| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to Microsoft's Xbox One launch experiencing problems with its online services, including DNS failure issues affecting Xbox.com, microsoft.com, and Office 365 [23251]. This incident is not the first time Microsoft has faced outages or issues with its cloud-based services, as previously component failure and certification issues have caused outages for Azure, Microsoft's cloud platform [23251].
(b) The article mentions that the Register speculated that an internal DNS issue may be to blame for the Xbox One online services problems [23251]. Additionally, the growth in demand for data-heavy networked and multiplayer games, online television, and rich content sourced from the internet could impact networks and data centers, indicating that similar incidents related to high data usage and network strain may have occurred at other organizations as well [23251]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the article as it mentions problems with Microsoft's online services, including Xbox.com, microsoft.com, and Office 365. Users experienced error messages referencing a DNS failure, indicating a potential design flaw in the system's network configuration [23251].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is also highlighted in the article. The article mentions that Xbox vice president Phil Harrison acknowledged the struggle to meet consumer demand for the console, indicating operational challenges in managing the supply chain and distribution of the product [23251]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the Xbox One launch was primarily within the system. The article mentions problems with Microsoft's online services, including Xbox.com, microsoft.com, and Office 365, being taken down due to a DNS failure [23251]. Microsoft was investigating internal DNS issues as a potential cause of the problem, indicating that the failure originated within the system itself. Additionally, the article discusses issues with Azure, Microsoft's cloud platform, which further points to internal system issues causing the service interruptions.
(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. The focus of the incident seems to be on internal issues within Microsoft's systems, such as DNS failures and Azure outages. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident related to non-human actions was due to problems with Microsoft's online services, which took down Xbox.com, microsoft.com, and Office 365. Users were shown error messages referencing a DNS failure. Microsoft mentioned that the issues were not caused by Windows Azure, and an internal DNS issue was speculated to be the cause [23251].
(b) The software failure incident related to human actions involved Xbox vice president Phil Harrison admitting that the company would struggle to meet consumer demand for the console. He mentioned that there would be difficulty getting stock through until Christmas, and the company was doing its best to accelerate supply to retailers and customers. Retailers were informed about their day one allocation, and it was up to them whether they chose to hold back stock for on-shelves [23251]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The article mentions that the Xbox One launch was marred by problems with its online services, which took down the official website Xbox.com, as well as microsoft.com and Office 365. Users were shown error messages referencing a DNS failure [23251].
- The Register speculated that an internal DNS issue may be to blame for the problems with Microsoft's online services [23251].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The article does not provide specific information indicating that the software failure incident was directly caused by software issues. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Xbox One launch was non-malicious. The incident was attributed to problems with online services, specifically a DNS failure, which took down various Microsoft websites and services like Xbox.com, microsoft.com, and Office 365 [23251]. Microsoft mentioned that the issues were not caused by Windows Azure and that they were still investigating the root cause of the problem. The failure was not attributed to any malicious intent but rather to technical issues affecting the online services. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Xbox One launch was not primarily due to poor decisions but rather technical issues. Microsoft's online services experienced problems with DNS failure, which led to the outage of Xbox.com, microsoft.com, and Office 365 [23251]. The incident was attributed to internal DNS issues, and Microsoft was still investigating the root cause. Additionally, there were separate issues with Windows Azure Storage, which were resolved [23251].
(b) The software failure incident was more aligned with accidental decisions or technical issues rather than mistakes or unintended decisions. The focus was on resolving the technical problems and ensuring services were fully restored rather than highlighting poor or accidental decisions as the primary cause of the outage. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is not explicitly mentioned in the provided article. The issues with Microsoft's Xbox One launch, such as problems with online services, DNS failure, and outages for Azure, were attributed to technical issues and network challenges rather than development incompetence.
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is evident in the article. The problems with Microsoft's Xbox One launch, including the online services going down and error messages referencing a DNS failure, were described as unexpected issues that affected the availability of services. Microsoft was still investigating the root cause, indicating that the incident was accidental rather than intentionally caused. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the Xbox One launch experienced temporary downtime. Microsoft's online services, including Xbox.com, microsoft.com, and Office 365, were affected by a DNS failure, causing error messages for users [23251]. The services were eventually fully restored, indicating that the failure was temporary and not permanent. Microsoft was investigating the cause of the issue, suggesting that it was due to specific circumstances rather than a permanent underlying problem. |
| Behaviour |
other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident mentioned in the article was not a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. Instead, it was related to online services being taken down, showing error messages referencing a DNS failure [23251].
(b) omission: The incident did not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). It was more about services being disrupted due to issues with online services and DNS failure [23251].
(c) timing: The failure was not related to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. It was more about the disruption caused by the online services being taken down [23251].
(d) value: The software failure incident was not due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. It was more about the issues with online services and DNS failure affecting Microsoft's platforms [23251].
(e) byzantine: The incident did not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. It was more about the disruption in online services and DNS failure affecting Microsoft's platforms [23251].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident was related to online services being impacted, error messages showing DNS failure, and disruptions in Microsoft's platforms like Xbox.com, microsoft.com, and Office 365. The incident was not specifically categorized as a crash, omission, timing, value, or byzantine behavior [23251]. |