| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
The article reports that Tesla drivers were locked out of their cars due to an outage in the Tesla app. This incident is not the first time such an issue has occurred with Tesla's software. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, acknowledged the problem and mentioned taking measures to prevent it from happening again in the future [120909].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
There is no information in the provided article about similar incidents happening at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the article can be attributed to the design phase. The outage that left Tesla drivers unable to start their cars was caused by an error in the Tesla app, which serves as a key for the vehicles. This error prevented users from connecting to their vehicles, indicating a failure introduced by the system development or updates [120909].
(b) Additionally, the article mentions that the Tesla app is not the only way to access the cars, indicating that there is a secondary mechanism to get in or out of the car beyond the app. The difficulty for drivers would arise if they are not carrying this secondary mechanism, suggesting that failures due to operation or misuse of the system could also play a role in such incidents [120909]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident with Tesla's app that left drivers unable to start their cars was due to factors originating from within the system. The outage struck the carmaker's app, causing dozens of owners to be locked out of their cars and unable to connect to their vehicles [Article 120909]. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, personally responded to complaints and mentioned that the app was coming back online. The issue was related to the functionality and reliability of the Tesla app itself, which serves as a key for drivers to unlock and start their cars. The reliance on the app as a primary mechanism for accessing the vehicles highlights the internal nature of the software failure incident. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the Tesla app outage was primarily due to non-human actions. The outage struck the app, preventing Tesla drivers from connecting to their vehicles. Elon Musk personally responded to complaints and mentioned that the app was coming back online, indicating a technical issue rather than human error [Article 120909]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 120909 was not attributed to hardware issues. The incident was specifically related to an outage that struck Tesla's app, which serves as a key for drivers to unlock and start their cars. The error message preventing drivers from connecting to their vehicles was a result of issues with the app itself, rather than any hardware-related problems.
(b) The software failure incident in Article 120909 was primarily caused by issues originating in the software, specifically the Tesla app. The outage that left Tesla drivers unable to start their cars was a result of a malfunction in the app, which serves as a crucial component for accessing and operating the vehicles. Elon Musk acknowledged the issue and mentioned that the app was coming back online, indicating that the root cause of the failure was related to software issues rather than hardware problems. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 120909 was non-malicious. The incident was caused by an outage that struck Tesla's app, leading to Tesla drivers being locked out of their cars. Elon Musk personally responded to complaints and mentioned that the app was coming back online. There was no indication in the article that the outage was caused by malicious intent; rather, it seemed to be a technical issue affecting the app's functionality [120909]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to Tesla drivers being locked out of their cars due to an outage of the Tesla app does not seem to be directly linked to poor decisions. The incident appears to be more of a technical issue or glitch rather than a result of poor decisions made by the company or individuals involved [120909].
(b) The software failure incident can be attributed to accidental decisions or unintended consequences rather than poor decisions. The outage that left Tesla drivers unable to start their cars was likely a result of a technical glitch or error in the app rather than a deliberate poor decision made by the company or its employees [120909]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is not explicitly mentioned in the provided article [120909].
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is evident in the article as Tesla drivers were locked out of their cars due to an outage that struck the carmaker's app. This outage was not intentional but occurred accidentally, leading to users being unable to connect to their vehicles [120909]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident reported in Article 120909 was temporary. The Tesla app outage prevented drivers from connecting to their vehicles for a certain period. Elon Musk responded to complaints and mentioned that the app was coming back online. The number of error reports decreased over time, indicating that the issue was resolved within a few hours [120909]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a crash as Tesla drivers were unable to start their cars after an outage struck the carmaker's app. The app was not functioning as intended, leading to users being locked out of their vehicles and unable to connect to them [Article 120909].
(b) omission: The software failure incident can also be categorized as an omission as the Tesla app, which serves as a key for drivers to unlock and start their cars, omitted to perform its intended function during the outage. This omission resulted in owners being unable to use their vehicles as they normally would [Article 120909].
(c) timing: The timing of the software failure incident can be considered as a factor in the outage. The error on the Tesla app was reported by about 500 users at a specific time, and the number of reports decreased over time. The outage occurred at a particular time, impacting users' ability to access their vehicles [Article 120909].
(d) value: The software failure incident can also be attributed to a value-related failure as the Tesla app was not performing its intended function correctly during the outage. Users were unable to use the app as a key to unlock and start their cars, leading to inconvenience and frustration for many owners [Article 120909].
(e) byzantine: There is no indication in the article that the software failure incident exhibited byzantine behavior, which involves inconsistent responses and interactions. The focus of the incident was on users being locked out of their cars due to the app outage, rather than erratic or inconsistent behavior of the app itself [Article 120909].
(f) other: The other behavior exhibited by the software failure incident could be described as a system failure due to reliance on a single mechanism. The incident highlighted the risk of relying solely on technology like the Tesla app to access vehicles, as it can lead to users being caught out if the system fails. This emphasizes the importance of having backup mechanisms in place to prevent such failures [Article 120909]. |