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DeviantCord Incident 1 Root Cause Analysis

· 4 min read
Michael Riley
Michael Riley
DeviantCord Creator/ Developer

DeviantCord Service Interruption - Beta Period​

Incident Period: Early November 2024 - November 24, 2024
Resolution Date: November 24, 2024, 18:10 CST
Service Status: Beta Testing Phase

Executive Summary​

During early November 2024, while DeviantCord was in its beta testing phase, some users experienced intermittent service interruptions when accessing their folders. Our developers identified the root cause as a database optimization issue affecting folder updates. The issue was fully resolved on November 24, 2024, through improvements to our database management system. As this occurred during our beta testing period, we were able to rapidly test solutions in the production environment with our beta testers' assistance.

Beta Testing Context​

  • This incident occurred during our announced beta testing phase
  • Changes were deployed directly to production for rapid testing
  • Beta testers were aware of potential service interruptions
  • Each fix required 7-8 hours of observation to verify effectiveness
  • No data loss occurred during any testing period

Impact​

  • Intermittent delays when accessing or updating folders
  • Occasional service timeouts during folder operations
  • Limited to beta testing participants
  • No data loss occurred during this incident
  • No security implications were associated with this incident

Root Cause​

The interruptions were caused by how our system handled large-scale folder updates. The process was attempting to update too many folders in a single operation, which occasionally led to connection timeouts.

Resolution Timeline​

  1. Initial Detection

    • Issue was first identified through our error monitoring system (Sentry)
    • Developers immediately began investigation
    • Beta testers subsequently reported occasional timeouts when accessing folders
    • Each potential fix required 7-8 hours of observation to verify effectiveness

  2. Beta Testing Advantage

    • Able to test solutions directly in production environment
    • Beta testers provided real-time feedback
    • Quick iteration on potential fixes
    • Extended observation periods (7-8 hours) for each solution attempt

  3. Investigation Progress

    • Multiple potential causes investigated through direct testing
    • Beta environment allowed for rapid deployment of test fixes
    • Source of the problem was isolated to folder update operations
    • Real-world testing with beta users provided valuable feedback

  4. Resolution

    • Implemented improved update process
    • Deployed fix directly to production on November 24, 2024
    • After the standard 7-8 hour observation period, confirmed service had returned to normal operation

Improvements Made​

  1. System Changes
    • Optimized how folder updates are processed
    • Modified database operation patterns
    • Implemented more efficient update process

Planned Improvements​

  1. Infrastructure Monitoring Enhancement

    • Separate from DeviantCord application
    • Planning to add comprehensive infrastructure performance metrics
    • Will implement enhanced system-wide error detection
    • Development of new automated infrastructure alerts
    • Deployment of dedicated monitoring infrastructure

  2. PostgreSQL Logging Enhancement

    • Implementation of detailed PostgreSQL logging
    • Enhanced database error tracking and diagnostics
    • Improved query performance monitoring
    • Better tracking of database connection states

Benefits of Beta Testing​

Our beta testing phase allowed us to:

  1. Rapidly test potential solutions
  2. Get immediate feedback from real users
  3. Identify and fix issues before general release
  4. Validate fixes in a real-world environment
  5. Make quick iterations on solutions

Future Safeguards​

We are committing to implement:

  1. Comprehensive system monitoring
  2. Enhanced logging and alerting systems
  3. Proactive performance monitoring
  4. Improved diagnostic capabilities
  5. Regular system health checks

Summary​

This incident, occurring during our beta testing phase, helped us identify and address an important aspect of our folder management system. The beta testing environment allowed us to quickly test and validate solutions, though each fix required 7-8 hours of observation to verify effectiveness. We have implemented initial fixes and have planned comprehensive monitoring and logging improvements to better detect and prevent similar issues in the future. We appreciate our beta testers' patience and valuable feedback during the resolution period. These learnings will help ensure a more stable experience for all users when the service enters general availability.

Sign Off​

This Root Cause Analysis has been reviewed and approved on November 25, 2024.

Michael Riley Lead Developer, DeviantCord November 25, 2024