Published Date: 2021-10-04
| Postmortem Analysis | |
|---|---|
| Timeline | 1. The software failure incident, which was a massive outage affecting Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, occurred on Monday, as reported in Article 119724. 2. The outage lasted for nearly six hours on Monday and Tuesday, as reported in Article 120200. 3. The outage was described as one of the worst in Facebook's history, and it occurred on Monday, as reported in Article 119617. |
| System | The software failure incident reported in the news articles involved a failure in the Facebook network infrastructure, specifically related to configuration changes on the backbone routers that coordinate network traffic between data centers. The incident led to a global outage affecting Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. The following systems/components failed in the incident: 1. Facebook's backbone routers: Faulty configuration changes on the backbone routers caused issues that interrupted communication between data centers, leading to the outage [Article 119724, Article 120200]. 2. Domain Name System (DNS): Part of the problem was with the DNS, which turns website names into numeric addresses that can be understood by machines. The DNS issue contributed to the outage [Article 119724]. 3. Border Gateway Protocol (BGP): It is believed that a faulty update to Facebook's BGP, which routes traffic between large private networks and the public Internet, left apps and browsers unable to locate the company's services, contributing to the outage [Article 119617]. These failures in the network infrastructure, DNS, and BGP systems were key factors in the widespread outage experienced by Facebook and its associated platforms. |
| Responsible Organization | 1. Faulty configuration changes on Facebook's routers were the root cause of the outage [119724]. 2. Facebook's Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) was updated with a faulty update, causing the servers to disconnect from the internet [119617]. |
| Impacted Organization | 1. Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger users worldwide were impacted by the software failure incident [119724, 120200]. 2. Small businesses around the world that rely on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook for communication and advertising were also impacted [119724]. |
| Software Causes | 1. Faulty configuration changes on Facebook's routers were identified as the root cause of the outage incident [119724]. 2. A faulty update to Facebook's Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) was believed to have left apps and browsers unable to locate the company's services, causing the outage [119617]. |
| Non-software Causes | 1. Faulty configuration changes on Facebook's routers were identified as the root cause of the outage, leading to issues in network traffic coordination between data centers [119724]. 2. The outage was exacerbated by remote working policies, which resulted in lower staffing in data centers due to pandemic measures, causing delays in resolving the issue [119617]. |
| Impacts | 1. The outage of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp led to users around the world being unable to access the platforms for nearly six hours, causing widespread disruption and inconvenience [Article 120200]. 2. Small businesses that rely on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook for communication and promotion suffered financial losses during the outage [Article 120200]. 3. The outage affected potentially tens of millions of users, organizations, and businesses, highlighting the widespread global dependency on Facebook and its platforms [Article 119724]. 4. Users experienced error messages when trying to access Instagram and Facebook, impacting their ability to communicate and stay connected with friends and family [Article 119724]. 5. The outage forced Facebook to release public statements on Twitter, indicating the severity of the situation and the need for alternative communication methods [Article 119724]. 6. The outage disrupted internal systems that Facebook employees use for work, affecting the company's operations and productivity [Article 119724]. 7. The outage led to a significant drop in Facebook's share price, resulting in billions of dollars being wiped from the company's market value [Article 119617]. 8. The outage highlighted the world's reliance on Facebook services, impacting small businesses, communication networks, and individuals globally [Article 119617]. 9. The outage drew attention to the need for better systems to prevent such widespread failures and the importance of regulating large tech companies like Facebook to avoid monopolies and ensure accountability [Article 119617]. |
| Preventions | 1. Implementing rigorous testing procedures for network configuration changes could have prevented the software failure incident. This would ensure that any changes made to the backbone routers are thoroughly tested before being implemented, reducing the risk of configuration errors causing widespread outages [119724]. 2. Diversifying the DNS providers used by Facebook's platforms could have helped mitigate the impact of the outage. By relying on multiple DNS providers, the risk of a single point of failure, such as a BGP problem affecting routing to the DNS servers, could have been reduced [119617]. 3. Enhancing the AI systems to better detect and filter out harmful content, such as hate speech and drug-related ads, could have helped prevent the spread of harmful content on the platform. Improving the effectiveness of AI systems in content moderation could contribute to a safer online environment [119617]. 4. Implementing stronger internal oversight and accountability mechanisms within Facebook to ensure that decisions prioritizing engagement metrics over public safety are thoroughly evaluated and corrected. This would involve creating a culture of responsibility and transparency within the company to address harmful practices [119617]. 5. Establishing an independent regulatory body to oversee social media platforms like Facebook could provide external oversight and enforcement of safety measures. This would ensure that platforms adhere to regulations and standards that protect users, especially children, from harmful content and practices [119617]. |
| Fixes | 1. Implementing more rigorous testing procedures for network infrastructure changes could help prevent similar configuration errors in the future [119724]. 2. Enhancing the redundancy and decentralization of Facebook's systems to avoid a single point of failure, as suggested by experts [119617]. 3. Increasing transparency and accountability within Facebook's leadership, particularly in addressing issues related to misinformation, hate speech, and child safety [119617]. 4. Establishing government regulations to oversee social media platforms like Facebook to ensure public safety and prevent harmful impacts on society [119617]. | References | 1. Facebook's official statements and blog posts [119724, 120200] 2. Downdetector reports [119724] 3. Comments and tweets from Facebook executives and employees [119724] 4. Expert opinions and analysis from individuals like Adam Leon Smith, Renee Murphy, and Luke Deryckx [119724] 5. Reports and analysis from news outlets like Associated Press, The Guardian, DailyMail, and Forbes [119724, 119617] 6. Testimony and statements from Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen [119617] |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring | one_organization, multiple_organization | (a) The software failure incident has happened again at one_organization: The outage experienced by Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp on Monday was not the first time such a major incident occurred. In the past, Facebook has faced similar outages, including one in 2019 when users around the world could not access Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp for more than 24 hours [Article 119724]. (b) The software failure incident has happened again at multiple_organization: The outage experienced by Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp on Monday was not isolated to just these platforms. In the past, there have been other social media outages, such as Instagram going down for 16 hours last month and all Facebook platforms going offline in June. Additionally, there were two Facebook platform outages in March, with Instagram down on March 30 and all three platforms down on March 19 [Article 119617]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) | design, operation | (a) The software failure incident related to the development phase can be attributed to the design aspect. The outage experienced by Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp was caused by faulty configuration changes on the backbone routers that coordinate network traffic between data centers. This configuration change introduced issues that interrupted communication between data centers, leading to the halt of services. The outage was a result of changes made to the Facebook network infrastructure, highlighting the impact of network-level events on high-profile outages [119724]. (b) The software failure incident was also influenced by the operation phase. The outage lasted for nearly six hours, impacting millions of users globally. The repair of the glitch was delayed due to lower staffing in data centers as a result of pandemic measures, along with outages in physical access card systems and internal messaging services. The outage affected Facebook employees, with the Menlo Park headquarters locked out and the internal messaging system Workplace knocked offline, hindering communication and resolution efforts [119617]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) | within_system | (a) The software failure incident related to the Facebook outage was primarily within the system. The outage was caused by faulty configuration changes on Facebook's routers, which disrupted network traffic between data centers and led to a cascading effect on communication, ultimately bringing down Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp [119724]. Additionally, the outage was exacerbated by remote working policies, lower staffing in data centers due to pandemic measures, and issues with physical access card systems and internal messaging services [119617]. (b) The outage was not primarily due to contributing factors originating from outside the system. There was no evidence of a malicious attack causing the outage, and experts indicated that the outage was a result of internal mistakes or software bugs rather than external interference [119724]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) | non-human_actions, human_actions | (a) The software failure incident occurred due to non-human actions, specifically faulty configuration changes on Facebook's routers. This incident led to a nearly six-hour outage affecting Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The outage was caused by a disruption in network traffic coordination between data centers, which had a cascading effect on communication, bringing the services to a halt. The outage was global and impacted potentially tens of millions of users, organizations, and businesses [119724]. (b) The software failure incident also involved human actions, as highlighted by the whistleblower Frances Haugen during her testimony. She criticized Facebook for prioritizing profits over people and making choices that put engagement over public safety. Haugen mentioned that Facebook's AI systems were relatively ineffective at catching hate speech and allowed drug-related content to reach children. She also pointed out that Facebook dissolved the civic integrity union after the November election, which led her to realize the company's lack of willingness to invest in keeping the platform safe. Haugen called for Facebook to take responsibility for the consequences of its choices and to work together to solve the existing problems [119724]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) | hardware, software | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware: - The outage experienced by Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp was attributed to faulty configuration changes on the routers, which are hardware components [119724]. - The repair of the outage was delayed due to lower staffing in data centers because of pandemic measures, along with outages in physical access card systems and internal messaging services, which are hardware-related issues [119617]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to software: - The outage was caused by a faulty update to Facebook's Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), a software component, which left apps and browsers unable to locate the company's services [119617]. - The outage was also linked to a configuration error, which could be a result of an internal mistake or sabotage by an insider, indicating a software-related issue [119617]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) | non-malicious | (a) The software failure incident related to the Facebook outage was non-malicious. The outage was caused by faulty configuration changes on Facebook's routers, which interrupted network traffic between data centers, leading to a cascading effect on communication and bringing the services to a halt. There was no evidence of malicious activity causing the outage, and experts indicated that the issue originated from within the company itself [119724, 119617]. (b) The outage was not caused by malicious activity, as there was no evidence of any external attack or intentional harm to the system. The outage was attributed to internal configuration changes and network issues within Facebook's infrastructure [119724, 119617]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) | poor_decisions | [a] The software failure incident at Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp was primarily attributed to faulty configuration changes on the backbone routers, which were identified as the root cause of the outage. The incident was described as a result of poor decisions made in the configuration changes on the routers that coordinate network traffic between data centers, leading to issues that interrupted communication and caused a cascading effect on the data centers, ultimately bringing the services to a halt. This indicates that the failure was due to contributing factors introduced by poor decisions in the network configuration changes on the routers [119724, 120200]. Additionally, the outage was exacerbated by remote working policies, which led to lower staffing in data centers due to pandemic measures. This situation delayed the repair process as engineers were unable to physically access the data centers to resolve the issues promptly, highlighting the impact of decisions related to remote working policies on the incident [119617]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) | accidental | The software failure incident related to the Facebook outage on October 4, 2021, was primarily due to accidental factors. The outage was caused by faulty configuration changes on Facebook's routers, which interrupted network traffic between data centers, leading to a cascading effect that brought down services like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp [119724]. Additionally, the outage was exacerbated by remote working policies, which led to lower staffing in data centers due to pandemic measures. This, combined with outages in physical access card systems and internal messaging services, delayed the repair process and made it challenging for engineers to access the necessary infrastructure to resolve the issue promptly [120200]. |
| Duration | temporary | The software failure incident related to the Facebook outage was temporary. The outage lasted for nearly six hours, affecting Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, before the services slowly started coming back online [119724]. The outage was caused by faulty configuration changes on Facebook's routers, which interrupted network traffic between data centers, leading to a cascading effect on communication and bringing the services to a halt [119724]. The outage impacted potentially tens of millions of users, organizations, and businesses globally, highlighting the widespread dependency on Facebook and its platforms [119724]. The outage was a result of internal infrastructure changes and a configuration error, rather than a permanent failure introduced by all circumstances. |
| Behaviour | crash, omission, value, other | (a) crash: The software failure incident in the articles can be categorized as a crash. This is evident from the description of the outage where Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger were all inaccessible for several hours, leaving users unable to access the platforms [Article 119724]. (b) omission: The software failure incident can also be categorized as an omission. Users attempting to open Instagram were greeted with error messages, while Facebook failed to load or displayed messages indicating issues. WhatsApp also experienced problems, with users unable to send messages [Article 119724]. (c) timing: The software failure incident does not align with the timing category as the issue was not related to the system performing its intended functions too late or too early. The primary concern was the system being completely inaccessible for a prolonged period [Article 119724]. (d) value: The software failure incident can be categorized as a value failure. This is evident from the impact on users, businesses, and organizations that rely on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp for communication, advertising, and other purposes. The outage resulted in financial losses for businesses and disrupted communication channels [Article 119724]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not align with the byzantine category, as there were no indications of inconsistent responses or interactions from the system. The outage was primarily characterized by a complete loss of access to the platforms [Article 119724]. (f) other: The software failure incident can be further described as a network-level event caused by changes made to the Facebook network infrastructure. The faulty configuration changes on the backbone routers led to interruptions in communication between data centers, ultimately bringing the services to a halt. Additionally, the outage highlighted the global dependency on Facebook platforms, impacting users, businesses, and organizations worldwide [Article 119724]. |
| Layer | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Perception | None | None |
| Communication | None | None |
| Application | None | None |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Consequence | basic, property, delay, non-human, theoretical_consequence | (a) death: People lost their lives due to the software failure - There is no mention of any deaths caused by the software failure incident in the provided articles. (b) harm: People were physically harmed due to the software failure - There is no mention of any physical harm caused to individuals due to the software failure incident in the provided articles. (c) basic: People's access to food or shelter was impacted because of the software failure - The outage affected small businesses around the world that rely on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, leading to financial losses for stores, restaurants, and delivery services [Article 119724]. (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure - The outage affected potentially tens of millions of users, organizations, and businesses, highlighting the widespread global dependency on Facebook and its platforms [Article 119724]. (e) delay: People had to postpone an activity due to the software failure - Users attempting to open Instagram were greeted with an error message, and Facebook failed to load or displayed an error message, causing delays in their activities [Article 119724]. (f) non-human: Non-human entities were impacted due to the software failure - The outage also hit small businesses around the world that rely on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, leading to financial losses [Article 119724]. (g) no_consequence: There were no real observed consequences of the software failure - The outage caused significant disruptions and financial losses for businesses and users, indicating real consequences of the software failure [Article 119724]. (h) theoretical_consequence: There were potential consequences discussed of the software failure that did not occur - The outage was a global and significant event, impacting millions of users and businesses, with potential cascading impacts on other online sites and services [Article 119724]. (i) other: Was there consequence(s) of the software failure not described in the (a to h) options? What is the other consequence(s)? - There is no other consequence mentioned in the articles beyond the financial losses, delays, and disruptions caused by the software failure incident. |
| Domain | information | (a) The software failure incident related to the production and distribution of information. The outage affected Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, which are social media platforms used for communication, sharing information, and connecting with others [119724, 120200]. (b) The outage did not directly impact transportation systems. (c) The outage did not directly impact industries related to extracting materials from Earth. (d) The outage did not directly impact sales transactions. (e) The outage did not directly impact the construction industry. (f) The outage did not directly impact manufacturing industries. (g) The outage did not directly impact utilities services. (h) The outage did not directly impact financial services. (i) The outage did not directly impact knowledge-related industries. (j) The outage did not directly impact the health industry. (k) The outage did not directly impact the entertainment industry. (l) The outage did not directly impact government services. (m) The software failure incident was related to the social media industry, which is not explicitly covered in the provided industry options. |
Article ID: 119724
Article ID: 120200
Article ID: 119617