Learn from Google (Gmail)

Did you receive 20 identical emails?
Learn from Google's Duplicate Email Disaster

In 2013, a flaw in Google's batch mailing system caused some users to receive over 20 copies of the same email. Incident Drill helps your team practice responding to similar incidents, improving resilience and preventing future chaos.

Google (Gmail) | 2013 | Bug (Email)

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The Problem: Non-Atomic Updates

The Google incident highlighted the critical importance of atomic operations in distributed systems. Failing to ensure that updates are performed as a single, indivisible unit can lead to race conditions and data corruption, resulting in unexpected and widespread errors.

PREPARE YOUR TEAM

How Incident Drill helps

Incident Drill provides a safe and realistic environment to simulate incidents like the Google email bug. Your team can practice identifying root causes, implementing fixes, and communicating effectively under pressure, building invaluable experience without risking real-world disruption.

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Realistic Simulations

Experience incidents that mimic real-world scenarios.

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Team Collaboration

Practice coordinating responses and sharing knowledge.

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Time-Pressured Scenarios

Learn to make critical decisions under pressure.

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Post-Incident Analysis

Analyze your team's performance and identify areas for improvement.

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Effective Communication

Practice communicating clearly and concisely during incidents.

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Practical Solutions

Develop actionable strategies for preventing and resolving incidents.

WHY TEAMS PRACTICE THIS

Benefits of Practicing Incident Response

✓ Improve incident response time
✓ Reduce the impact of incidents
✓ Enhance team communication
✓ Identify system vulnerabilities
✓ Build confidence in your team's abilities
✓ Prevent future incidents

10:00 AM

Batch mailing system initiates email sending.

10:01 AM

Logic flaw: 'already sent' flag not atomically updated. ERROR

10:02 AM

Multiple email copies sent to users. ERROR

10:30 AM

Issue identified and fix deployed. FIXED

How It Works

Step 1: Identify the Bug

Pinpoint the non-atomic update in the batch mailing system.

Step 2: Implement Atomic Operations

Refactor the code to ensure the 'already sent' flag is updated atomically.

Step 3: Test Thoroughly

Run comprehensive tests to verify the fix and prevent regressions.

Step 4: Monitor and Alert

Implement monitoring and alerting to detect similar issues early.

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Related Incidents

Ready to Prevent Your Own Email Disaster?

Join the Incident Drill waitlist and start practicing realistic incident simulations today. Build a more resilient team and protect your reputation.

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Did you receive 20 identical emails?Learn from Google's Duplicate Email Disaster