Learn from npm (JavaScript ecosystem)

When 11 Lines of Code
Brought the Internet to a Screeching Halt

In 2016, the unpublishing of a small npm package, left-pad, triggered a global outage impacting thousands of projects. Incident Drill helps your team practice responding to dependency-related incidents before they cripple your systems.

npm (JavaScript ecosystem) | 2016 | Dependency/Outage

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The Fragility of Dependencies

Modern software relies heavily on dependencies, making it vulnerable to unexpected failures. The Left-Pad incident highlighted the critical risk of relying on external packages without proper safeguards and the devastating consequences of a single point of failure.

PREPARE YOUR TEAM

Incident Drill: Practice Makes Perfect

Incident Drill provides a safe and realistic environment to simulate dependency-related incidents like the Left-Pad fiasco. Your team can practice identifying, diagnosing, and resolving these issues, building muscle memory and improving response times when real incidents occur.

🚨

Realistic Simulations

Experience incidents that mirror real-world scenarios, including dependency failures and cascading outages.

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Root Cause Analysis

Develop your team's ability to quickly identify the root cause of incidents and implement effective solutions.

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Cross-Functional Collaboration

Practice communication and collaboration across teams to ensure a coordinated response during incidents.

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Performance Tracking

Measure your team's performance and identify areas for improvement with detailed metrics and reports.

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Post-Incident Reviews

Conduct thorough post-incident reviews to learn from mistakes and prevent future incidents.

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Customizable Scenarios

Tailor incident simulations to your specific technology stack and infrastructure.

WHY TEAMS PRACTICE THIS

Prepare for the Unexpected

✓ Minimize downtime and prevent costly outages
✓ Improve team communication and collaboration
✓ Strengthen your infrastructure's resilience
✓ Build confidence in your incident response process
✓ Reduce the impact of dependency failures
✓ Enhance overall system stability

2016-03-22

Developer unpublishes 'left-pad' package. ERROR

~1 Hour Later

Thousands of projects fail to build due to missing dependency. ERROR

~2 Hours Later

NPM republishes 'left-pad' to restore functionality. FIXED

How It Works

Step 1: Identify the Impact

Determine which systems and services are affected by the missing dependency.

Step 2: Isolate the Issue

Pinpoint the root cause of the failure and identify the missing package.

Step 3: Implement a Workaround

Explore temporary solutions, such as vendoring or using alternative libraries.

Step 4: Restore Functionality

Implement a permanent fix, such as updating dependencies or using a more robust dependency management system.

EXPLORE MORE

Related Incidents

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When 11 Lines of Code Brought the Internet to a Screeching Halt