Learn from Heroku (Salesforce)

When a 32-bit Limit
Brought Down Heroku

In 2023, a seemingly small integer overflow in a database table crippled Heroku's entire API. Incident Drill helps engineering teams practice responding to similar critical incidents to prevent future outages.

Heroku (Salesforce) | 2023 | Outage (Cloud)

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The Hidden Dangers of Scale

Modern cloud infrastructure is incredibly complex, with many potential points of failure. Incidents like the Heroku outage highlight the importance of **proactive incident preparedness** and understanding the **limitations of your systems** at scale. Ignoring these factors can lead to **catastrophic outages** and loss of customer trust.

PREPARE YOUR TEAM

How Incident Drill helps

Incident Drill provides realistic incident simulations based on real-world events like the Heroku outage. Teams practice incident response, troubleshooting, and communication under pressure, building the skills and muscle memory needed to **resolve critical issues faster** and **minimize downtime**. We empower engineers to **learn from the mistakes of others** without experiencing the pain firsthand.

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Realistic Simulations

Experience the pressure of a real Heroku-like outage.

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Root Cause Analysis

Dig deep to understand the underlying cause of the incident.

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Communication Training

Practice communicating effectively under pressure.

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Post-Incident Review

Conduct a thorough post-mortem to identify areas for improvement.

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Performance Tracking

Track team performance and identify skill gaps.

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Customizable Scenarios

Tailor simulations to your specific infrastructure and needs.

WHY TEAMS PRACTICE THIS

Benefits of Practicing Incident Response

✓ Reduce Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR)
✓ Improve Team Communication and Collaboration
✓ Identify and Mitigate Potential Failure Points
✓ Increase Confidence in Incident Response Capabilities
✓ Minimize Downtime and Business Impact
✓ Build a Culture of Learning and Improvement

00:00

Initial database table creation.

Years Later

Database table grows significantly.

Critical Moment

ERROR Foreign key reaches 32-bit integer limit.

Immediate Impact

New deployments fail.

Cascading Failure

Heroku API outage.

How It Works

Step 1: Simulate

Run a realistic Heroku-like database outage simulation.

Step 2: Investigate

Troubleshoot the incident and identify the root cause (integer overflow).

Step 3: Collaborate

Communicate effectively and coordinate a response plan.

Step 4: Resolve

Implement a solution and restore service availability.

EXPLORE MORE

Related Incidents

Prepare Your Team for the Unexpected

Join the Incident Drill waitlist and gain access to realistic incident simulations that will transform your engineering team's preparedness. Don't wait for an outage to happen – start training today!

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✓ Founding client discounts ✓ Shape the roadmap ✓ Direct founder support

When a 32-bit Limit Brought Down Heroku