What factors contributed to the sudden 30% increase in failed API calls for BetterCloud's automation engine last week?

Introduction

The sudden 30% increase in failed API calls for BetterCloud's automation engine last week is a critical issue that demands immediate attention. This problem directly impacts our core product functionality and user experience. I'll approach this analysis systematically, focusing on identifying potential root causes, validating hypotheses, and developing both short-term fixes and long-term solutions.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the timing, I'm thinking there might have been a recent deployment. Has there been any significant code push or system update in the past week?

Why it matters: Recent changes often correlate with performance issues. Expected answer: Yes, there was a deployment. Impact on approach: If yes, we'd focus on changes in that deployment.

• Considering the scale of the issue, I'm wondering about its distribution. Is this 30% increase uniform across all customers or concentrated in specific segments?

Why it matters: Helps identify if it's a global issue or specific to certain user groups. Expected answer: It's affecting enterprise customers more. Impact on approach: If segmented, we'd investigate unique characteristics of affected groups.

• Given the nature of API calls, I'm curious about the error types. Are we seeing any particular error codes or patterns in these failed calls?

Why it matters: Different error types point to different root causes. Expected answer: There's an increase in timeout errors. Impact on approach: This would guide our focus towards performance or capacity issues.

• Thinking about external factors, have there been any significant changes in usage patterns or volume of API calls recently?

Why it matters: Unusual spikes or changes in usage can strain systems. Expected answer: Usage has been steadily increasing. Impact on approach: If yes, we'd need to consider scaling and capacity planning.

• Considering the potential impact, I'm wondering about our monitoring systems. Have there been any alerts or anomalies detected in our infrastructure or dependent services?

Why it matters: Helps identify if the issue was detected early and if our monitoring is adequate. Expected answer: Some alerts were triggered but not immediately acted upon. Impact on approach: This would highlight potential improvements in our monitoring and response processes.