What caused the sudden spike in latency for LivePerson's Conversational Cloud platform during peak hours last week?

Introduction

The sudden spike in latency for LivePerson's Conversational Cloud platform during peak hours last week is a critical issue that demands immediate attention. This analysis will systematically identify, validate, and address the root cause while considering both short-term fixes and long-term implications for the platform's performance and user experience.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the timing, I'm thinking this might be related to a recent deployment. Has there been any significant update or change to the platform in the days leading up to the latency spike?

Why it matters: Recent changes often correlate with performance issues. Expected answer: Yes, a new feature was deployed two days prior. Impact on approach: If confirmed, we'd focus on the new feature's impact on system resources.

• Considering the "peak hours" mention, I'm curious about the load patterns. Can you provide more details on the traffic volume during these peak times compared to normal operations?

Why it matters: Unusual traffic spikes can strain system capacity. Expected answer: Traffic increased by 30% during peak hours. Impact on approach: If confirmed, we'd investigate scalability and load balancing strategies.

• Given the nature of the Conversational Cloud platform, I'm wondering about the specific components affected. Are all services experiencing latency, or is it isolated to particular features?

Why it matters: Isolating the issue helps narrow down potential causes. Expected answer: The chatbot response service is most affected. Impact on approach: We'd focus on that specific service's architecture and dependencies.

• Thinking about external factors, have there been any changes in major client usage patterns or onboarding of new high-volume customers recently?

Why it matters: Sudden changes in usage patterns can impact system performance. Expected answer: A new enterprise client was onboarded last week. Impact on approach: We'd investigate the impact of this client's traffic on the system.