What caused the sudden spike in API errors for project44's Truckload Visibility service last week?

Introduction

The sudden spike in API errors for project44's Truckload Visibility service last week is a critical issue that demands immediate attention and thorough analysis. As we delve into this problem, we'll follow a systematic approach to identify, validate, and address the root cause while considering both short-term fixes and long-term implications for our product and users.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the timing, I'm thinking this could be related to a recent deployment. Has there been any significant update or change to the Truckload Visibility service in the past week?

Why it matters: Recent changes often correlate with sudden spikes in errors. Expected answer: Yes, there was a deployment on Tuesday. Impact on approach: If confirmed, we'd focus on changes in that deployment.

• Considering the nature of API errors, I'm wondering about the specific error types. Can you provide more details on the most common error codes or messages we're seeing?

Why it matters: Different error types point to different root causes. Expected answer: Mostly 500 Internal Server Errors. Impact on approach: This would suggest backend issues rather than client-side problems.

• Given that this is a visibility service, I'm curious about the data flow. Has there been any change in data volume or patterns from our tracking partners recently?

Why it matters: Unusual data patterns could overwhelm the system. Expected answer: Data volume has been consistent. Impact on approach: If true, we'd look more at internal processing issues.

• Thinking about system dependencies, I'm wondering if any related services or databases have experienced issues. Have we seen any performance degradation in other parts of our infrastructure?

Why it matters: API errors often stem from interconnected system failures. Expected answer: Some database slowdowns were reported. Impact on approach: This would lead us to investigate database performance and connections.