Incident: iCloud Glitch Extends Storage Renewal Dates to 2050

Published Date: 2012-09-30

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident in the iCloud account system happened on September 30, 2012, as reported in [Article 14695].
System The system that failed in the software failure incident described in Article 14695 is: 1. iCloud account system [14695]
Responsible Organization 1. An operator error within Apple's iCloud account system [14695].
Impacted Organization 1. iCloud users [14695]
Software Causes 1. Glitch in the iCloud account system resulting in incorrect storage space and renewal dates [14695].
Non-software Causes 1. Operator error in the system configuration or data entry during the change process [14695].
Impacts 1. Users' iCloud accounts showed extended storage space with renewal dates pushed back to 2050, causing confusion and surprise [14695].
Preventions 1. Implement thorough testing procedures before deploying any changes to the iCloud account system to catch potential glitches or errors [14695]. 2. Conduct regular audits and checks on the system to ensure data integrity and accuracy, which could help identify anomalies like the extended storage space and renewal dates in the future [14695]. 3. Provide proper training and guidelines for operators managing the iCloud system to minimize the chances of operator errors leading to software glitches [14695].
Fixes 1. Apple can release a software update to correct the glitch in the iCloud account system [14695].
References 1. The information about the software failure incident in the article is gathered from the iCloud account system itself, as users noticed the glitch in their accounts showing extended storage space and renewal dates in the future [14695].

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring unknown (a) The software failure incident of iCloud accounts showing extended storage space with renewal dates years in the future is specific to Apple's iCloud service. There is no mention in the provided article of a similar incident happening before within the same organization. (b) The article does not mention any similar incident happening at other organizations or with their products and services.
Phase (Design/Operation) design (a) The software failure incident in the article seems to be related to the design phase. The glitch in the iCloud account system that resulted in showing extended storage space with renewal dates years in the future was likely caused by an operator error during the system development or update process. The article mentions that the unexpected behavior of iCloud accounts keeping the same 25GB of space and showing an expiration date of 2050 instead of downgrading to 5GB was a glitch in the system, indicating a design-related issue [14695]. (b) There is no specific information in the articles pointing to the software failure incident being related to the operation phase or misuse of the system.
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) The software failure incident related to the iCloud glitch is within the system. The glitch causing iCloud accounts to show extended storage space and renewal dates years in the future is attributed to an operator error within the iCloud account system itself. The article mentions that the unexpected change in storage space and renewal dates was a result of a glitch in the system, likely caused by an operator error [14695].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident in the iCloud account system, where some accounts showed extended storage space with renewal dates years in the future, was attributed to a glitch in the system. The glitch resulted in the accounts keeping the same 25GB of space and showing expiration dates pushed back to 2050. This issue was described as likely stemming from an operator error, indicating a failure due to contributing factors introduced without human participation [14695]. (b) The same software failure incident in the iCloud account system can also be linked to human actions. The decision to offer existing MobileMe customers a temporary extra 20GB of storage during the transition to the new service, and the subsequent extension of this offer until September 30, could be seen as a human action that contributed to the confusion and unexpected behavior in the system. Additionally, the article mentions that Apple made a change to users' iCloud accounts on September 30, which could have been a result of human decisions or actions that led to the glitch in the system [14695].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident related to hardware: - The article does not mention any hardware-related contributing factors that led to the software failure incident. Therefore, it is unknown if hardware played a role in this glitch [14695]. (b) The software failure incident related to software: - The software failure incident in this case is attributed to a glitch in the iCloud account system. It is described as an operator error, indicating that the issue originated within the software system itself [14695].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident described in Article 14695 is non-malicious. The glitch in the iCloud account system that resulted in some accounts showing extended storage space with renewal dates years in the future was attributed to an operator error. The article mentions that this change is just a glitch in the system and will soon be corrected by Apple, indicating that there was no malicious intent behind the failure [14695].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) accidental_decisions (a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor_decisions: The software failure incident with iCloud accounts showing extended storage space with renewal dates years in the future was not due to poor decisions but rather described as an apparent glitch in the system likely from an operator error [14695]. (b) The intent of the software failure incident related to accidental_decisions: The software failure incident with iCloud accounts showing extended storage space with renewal dates years in the future was attributed to an accidental glitch in the system, likely from an operator error, rather than intentional decisions [14695].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) accidental (a) The software failure incident in Article 14695 seems to be more related to accidental factors rather than development incompetence. The glitch in the iCloud account system that resulted in some accounts showing extended storage space with renewal dates years in the future is described as an operator error or a system glitch. The article mentions that the unexpected behavior of iCloud accounts keeping the same 25GB of space and showing an expiration date of 2050 was a surprise to users and likely a mistake in the system that will be corrected by Apple soon. This indicates that the failure was not due to development incompetence but rather an accidental glitch in the system [14695].
Duration temporary The software failure incident related to the iCloud glitch mentioned in Article 14695 is temporary. The glitch in the iCloud account system resulted in some accounts showing extended storage space with renewal dates years in the future. This unexpected behavior was not intended and was likely caused by an operator error. The article mentions that Apple will soon correct this glitch, indicating that it is a temporary issue that will be resolved by the company [14695].
Behaviour value, other (a) crash: The software failure incident in the article is not related to a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. The issue described is not about the system completely failing to function. (b) omission: The software failure incident does not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). The issue is not about the system missing specific functions. (c) timing: The software failure incident is not about the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The issue is not related to timing discrepancies. (d) value: The software failure incident is related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. Users' iCloud accounts showed extended storage space with renewal dates pushed back to 2050 instead of downgrading to the base level of 5GB as intended [14695]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The issue is not about inconsistent behavior. (f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in this case is related to a glitch in the system that resulted in incorrect information being displayed to users. This glitch, likely from an operator error, caused the iCloud accounts to show extended storage space with renewal dates in the distant future, which was not the intended behavior of the system [14695].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence no_consequence, theoretical_consequence Property: The software failure incident related to the iCloud glitch did not result in any real observed consequences. It was described as a temporary glitch in the system likely caused by an operator error, and Apple was expected to correct it soon. Users were advised not to be surprised if the unexpected benefit of extended storage space with renewal dates in 2050 disappeared in the near future [14695].
Domain unknown (a) The software failure incident related to the iCloud account system glitch does not directly specify the industry it was intended to support. The incident primarily focuses on the technical issue of extended storage space and renewal dates in the future, without explicitly mentioning the industry the system was intended to support. Therefore, the industry that the failed system was intended to support remains unknown based on the provided information from the articles [14695].

Sources

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