software fix through a macOS High Sierra supplemental update [73255]. 2. MacOS High Sierra 10.13.6 Supplemental Update [73824]. 3. MacOS update released by Apple [73823]. | References | 1. Apple spokesperson [73255, 73824, 73823] 2. YouTubers (Dave Lee, Jonathan Morrison) [73255] 3. CNET [73824, 73823] 4. The Outline [73255] |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring | one_organization, multiple_organization | (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: - Apple faced a software failure incident with its new MacBook Pro laptops due to thermal throttling, where the machines were underperforming in certain scenarios [73255]. - Apple acknowledged a bug in the software running on the new MacBook Pros that impacted processor speeds when the machine got hot, leading to less than optimal performance [73255]. - This incident came after Apple had to launch a repair program for the keyboards on newer MacBooks, indicating a recurring issue with their products [73255]. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: - The software failure incident related to thermal throttling in the new MacBook Pro laptops was not unique to Apple, as similar issues were reported by early adopters and reviewers [73824]. - The incident involved CPUs throttling up and down wildly under high-end workloads, affecting the performance of the Pro-level machines [73824]. - The fix for the software bug causing the throttling issue was released by Apple through a MacOS update, indicating a common challenge faced by multiple organizations in ensuring optimal performance of their devices [73824]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) | design | (a) The software failure incident in the articles was primarily related to the design phase. Apple's new MacBook Pro laptops were found to be underperforming due to thermal throttling caused by a software bug in the firmware that impacted the thermal management system [73255, 73824, 73823]. The issue was identified as a missing digital key in the firmware that slowed down processor speeds when the machine got hot, affecting the performance of the laptops under heavy loads. Apple acknowledged the bug and released a software fix through a macOS High Sierra supplemental update to address the issue [73255, 73824, 73823]. (b) The software failure incident was not directly related to the operation phase or misuse of the system. Instead, it was a result of a design flaw in the software that impacted the thermal management system of the new MacBook Pro laptops, leading to performance issues due to thermal throttling [73255, 73824, 73823]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) | within_system | (a) The software failure incident related to the MacBook Pro laptops was within the system. The incident was caused by a software bug that impacted the thermal management system, leading to CPU throttling under heavy thermal loads [73255, 73824, 73823]. Apple acknowledged the issue and released a software fix in the form of a MacOS update to address the problem [73255, 73824, 73823]. The fix was effective in resolving the CPU throttling effect caused by the software bug [73824, 73823]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) | non-human_actions | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: - The software failure incident in the MacBook Pro laptops was due to thermal throttling caused by a software bug that impacted the thermal management system, leading to decreased processor speeds under heavy loads [73255]. - Apple identified a missing digital key in the firmware that was driving clock speeds down under heavy thermal loads on the new MacBook Pro, resulting in the need for a software fix to address the issue [73823]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - The software failure incident in the MacBook Pro laptops was not directly attributed to human actions but rather to a software bug that was causing the thermal throttling issue [73255]. - The issue of CPUs throttling up and down wildly under high-end workloads in the MacBook Pro laptops was determined to be caused by a software bug, and Apple released a software fix to address it [73824]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) | hardware, software | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware: - The software failure incident with the new MacBook Pro laptops was primarily caused by a hardware issue related to thermal management. Apple identified a missing digital key in the firmware that impacted the thermal management system, leading to the machines underperforming due to thermal throttling when they got hot [73255]. - The CPUs in the new MacBook Pro laptops were throttling up and down wildly under high-end workloads due to a hardware issue. Apple released a software fix to address this problem, indicating that the root cause was a hardware-related bug [73824]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to software: - The software failure incident with the new MacBook Pro laptops was ultimately attributed to a software bug that impacted the thermal management system, causing the machines to slow down processor speeds under heavy loads. Apple released a software fix through a macOS High Sierra supplemental update to address this issue [73255]. - Apple determined that a software bug was to blame for the heat-related throttling issues in the new MacBook Pro laptops. The MacOS update released by Apple was aimed at correcting the up-and-down CPU throttling caused by this software bug [73823]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) | non-malicious | (a) The articles report a non-malicious software failure incident related to the MacBook Pro laptops from Apple. The issue was identified as a software bug causing thermal throttling on the new MacBook Pro models, impacting processor speeds under heavy loads due to a missing digital key in the firmware [73255, 73824, 73823]. Apple acknowledged the problem, released a software fix through a macOS update, and apologized to customers who experienced suboptimal performance on their new systems. The fix was aimed at addressing the CPU throttling issue caused by the software bug, indicating that the failure was not due to malicious intent but rather a technical flaw in the system. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) | poor_decisions | (a) The intent of the software failure incident: - The software failure incident related to the MacBook Pro laptops was primarily due to poor_decisions, specifically a missing digital key in the firmware that impacted the thermal management system and caused the processor speeds to decrease under heavy loads [73255]. - Apple acknowledged that the issue was a result of a software bug and released a software fix to address the problem, indicating that the failure was due to contributing factors introduced by poor decisions [73824]. - The incident involved a software bug that led to CPU throttling during intense workloads, affecting the performance of the new MacBook Pro models. Apple's software update aimed to correct the up-and-down CPU throttling issue, indicating that the failure was due to poor decisions in the software implementation [73823]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) | development_incompetence | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to development incompetence: - The software failure incident with the new MacBook Pro laptops from Apple was due to a software bug that impacted the thermal management system, leading to underperformance when the machines got hot [73255]. - Apple acknowledged that there was a missing digital key in the firmware that affected the thermal management system and caused clock speeds to decrease under heavy loads on the new MacBook Pros [73255]. - The issue was identified as a bug in the software running on the new MacBook Pros, indicating a development flaw in the software [73255]. - The software fix released by Apple was aimed at addressing the underperformance caused by the thermal throttling issue, highlighting a development issue in the initial software [73255]. (b) The software failure incident occurring accidentally: - The software failure incident with the new MacBook Pro laptops was attributed to a simple software bug that was determined to be the cause of heat-related throttling issues, leading to slower performance than expected [73823]. - Apple released a software update to fix the issue, indicating that the problem was not intentional but rather an accidental bug in the software [73823]. - The software bug causing the CPU throttling issue was described as a simple bug that was quickly identified and addressed through a MacOS update [73823]. - The software fix released by Apple was aimed at correcting the up-and-down CPU throttling effect caused by the accidental software bug [73823]. |
| Duration | temporary | (a) The software failure incident in the articles was temporary. The issue was caused by a software bug that impacted the thermal management system of the new MacBook Pro laptops, leading to CPU throttling under heavy thermal loads. Apple acknowledged the issue and released a software fix through a macOS High Sierra supplemental update to address the problem [73255, 73824, 73823]. |
| Behaviour | omission, value, other | (a) crash: Failure due to system losing state and not performing any of its intended functions - The software failure incident in the articles does not specifically mention a crash where the system completely loses state and stops performing its intended functions [unknown]. (b) omission: Failure due to system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s) - The software failure incident involved a bug that caused the machines to underperform due to thermal throttling, leading to the system omitting to perform at its optimal level under certain scenarios [73255]. - The CPUs in the MacBook Pro laptops were throttling up and down wildly under high-end workloads, indicating an omission in maintaining consistent performance levels [73824]. (c) timing: Failure due to system performing its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early - The software failure incident does not involve a timing issue where the system performs its functions correctly but at the wrong time [unknown]. (d) value: Failure due to system performing its intended functions incorrectly - The software failure incident involved a bug that slowed down processor speeds when the machine got hot, leading to incorrect performance levels [73255]. - The premium Core i9 versions of the MacBook Pro were prone to heat-related throttling, causing slower performance than expected, indicating incorrect performance levels [73823]. (e) byzantine: Failure due to system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions - The software failure incident does not exhibit a byzantine behavior with inconsistent responses and interactions [unknown]. (f) other: Failure due to system behaving in a way not described in the (a to e) options - The software failure incident involved a software bug that impacted the thermal management system, driving clock speeds down under heavy loads, which could be categorized as a performance anomaly [73255]. - The CPUs in the MacBook Pro laptops were ping-ponging their internal temperature and CPU clock speed rapidly during intense workloads, indicating an unexpected behavior in response to heat-related throttling [73823]. |
| Layer | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Perception | None | None |
| Communication | None | None |
| Application | None | None |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Consequence | property | The consequence of the software failure incident related to the MacBook Pro laptops was primarily in the category of (d) property. Users experienced underperformance and thermal throttling due to a software bug, impacting the functionality and speed of the laptops [73255, 73824, 73823]. This issue affected the users' experience and the promised performance of the devices, leading to dissatisfaction and the need for a software fix to address the problem. |
| Domain | manufacturing | The software failure incident discussed in the articles is related to the technology industry, specifically affecting Apple's new MacBook Pro laptops. The incident involved a software bug that caused thermal throttling issues in the machines, leading to underperformance in certain scenarios. Apple acknowledged the issue and released a software fix to address it [73255, 73824, 73823]. |
Article ID: 73255
Article ID: 73824
Article ID: 73823