What's causing the sudden spike in support tickets related to Tableau Prep connectivity issues?

Introduction

The sudden spike in support tickets related to Tableau Prep connectivity issues is a critical problem that requires immediate attention. This analysis will systematically identify, validate, and address the root cause while considering both short-term fixes and long-term implications for our product ecosystem.

I'll approach this issue by first clarifying the context, then ruling out external factors before diving deep into our product's user journey and metrics. We'll generate data-driven hypotheses, conduct root cause analysis, and develop a comprehensive plan for validation and resolution.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the timing, I'm thinking this might be related to a recent update. Has there been any recent software release or system change?

Why it matters: Recent changes often correlate with sudden spikes in issues. Expected answer: Yes, a minor update was pushed last week. Impact on approach: If confirmed, we'd focus on changes in that update.

• Considering user segments, I'm wondering if this is affecting all users equally. Are we seeing this issue across all user types or is it concentrated in a specific segment?

Why it matters: Helps narrow down if it's a universal problem or specific to certain users. Expected answer: It's primarily affecting enterprise users. Impact on approach: We'd investigate enterprise-specific configurations or use cases.

• Given the nature of connectivity issues, I'm curious about the geographic distribution. Is this problem localized to specific regions or global?

Why it matters: Could indicate infrastructure or region-specific integration problems. Expected answer: It's seen across multiple regions but more prevalent in EMEA. Impact on approach: We'd look into EMEA-specific network or data center issues.

• Thinking about the error patterns, are users reporting any specific error messages or behaviors when these connectivity issues occur?

Why it matters: Specific error messages can point to particular system components or failure modes. Expected answer: Users are seeing "Connection Timeout" errors most frequently. Impact on approach: We'd focus on network latency or authentication timeout issues.