Incident Response

⚠️ PRODUCTION SAFETY PROTOCOL ⚠️
NO UNTESTED CHANGES TO PRODUCTION
Validate all fixes in lower environments first.
Emergency production changes require manager approval.
0-30
STOP THE BLEEDING
First 30 minutes
• Acknowledge incident
• Engage appropriate resources
• Establish war room
30-60
STABILIZE
Next 30 minutes
• Contain damage
• Identify root cause
• Maintain communications
60+
FIX PROPERLY
Next 30+ minutes
• Implement permanent solution
• Execute gradual restoration
• Verify recovery
LEARN & PREVENT
1-2 days later
• Conduct post-mortem
• Implement improvements
• Share lessons learned

IMMEDIATE RESPONSE (0-30 min)

1. Acknowledge & Escalate
Scenario: SEV1 Payment API outage → PagerDuty: Click "Acknowledge" immediately → Slack: Post "#incidents SEV1 Payment system - need assistance and/or running initial runbooks made for tier 1 engineers" → Escalate: Use PagerDuty escalation policies to engage senior staff → Contact: Reach out to designated technical lead or on-call engineer
Rationale: Early acknowledgment prevents alert escalation and ensures rapid team mobilization
2. Gather Initial Context
Scenario: Senior engineer responds and assumes technical leadership → Access monitoring dashboards through standard bookmark locations → Check New Relic APM for payment service error rates → Consult payment outage runbook in Confluence → Document initial findings and error patterns
Rationale: Systematic information gathering provides foundation for effective response
3. Support Incident Commander
Scenario: Engineering Manager assumes Incident Commander role → Monitor designated dashboards for changes and anomalies → Document all troubleshooting steps and outcomes → Track dashboard metrics and report significant changes → Maintain detailed incident timeline
Rationale: Supporting roles enable technical leads to focus on critical resolution activities
4. Establish Communication Channels
Scenario: Multi-team coordination required → IC creates dedicated incident channel (#sev1-payments-timestamp) → Add relevant team members and stakeholders → Pin important links and status updates to channel → Set up bridge call if required for complex coordination
Rationale: Dedicated channels prevent communication fragmentation during critical incidents
5. Initial War Room Setup
Scenario: Coordinate incident management infrastructure → Update StatusPage.io with initial acknowledgment → Create JIRA incident ticket with initial details → Notify Customer Support team of user-facing impact → Activate appropriate notification policies
Rationale: Proper infrastructure setup enables effective incident management and stakeholder communication

SHORT-TERM STABILIZATION (30-60 min)

6. Execute Runbook Procedures
Scenario: Systematic troubleshooting approach → Navigate to appropriate runbook in Confluence documentation system → Execute procedures in sequence as documented → Document each step's outcome and any deviations from expected results → Switch to backup payment processor per established procedures
Rationale: Standardized procedures ensure consistent response and minimize human error
7. Conduct Root Cause Investigation
Scenario: Systematic investigation of underlying causes → Analyze New Relic logs for specific error patterns in 30-minute window → Identify "Connection timeout to stripe.com" as recurring error → Verify external service status via Stripe status page → Correlate timeline of external service issues with internal alerts
Rationale: Understanding root causes enables targeted fixes and prevents recurring issues
8. Monitor Stabilization Metrics
Scenario: Track recovery progress through key performance indicators → Monitor Datadog payment dashboard for system health metrics → Track PayPal processor success rate (target: restoration to baseline levels) → Configure PagerDuty alert suppression for known issues → Document location of critical monitoring dashboards for future reference
Rationale: Systematic monitoring ensures stabilization efforts are effective and sustainable
9. Maintain Stakeholder Communication
Scenario: Regular updates to all stakeholders → Update incident channel with current status: "PayPal processor active, payment volume restored" → Coordinate with IC for executive and customer communication → Update StatusPage.io with customer-facing status information → Provide technical updates to development and operations teams
Rationale: Consistent communication prevents confusion and enables informed decision-making
10. Document Response Actions
Scenario: Comprehensive incident documentation → Record all troubleshooting steps and their outcomes → Document dashboard locations and monitoring procedures → Note lessons learned and process improvements identified → Prepare handover documentation for follow-up activities
Rationale: Thorough documentation enables effective post-incident analysis and knowledge transfer

LONG-TERM RESOLUTION (60+ min)

11. Implement Permanent Fix
Scenario: Address root cause with sustainable solution → Rewrite database query to utilize proper indexes → Implement query timeout (5 seconds) to prevent system hanging → Deploy caching layer for frequently accessed data → Validate solution in staging environment before production deployment
Rationale: Permanent solutions prevent incident recurrence and improve system resilience
12. Execute Gradual Restoration
Scenario: Risk-managed rollout approach → Deploy to 10% of traffic, monitor for 15 minutes → Progressive rollout: 25% → 50% → 75% → 100% → Monitor checkout success rate, database CPU, and error logs → Maintain rollback capability throughout restoration process
Rationale: Gradual deployment identifies edge cases before full system impact
13. Verify Complete Recovery
Scenario: Multi-dimensional verification approach → Technical metrics: Confirm 99.5% checkout success rate restoration → User impact assessment: Customer support ticket volume normalization → Business metrics: Revenue per hour restored to baseline → External validation: Social media and community feedback monitoring
Rationale: Comprehensive verification ensures both technical and user experience recovery
14. Formal Incident Closure
Scenario: Structured handoff and resolution documentation → IC announces official incident resolution to all stakeholders → Establish 24-hour monitoring coverage for stability verification → Resume standard on-call rotation and alerting policies → Create and assign follow-up tasks with clear ownership and deadlines
Rationale: Clear closure prevents confusion and ensures follow-up accountability

FOLLOW-UP (24-48 hours)

15. Conduct Post-Incident Review
Scenario: Structured learning-focused analysis within 48 hours → Convene all incident responders and key stakeholders → Reconstruct detailed timeline of events and responses → Perform root cause analysis using 5 Whys methodology → Identify contributing factors and systemic issues → Define specific, measurable action items with owners and deadlines
Rationale: Systematic analysis focuses on process improvement rather than individual accountability
16. Implement System Improvements
Scenario: Execute post-mortem action items → Deploy database query performance monitoring with alerts for queries exceeding 2 seconds → Establish mandatory query review process for database changes → Increase connection pool size from 50 to 100 connections → Integrate load testing into CI/CD pipeline for database changes
Rationale: Proactive system improvements address underlying conditions that enabled the incident
17. Update Operational Documentation
Scenario: Enhance incident response capabilities → Create specific "Checkout System Outage" runbook with detailed troubleshooting steps → Update database troubleshooting procedures to prioritize slow query log analysis → Document new monitoring thresholds and escalation triggers → Include architectural diagrams showing system dependencies
Rationale: Improved documentation accelerates future incident response and reduces resolution time
18. Share Knowledge Organization-Wide
Scenario: Broadcast lessons learned across engineering organization → Distribute incident summary highlighting key learning: "Load test all database schema changes" → Include failure analysis, resolution approach, and prevention measures → Present incident response best practices at engineering all-hands meeting → Update onboarding materials with new procedures and lessons learned
Rationale: Knowledge sharing prevents similar incidents across teams and builds organizational resilience

FIRST 30 DAYS - Foundation Building

Week 1-2: System Access and Tool Familiarization
• Obtain access to all monitoring tools (Datadog, New Relic, PagerDuty) • Organize critical dashboards in accessible bookmark structure • Configure Slack notifications for #incidents channel • Complete required security training for production system access
Objective: Establish foundational access and navigation capabilities for emergency response
Week 2-3: Incident Response Observation
• Observe all incident responses regardless of timing • Document escalation patterns and team member responsibilities • Create reference guide mapping issue types to appropriate contacts • Practice executing runbooks in staging environment
Objective: Understand team dynamics and standard operating procedures through direct observation
Week 3-4: SEV3 Incident Handling
• Assume primary responsibility for SEV3 incidents with senior engineer oversight • Follow standard escalation protocol: investigate for 15 minutes, then escalate if unresolved • Develop proficiency in incident communication and status updates • Study historical incident post-mortems to identify common failure patterns
Objective: Build practical incident response experience with low-risk scenarios
End of Month Competency Assessment
• Demonstrate ability to locate payment dashboard within 30 seconds • Show clear understanding of escalation criteria and procedures • Execute basic runbook procedures without supervision • Qualify for SEV3 on-call duties with senior engineer backup support
Objective: Verify readiness for independent handling of minor incidents

30-60 DAYS - Competence Development

Week 5-6: SEV3 Incident Leadership
• Lead SEV3 incidents from initial response through resolution independently • Develop proficiency in post-incident communication and stakeholder updates • Master advanced log analysis techniques in Splunk/New Relic • Contribute to runbook improvements based on practical experience
Objective: Achieve independent capability for minor incident management
Week 6-7: SEV2 Incident Support
• Participate in SEV2 incidents as supporting technical responder • Execute safe investigation tasks while senior engineers handle critical path work • Develop database query skills for payment and user data lookup during incidents • Learn decision criteria for rollback versus forward fix approaches
Objective: Become valuable contributor to medium-severity incident response
Week 7-8: System Architecture Understanding
• Study comprehensive system architecture documentation in Confluence • Master payment processing flow from frontend through API to database and external services • Identify common failure points and their characteristic symptoms → Develop skills in explaining technical issues to non-technical stakeholders
Objective: Build system knowledge required for effective troubleshooting and communication
60-Day Competency Assessment
• Demonstrate confident leadership of SEV3 incidents • Show comprehensive understanding of payment, user, and order system architecture • Provide meaningful assistance during SEV2 incident response • Qualify for backup on-call coverage during evening and weekend shifts
Objective: Establish trusted team member status for most incident categories

60-90 DAYS - Full Operational Capability

Week 9-10: SEV2 Incident Leadership
• Lead SEV2 incidents with senior engineer available as backup resource • Coordinate multi-person response teams during complex multi-system failures • Make informed decisions about business impact escalation criteria • Execute all common runbooks without constant reference to documentation
Objective: Achieve independent management capability for significant incidents
Week 10-11: SEV1 Technical Response
• Serve as technical responder in SEV1 incident teams • Execute parallel investigation activities while senior staff handles critical resolution path • Communicate technical findings clearly to Incident Commander • Understand business impact calculation and revenue implications for decision-making
Objective: Contribute effectively to critical incident response teams
Week 11-12: Advanced Troubleshooting Skills
• Troubleshoot novel issues without relying solely on existing runbooks • Create new runbook procedures for previously undocumented scenarios • Apply performance analysis and database optimization techniques • Coordinate effectively across teams (DevOps, Product, Customer Support)
Objective: Handle new incident types independently and contribute to organizational knowledge
90-Day Final Assessment
• Demonstrate independent SEV2 incident management capability • Provide valuable technical contribution to SEV1 incident response • Apply systematic troubleshooting methodology without step-by-step guidance • Qualify for full on-call rotation including primary responder responsibilities
Objective: Achieve full team member status ready for independent on-call responsibilities

DEVIATION MANAGEMENT

Runbook Procedure Failure
Scenario: Standard payment outage runbook fails when backup processor is also unavailable STOP: Discontinue unsuccessful procedures immediately Communication: Alert incident channel with specific failure details Escalation: Engage senior engineer immediately with precise error information Documentation: Record which procedures failed and exact error messages received
Protocol: Escalate quickly with specific failure details rather than continuing ineffective procedures
Emergency Fix Causes Additional Issues
Scenario: Maintenance mode activation causes complete site unavailability REVERT: Immediately undo the last change before additional troubleshooting Communication: Inform IC of actions taken and current system state Transparency: Provide complete details of intervention and its impact Learning: Document incident for future emergency procedure validation
Protocol: Immediate reversion and transparent communication prevent compounding issues
Cascade Failure Management
Scenario: Payment system failure triggers database alerts and login system failures Focus: Concentrate on primary business impact rather than all alerts Communication: Request IC prioritization guidance for multiple system failures Execution: Implement IC decision to prioritize payment system over login functionality Alert Management: Suppress non-critical alerts to reduce noise and improve focus
Protocol: During cascades, IC must prioritize based on business impact rather than technical complexity
Key Personnel Unavailability
Scenario: Primary payment system expert unresponsive during critical incident Escalation: Proceed to next person in PagerDuty escalation policy immediately Documentation: Consult team documentation for backup contact information Broadcast: Post urgent requests in relevant team Slack channels Executive Escalation: Contact engineering director for emergency contact information if required
Protocol: Multiple escalation paths prevent single points of failure in human resources

HIGH-PRESSURE SCENARIOS

Executive Pressure Management
Scenario: Executive leadership requesting frequent updates during incident response
• IC establishes communication schedule: "Updates every 15 minutes via email thread"
• Set boundaries: "Technical team requires focused work periods for effective resolution"
• Designate communicator: Assign specific team member to handle executive communication
• Maintain schedule: "Next update at 3:45 PM as committed"
Protocol: Structured communication prevents executive pressure from disrupting technical focus
External Customer Pressure
Scenario: Social media complaints and customer support volume surge during outage
• Technical focus: Concentrate on resolution rather than external communication monitoring
• Support coordination: Customer support team handles external communication using technical updates
• Status page updates: Maintain honest, non-technical customer communication
• Avoid distraction: Do not monitor social media during active incident response
Protocol: External pressure management through delegation enables technical team focus
Revenue Impact Pressure
Scenario: Real-time revenue loss metrics displayed during incident
• Maintain discipline: Pressure to accelerate often causes additional errors
• IC reinforcement: "Execute properly rather than quickly"
• Risk assessment: Avoid shortcuts that compromise testing and validation
• Progress communication: Report restoration percentages to reduce team pressure
Protocol: Systematic approach prevents revenue pressure from causing larger disasters
Stress Management Techniques
Techniques for maintaining effectiveness during high-stress incidents:
• Breathing control: Implement deliberate 4-second inhale, 4-second exhale pattern
• Focus management: Concentrate on immediate next step rather than entire problem scope
• Procedure adherence: Follow established procedures rather than improvising under pressure
• Communication frequency: Regular updates reduce anxiety for entire team
Protocol: Systematic stress management improves decision-making quality during critical incidents

OPERATIONAL REALITY

Documentation Accuracy Issues
Scenario: Runbook references non-existent system components
• Time limit: Attempt procedure for maximum 2 minutes before escalation
• Communication: "Runbook step 3 references missing component - require assistance"
• Resolution: Senior engineer provides updated procedure location
• Follow-up: Update documentation after incident resolution
Protocol: Rapid escalation prevents time waste on outdated procedures
Monitoring System Failures
Scenario: Primary monitoring platform unavailable during incident
• Backup systems: Utilize alternative monitoring platforms (New Relic, Grafana)
• Direct verification: SSH to servers for direct log analysis
• User feedback: Incorporate customer reports as data source
• External monitoring: Leverage third-party uptime monitoring services
Protocol: Multiple monitoring sources prevent operational blindness during tool failures
Subject Matter Expert Unavailability
Scenario: Critical system expert unreachable during incident
• Documentation review: Consult system overview and design documents
• Knowledge transfer: Identify team members with relevant system experience
• Vendor engagement: Contact external service providers directly
• Historical analysis: Review similar past incidents and resolution approaches
Protocol: Diversified knowledge sources prevent single-person dependencies
Multiple Concurrent Critical Incidents
Scenario: Payment system, database corruption, and infrastructure outage simultaneous
• IC triage: "Prioritize by business impact severity"
• Team allocation: Payment team, database team, infrastructure team parallel work
• Sequential approach: Focus on highest business impact first
• Accept constraints: Some systems may remain degraded during primary incident resolution
Protocol: Ruthless prioritization required when resources cannot address all issues simultaneously
Unknown System Behavior
Scenario: System exhibiting unexpected behavior without clear cause
• Precise symptom description: "Payment API returns 200 status but no database writes occur"
• Rapid escalation: Request assistance after 30 minutes of investigation
• Collaborative troubleshooting: Share screen for additional perspective
• Reversion strategy: Return to last known good state as safety measure
Protocol: Systematic approach to unknown issues prevents extended troubleshooting delays

TECHNICAL COMPLICATIONS

Rollback Procedure Failure
Scenario: Deployment rollback causes additional database errors STOP: Discontinue rollback procedure immediately Alert IC: "Rollback failed - database errors introduced" Emergency procedure: Identify last known stable deployment (multiple versions back) Database team engagement: May require backup restoration procedures Documentation: Record exact rollback attempt and failure mode
Protocol: Rollback failures require deeper historical restoration and specialized expertise
Historical State Reliability Issues
Scenario: Rollback reveals that previous "working" version had undetected issues Reality assessment: Current incident exposed pre-existing hidden problems Strategy shift: Focus on forward fix rather than continued rollback attempts Communication: "Rollback revealed pre-existing issue, implementing root cause fix" Technical escalation: Architectural-level expertise required for comprehensive solution
Protocol: Sometimes "working" state was only perceived functionality, requiring fundamental fixes
Log System Reliability Issues
Scenario: Application logs show success status while payments actually fail Verification approach: Cross-reference logs with actual user behavior data Multi-source validation: Database records, application logs, user reports Infrastructure check: Verify logging pipeline integrity Manual testing: Execute actual user journey for direct validation Documentation: "Logging system unreliable during incident - used customer feedback for verification"
Protocol: Real user impact verification trumps potentially corrupted log data
Backup System Degradation
Scenario: Backup payment processor has 50% failure rate compared to 0% primary system availability Trade-off analysis: 0% success versus 50% success - 50% provides business value Stakeholder communication: "Backup system has limitations but provides partial functionality" Parallel work: Continue primary system restoration while backup operates Expectation management: Communicate temporary nature of backup solution Monitoring: Backup system may fail completely under full load
Protocol: Sometimes all options are suboptimal - select least problematic while continuing primary fix
Undocumented System Dependencies
Scenario: Payment system fix causes user account lockout due to unknown integration Impact assessment: Identify all systems affected by primary fix Emergency discovery: "Which systems have dependencies on payment service?" Prioritization: Determine if account lockouts acceptable short-term versus payment restoration Architecture consultation: Engage personnel with system integration knowledge Documentation update: Record newly discovered dependencies for future reference
Protocol: Complex systems have hidden interdependencies that may cause secondary issues

HUMAN FACTORS

Incident Commander Stress Response
Scenario: IC demonstrating high stress levels and inconsistent decision-making Maintain composure: Prevent stress contagion through calm professional demeanor Provide structure: "IC, should we prioritize payment system or database restoration?" Suggest procedure: "Recommend following established runbook sequence" Escalate if necessary: Contact IC's manager if decisions become counterproductive Stability role: Provide consistent technical updates to anchor team focus
Protocol: Calm leadership prevents team-wide panic and maintains operational effectiveness
Expert Advice Validation
Scenario: Subject matter expert provides advice that appears to worsen system state Verification protocol: "Recommend testing this approach in staging environment first" Respectful questioning: "Can you confirm this approach given current system behavior?" Second opinion: Request confirmation from additional qualified team member Documentation: "Followed expert recommendation but outcome differed from expectation" Assumption of good intent: Expert may be referencing different system configuration
Protocol: Verification prevents implementation of advice based on outdated or incorrect assumptions
Inter-Team Conflict During Incidents
Scenario: Database and application teams engaging in blame assignment during active incident Neutral stance: "Focus on resolution now, analysis after restoration" Fact-based communication: "Database CPU at 95%, payment API experiencing timeouts" IC mediation: "Teams focus on respective responsibilities, post-incident analysis for accountability" Separation if required: Use different communication channels for conflicting teams Neutral documentation: Record timeline and technical facts without blame attribution
Protocol: Blame assignment during incidents delays resolution and should be deferred to post-mortem
Legacy System Complexity
Scenario: Payment system composed of multiple undocumented workarounds and temporary fixes Pragmatic approach: Focus on immediate business impact rather than comprehensive refactoring Work within constraints: Utilize existing workarounds to restore service Document findings: "System requires major refactoring after incident resolution" Stakeholder warning: "Current fix is temporary, system needs architectural improvement" Future planning: Initiate technical debt discussion after incident closure
Protocol: During incidents, work with existing system state rather than attempting comprehensive fixes
Conflicting Information Sources
Scenario: Monitoring shows normal operation, users report failures, database team reports overload Prioritization: Real customer impact takes precedence over monitoring data Cross-validation: Identify authoritative source of truth for system state Time synchronization: Account for potential monitoring lag (e.g., 5-minute delays) Decision-making: Proceed with best available information rather than waiting for perfect data Communication: "Based on user reports, system appears to be experiencing issues"
Protocol: Perfect information rarely available during incidents - use best available data for decisions

RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS

Access Permission Limitations
Scenario: Database service restart required but current user lacks production access Recognition: Acknowledge permission limitations immediately Escalation: "Request database restart permissions for SEV1 incident" Personnel alternative: "Identify team member with current database admin access" Workaround exploration: Investigate alternative solutions within current permission scope Documentation: "5-minute delay due to permission constraints"
Protocol: Permission systems remain active during incidents - rapid escalation or alternative approaches required
Vendor Support Response Time
Scenario: Critical external service failure with vendor reporting 4-hour response SLA Immediate workaround: Identify alternatives rather than waiting for vendor response Status verification: Check vendor public status page for incident acknowledgment Alternative processors: Switch to different service providers if available Relationship leverage: Contact business account managers for expedited support Social media escalation: Public vendor contact sometimes accelerates response
Protocol: Vendor SLAs typically don't align with business requirements - backup plans essential
Timezone Coverage Gaps
Scenario: Critical system expert located in different timezone during local incident Impact assessment: Determine necessity of specific expertise for resolution Documentation review: Consult expert's recent design documents and notes Knowledge transfer: Identify team members with relevant system familiarity Independent resolution: Attempt resolution using available resources Targeted escalation: If contact necessary, prepare specific questions rather than general requests
Protocol: Global operations require redundant expertise to prevent single-person dependencies
Cross-Team Dependency Bottlenecks
Scenario: Network team firewall changes required but team unavailable Interim solution: Identify routing alternatives to bypass network restrictions Emergency escalation: Contact network on-call for critical business impact Business decision: Accept partial functionality versus waiting for proper resolution Dependency documentation: "Resolution blocked by network team availability" Coverage planning: Discuss 24/7 coverage requirements for critical dependencies post-incident
Protocol: Cross-team dependencies create bottlenecks requiring workarounds and escalation procedures
Cloud Provider Regional Outages
Scenario: AWS regional outage affecting payment system infrastructure Verification: Confirm AWS status rather than assuming internal issue Failover assessment: Evaluate multi-region capabilities for service restoration External communication: "Service disruption due to AWS regional outage" Temporary workarounds: Investigate manual processing options for critical transactions Architecture review: Identify single points of failure exposed by provider outage
Protocol: Cloud provider outages require incident response plans that account for infrastructure dependencies

APPLICATION SUPPORT SCOPE

Standard Access Limitations
Typical application support access restrictions: Code deployment: No access to deployment pipelines or release management Database administration: No server restart, schema modification, or lock resolution capabilities Infrastructure management: No server restart, load balancer configuration, or networking changes Production secrets: No access to API key rotation or external service configuration Administrative panels: Limited to read-only access for most system components
Context: Access restrictions represent proper security boundaries rather than operational limitations
Available Capabilities
Application support incident response capabilities: Application configuration: Modify timeout values, retry parameters, feature flags User account management: Disable problematic accounts, reset user session states Cache management: Clear application-level caches, refresh cached data API testing: Utilize testing tools to verify external service connectivity Database queries: Execute read-only queries to assess user impact and system state
Context: Application-level interventions can often provide immediate relief without requiring deployments
Permission Boundary Management
Scenario: Solution identified but execution requires elevated privileges Immediate recognition: Acknowledge permission constraints without attempting unauthorized access Documentation: "Database restart required by administrator to clear connection locks" Personnel escalation: "Engaging DBA on-call for database service restart" Alternative exploration: "Evaluating feature disable option instead of database fix" Escalation time-boxing: If no response within 10 minutes, pursue alternative approaches
Context: Permission boundaries are operational reality - work within them or escalate efficiently
Maximizing Limited Access
Effective utilization of available permissions: Read-only database access: Query to determine affected user populations and impact scope Application administration: Disable malfunctioning features through admin interface Log analysis: SSH to application servers for detailed error and performance analysis Configuration management: Modify application settings that don't require service restart Monitoring configuration: Create incident-specific alerts and dashboard views
Context: Limited access doesn't mean limited contribution - leverage available tools creatively
Value Contribution During Major Incidents
Application support engineer contributions to SEV1 incidents: Application expertise: Deep understanding of user workflows and business logic Investigation capabilities: Proficiency in log analysis and user impact assessment Communication facilitation: Translate technical issues for customer support teams Coordination support: Track attempted solutions while engineers focus on implementation Documentation maintenance: Maintain detailed incident timeline during active response
Context: Valuable contribution doesn't require administrative access - knowledge and analytical skills are primary assets

WORKAROUND STRATEGIES

Application Configuration Modifications
Scenario: Payment processing timeouts causing system failures Timeout adjustment: Increase payment API timeout from 30 seconds to 60 seconds Retry optimization: Reduce retry attempts from 5 to 2 to decrease system load Feature disabling: Temporarily disable recommendation engine during payment processing Batch size reduction: Process payments in smaller groups to reduce database load Logging enhancement: Enable debug logging to capture additional diagnostic information
Approach: Configuration modifications provide immediate relief without requiring code deployment
Feature Management and Circuit Breakers
Scenario: New feature causing system resource exhaustion Feature flag disabling: Deactivate problematic feature through administrative interface Circuit breaker activation: Enable circuit breaker for external API calls experiencing failures Partial rollout adjustment: Reduce feature exposure from 100% to 10% of users Maintenance mode: Enable maintenance page for affected system sections Rate limiting: Activate rate limiting for specific high-impact user actions
Approach: Modern applications include built-in controls for immediate problem mitigation
User and Data Management
Scenario: Specific users or data causing system performance issues Account management: Temporarily disable accounts generating excessive system load Session management: Force logout for all users to clear corrupted session data Cache management: Remove cached data for users experiencing issues Traffic management: Use application firewall to block problematic IP addresses Data maintenance: Archive or remove historical data causing query performance issues
Approach: Sometimes problems are user-specific rather than system-wide, allowing targeted solutions
External Service Integration Management
Scenario: Third-party service integration failures affecting system operation Endpoint switching: Change from primary to backup API endpoint URLs Integration disabling: Temporarily disable non-critical third-party service calls API key rotation: Switch to backup API keys if primary credentials are rate-limited Mock mode activation: Enable mock responses for external services during outages Processing mode change: Switch from real-time to queued processing for external calls
Approach: Application support typically controls external service integration configuration
User Experience Optimization
Scenario: Unable to resolve root cause but can improve user experience Error message enhancement: Replace generic errors with specific, actionable user guidance Maintenance banner activation: Proactively warn users about known system issues Traffic redirection: Route users to functional pages instead of broken system components Offline mode activation: Switch application to cached or offline functionality Status communication: Provide detailed transparency through status page updates
Approach: User experience improvements can significantly reduce frustration even when technical issues persist

ESCALATION PROCEDURES

Database Issues (DBA Team Escalation)
Indicators requiring database administrator intervention: Query performance: Slow queries affecting entire application performance Connection management: "Too many connections" errors preventing new sessions Lock resolution: Queries timing out due to table locks requiring manual intervention Storage management: Database approaching storage capacity limits Replication issues: Read replicas falling behind master database Escalation target: Database administration team with specific error messages and affected table names
Rationale: Database problems typically require administrative privileges unavailable to application support
Infrastructure Problems (DevOps/SRE Escalation)
Indicators requiring infrastructure team intervention: Resource exhaustion: High CPU/memory utilization across multiple servers Network connectivity: Communication failures between system components Load balancer issues: Traffic routing problems affecting user access Auto-scaling failures: Server scaling not responding to traffic increases DNS resolution: Domain name resolution problems affecting service access Escalation target: DevOps/SRE team with affected server identifiers and resource utilization metrics
Rationale: Infrastructure modifications require system administration privileges and specialized expertise
Code/Deployment Issues (Development Team Escalation)
Indicators requiring development team intervention: Application logic errors: Business logic failures requiring code modifications Deployment management: Need to revert to previous software version Configuration deployment: Settings changes requiring release pipeline execution Memory management: Application-level memory leak issues Performance optimization: Code requiring refactoring for performance improvement Escalation target: Development team with exact error reproduction steps and environmental details
Rationale: Code-level problems require development expertise and deployment access
External Service Issues (Vendor/Partnership Escalation)
Indicators requiring vendor escalation: API limitations: External service rate limiting or blocking requests Service availability: Third-party provider experiencing outages or degradation Contract escalation: Need emergency support beyond standard service level agreements Integration complexity: Complex API integration failures requiring vendor expertise Performance degradation: External service response times significantly increased Escalation target: Vendor account manager or designated technical contact
Rationale: External service problems require vendor relationship leverage and specialized support
Effective Escalation Protocol
Best practices for escalation communication: Specific problem description: "Database locks on payment_transactions table" rather than "database performance issues" Context provision: Business impact, affected user count, revenue implications Evidence inclusion: Error messages, screenshots, relevant log excerpts Urgency indication: "SEV1 - $50,000/hour revenue impact" Assistance offer: "Available to provide additional logs or test proposed solutions" Response timeline: "Require response within 15 minutes for SEV1 incident" Documentation requirement: Maintain timeline of escalation targets and response times
Rationale: Structured escalation communication accelerates response and improves resolution outcomes
Application Support Engineer Summary
FIRST 1-2 HOURS (Active Response)

Immediate Actions (0-30 min):
• Acknowledge & Get Help - Message senior engineers immediately
• Execute Safe Runbook Steps - Follow procedures, escalate if unclear
• Be Eyes and Ears - Monitor dashboards, report changes to seniors
• Communication Hub - Update stakeholders, maintain timeline


⚠️ IMPORTANT! ⚠️

‼️ Clear communication and staying calm

‼️ Clear communication -> say what you are doing when you are doing and why

‼️ Staying calm -> divert the conversation from finger pointing and blaming to solving the issue at hand

Actual Role:
• Information Gathering - Logs, monitoring, user reports
• Safe Config Changes - Timeouts, feature flags, cache clearing
• Stakeholder Management - Customer support, status page updates
• Documentation - Timeline, decisions, what was tried
• Coordination Support - Bridge calls, incident channels

What You DON'T Do:
• Database restarts, deployments, infrastructure changes
• Complex troubleshooting alone - escalate quickly
POST-MORTEM (24-48 Hours Later)

• Provide Detailed Timeline - You have the best notes of what happened when

• User Impact Analysis - You understand customer experience better than infrastructure teams

• Process Improvements - Suggest communication, documentation, escalation improvements

• Runbook Updates - Help update procedures based on what actually worked

Reality Check:

You're the coordination and communication expert who enables senior engineers to focus on technical fixes.

Incidents fail when communication breaks down, not just when technology breaks.
WHO LEADS

• Support Engineer Leads When:

Runbook exists and is working

Issue is within your scope (config changes, user management, cache clearing)

You're making measurable progress

No complex debugging required

• Senior Engineer Takes Over When::

No runbook exists for this issue

Runbook procedures fail

Requires code changes, database admin, infrastructure changes

Complex root cause analysis needed

APPLICATION SUPPORT ROLE DEFINITION

• Reactive Role - Responds to issues, monitors systems, troubleshoots problems

• Limited Production Access - Can modify configs, feature flags, user accounts, but can't deploy code

• User-Facing Expertise - Understands business workflows, user impact, customer experience

• Operational Knowledge - Knows monitoring tools, runbooks, escalation procedures inside-out

• Communication Bridge - Translates technical issues for business stakeholders and customer support

• Incident Coordination - Manages communication, documentation, stakeholder updates during outages

• Tools: Monitoring dashboards, admin panels, log analysis, ticketing systems
🧠 SEV1 Incident Response – Comparison Matrix
Scenario Runbook Available, Simple Fix Runbook Missing or Incomplete Runbook Exists but High-Risk Critical System (Always Escalate)
Alert Triggered by monitoring (e.g., 500 errors, downtime) Triggered Triggered Triggered (e.g. prod DB down, payments broken)
Who Gets Paged Tier-1 Support only Tier-1 Support only initially Tier-1 Support only initially Tier-1 + Senior + IC simultaneously (via escalation policy)
Response Time Allowed 2–5 minutes to ack & respond 2–5 minutes to ack, then try to triage 2–5 minutes to ack, but cannot proceed without risk approval Immediate action required by all
Support Engineer Action Reads runbook, applies fix (restart, clear cache) Attempts triage: logs, dashboards, app status Aware of runbook, but decides to escalate due to criticality May contribute logs/triage but not main decision-maker
Escalation Trigger No escalation if resolved in time Escalation after timeout or manual trigger Manual escalation after quick triage No delay — all hands notified from start
Senior/IC Role Not involved Takes over resolution; assigns tasks Leads resolution; support assists Takes command immediately
Outcome Incident closed quickly (5–10 mins) Longer triage (15–60 mins); postmortem needed Risk mitigation or rollback done; wider impact Full team engaged, postmortem + RCA mandatory
Comms Internal notes Public comms/internal war room Stakeholder updates needed External comms likely (status page, exec notification)
💡 Edge Cases & Nuances
Situation Result
Tier-1 doesn't ack the alert (sick, asleep, distracted) PagerDuty escalates automatically after N minutes
Tier-1 applies fix, but alert re-triggers Escalation may still happen — PagerDuty can re-trigger if the alert clears but returns
Tier-1 is unsure even with runbook (e.g., error context is confusing) Manual escalation to senior — better to be safe than sorry
Multiple sev1 alerts trigger at once Incident Commander assigned to coordinate multiple teams
Company policy = auto page IC for any Sev1 Senior/SRE/IC always gets paged immediately regardless of who ACKs
🚦 Best Practice Summary:
Policy Type What Happens
Standard Support triages first, auto-escalate in 5 mins
Aggressive Tier-1 + Senior paged together for Sev1
Manual Escalation Encouraged Tier-1 encouraged to escalate if unsure — no penalty for escalation
Critical Path Escalation Any incident touching prod DB, login, payments → pages everyone instantly
Response Scale by Severity
⚠️ Severity levels are defined based on impact not complexity ⚠️

SEV 1
Revenue impact
All hands response
SEV 2
Feature degradation
Core team engagement
SEV 3
Minor issues
Business hours response
⚠️ General Severity Levels
(Typical 4-tier system)
Level Name Description
Sev0 / Critical Critical Incident Total outage, massive business/customer impact (e.g. payments down, data loss, security breach). Requires all-hands, instant escalation.
Sev1 High Severity Major degradation (e.g. login broken, key features down for many users). Needs immediate response, but not necessarily company-wide.
Sev2 Medium Partial outage, degraded performance, workaround possible
Sev3 Low Minor issue, bug, or cosmetic problem
🔍 So, what's the difference?
Aspect Sev1 Critical / Sev0
Scope Major issue, but some services may still work Total outage or massive breach
Escalation May involve a few engineers or rotate on-call Everyone gets paged immediately (IC, SRE, exec)
Urgency Urgent but not always fire-alarm level Drop everything and respond immediately
Business Risk High Very High / Existential
Example Users can't log in Database is corrupted, customer data leaked, core API gone
Progressive Learning Framework for Application Support Engineers
FIRST 30 DAYS
• Shadow experienced engineers during incident response
• Master tool navigation (Datadog, New Relic, Confluence)
• Memorize escalation procedures and key personnel contacts
• Handle SEV3 incidents under supervision
30-60 DAYS
• Lead SEV3 incident response independently
• Support SEV2 incidents with defined responsibilities
• Execute all standard runbooks without supervision
• Understand complete system architecture and dependencies
60-90 DAYS
• Lead SEV2 incidents with senior engineer backup
• Contribute technically to SEV1 incident response
• Troubleshoot novel issues without runbook dependency
• Qualified for full on-call rotation responsibilities
Edge Case Scenario Management
DEVIATION MANAGEMENT
• Standard runbook procedures fail
• Emergency fixes cause additional issues
• Multiple concurrent system failures
• Key personnel unavailable
HIGH-PRESSURE SCENARIOS
• Executive pressure for frequent updates
• External customer and social media pressure
• Revenue impact stress
• Stress management techniques
OPERATIONAL REALITY
• Documentation accuracy issues
• Monitoring system failures
• Subject matter expert unavailability
• Multiple concurrent critical incidents
Advanced Complication Scenarios
TECHNICAL COMPLICATIONS
• Rollback procedures fail
• Historical "good" states were problematic
• Log systems provide misleading information
• Backup systems worse than primary
HUMAN FACTORS
• Incident Commander stress response
• Expert advice validation required
• Inter-team conflict during incidents
• Legacy system complexity
RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS
• Access permission limitations
• Vendor support response delays
• Timezone coverage gaps
• Cross-team dependency bottlenecks
Application Support Engineer Operational Framework
SCOPE DEFINITION
• Standard access limitations
• Available capabilities within role
• Permission boundary management
• Value contribution during major incidents
WORKAROUND STRATEGIES
• Application configuration modifications
• Feature management and circuit breakers
• User and data management
• External service integration management
ESCALATION PROCEDURES
• Database issues requiring DBA intervention
• Infrastructure problems needing DevOps support
• Code deployment requiring development team
• External service vendor escalation