| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
The article mentions a previous incident with iOS 8 in 2014, where Apple faced issues with instability and had to roll out bug fixes. This indicates that Apple has experienced software failure incidents with its products in the past [42062].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
There is no specific mention in the article about similar incidents happening at other organizations or with their products and services. Therefore, it is unknown if this particular software failure incident has occurred at multiple organizations. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the article. The issue with iOS 9.3 causing older iPads to brick at the activation stage indicates a failure due to contributing factors introduced by system development or updates. The article mentions that despite testing, random problems can crop up once the software reaches millions of users, highlighting the challenges for Apple to figure out the pervasiveness of the problem and how to resolve it quickly [42062].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is also evident in the article. Users reported authentication error messages when trying to activate their iPads post-installation of iOS 9.3. Some users were unable to activate their tablets even after waiting for 24 hours, suggesting a different type of problem related to the operation or misuse of the system [42062]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
From the provided article [42062], the software failure incident related to the iOS 9.3 update causing older iPads to brick at the activation stage can be analyzed as follows:
(a) within_system: The issue of older iPads bricking at the activation stage after installing iOS 9.3 seems to be a result of problems within the system. Users are experiencing authentication error messages during the activation process, indicating an internal software issue within the iOS update itself. Some users were able to resolve the problem by connecting their devices to iTunes or performing a full restore, suggesting that the root cause of the failure lies within the software update [42062].
(b) outside_system: On the other hand, the article also mentions the possibility of overworked Apple servers struggling to keep up with the large number of people trying to install the new software. This external factor could be contributing to the software failure incident by causing delays in activation or exacerbating the issues faced by users trying to update their iPads [42062]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
The article mentions that certain older iPads are unable to install iOS 9.3 and are "bricking" at the activation stage, leaving them inoperable. This issue seems to affect the iPad 2 in particular, with users receiving authentication error messages when trying to activate their iPads post-installation. The article suggests that the problem could be due to overworked Apple servers struggling to keep up with the large number of people trying to install the new software, indicating a non-human factor contributing to the failure [42062].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
The article does not provide specific information indicating that the software failure incident was directly caused by human actions. Therefore, it is unknown if human actions played a role in this particular incident [42062]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The issue seems to affect the iPad 2 in particular, with users receiving authentication error messages when trying to activate their iPads post-installation [42062].
- Some iPad owners were able to fix the glitch by connecting their devices to iTunes, while others had to perform a full restore, indicating potential hardware-related issues [42062].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The new issue with iOS 9.3 causing older iPads to brick at the activation stage suggests a software-related problem [42062].
- Users experiencing activation issues post-installation of the software highlight a software failure aspect [42062]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article does not indicate any malicious intent. The issue with iOS 9.3 causing older iPads to become inoperable seems to be a non-malicious failure. It is attributed to problems during the activation stage post-installation, potentially related to overworked Apple servers or other technical issues. Users reported authentication errors and inability to activate their iPads, leading to frustration and the need for fixes such as connecting to iTunes or performing a full restore [42062]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the iOS 9.3 update causing issues for older iPads can be attributed to poor_decisions. The incident highlights problems faced by certain older iPad users, particularly the iPad 2, who were unable to install the update and ended up with bricked devices. The issue seems to have arisen during the activation stage post-installation, leading to authentication errors and inoperable iPads. Despite the extensive testing done before the release, random problems emerged once the software reached millions of users, indicating a failure due to contributing factors introduced by poor decisions [42062]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the article as it mentions how certain older iPads were unable to install iOS 9.3 and were "bricking" at the activation stage, rendering them inoperable. This issue affected the iPad 2 in particular, with users experiencing authentication error messages during activation post-installation. Despite testing before the release, random problems arose once the software reached millions of users, indicating a potential oversight or lack of thorough testing by the development team [42062].
(b) The accidental nature of the software failure incident is also highlighted in the article. It suggests that the issue could be due to overworked Apple servers struggling to handle the large number of people trying to install the new software. Additionally, some iPad owners were unable to activate their tablets even after waiting for 24 hours, indicating unexpected challenges beyond intentional actions. This accidental aspect of the failure is further emphasized by users seeking fixes and expressing frustration over the situation, implying an unforeseen consequence rather than a deliberate action [42062]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident related to the inability of certain older iPads to install iOS 9.3 and getting "bricked" at the activation stage seems to be more of a temporary issue rather than a permanent one. This is indicated by the fact that some iPad owners were able to fix the glitch by connecting their devices to iTunes or performing a full restore [42062]. Additionally, the article mentions that iPad owners may want to wait to update to iOS 9.3 until the situation is clarified, suggesting that there is a possibility of a resolution being implemented to address the problem, indicating a temporary nature of the issue. |
| Behaviour |
crash, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article can be categorized as a crash. Older iPads were unable to install iOS 9.3 and were "bricking" at the activation stage, rendering them inoperable [42062].
(b) omission: The incident does not specifically mention a failure due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s).
(c) timing: The incident does not specifically mention a failure due to the system performing its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early.
(d) value: The incident does not specifically mention a failure due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly.
(e) byzantine: The incident does not specifically mention a failure due to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as a crash, where the system lost its state and was unable to perform its intended functions, leading to the bricking of older iPads during the iOS 9.3 update process [42062]. |