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Confirmed Gmail / Google App Outage
mbone writes "Earlier today there was a confirmed Google outage which got a lot of attention from network operators. From a post to NANOG after everything calmed down: 'Google ack'd a maintenance on their core network did not go as planned-Forced traffic to one peer link that was unable to handle all the traffic. Maintenance has been rolled back. Issue has been restored.' This is exactly what makes me nervous about cloud computing and data storage. It's bad enough when I screw up a config and it takes down my mail, but what about when it happens to the entire globe at once?" Several readers also point to CNET's coverage of the outage.
Update: 05/14 19:25 GMT by T : CWmike adds this: "Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols writes that what may be happening is a massive DDoS attack. Based on the size of the attack that would be needed to interfere with Google, I believe that it's quite likely to be the result of an attack from the controllers of the Windows worm, Conficker. Another theory that has been put about — that the problem was due to AT&T NOC routing problems — does not appear to hold water, writes Steven."
Update: 05/14 21:01 GMT by T : Google's put up a low-detail explanation on their blog that says "An error in one of our systems caused us to direct some of our web traffic through Asia, which created a traffic jam. As a result, about 14% of our users experienced slow services or even interruptions."
When it's just your mail server down, everyone else gets annoyed at you because you're not {gett,receiv}ing mail they're {sending, expecting from} you. When the cloud is down, everyone can just chill and be thankful that they're not going to log on to find a whole stream of new emails.
This sucks for docs though but using a completely cloud based doc solution is a bit mental. Even if you're mobile it's best to have a local copy to save on battery life.
Nick
If everybody goes down, nothing happens and you just go outside (beyond the doors, out into the bright white light) and enjoy your day until 'they' fix it.
What's not to like?
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
If it bothers you then use a mail client to download your mail from Google. As someone that has been using my gmail account all week I didn't even notice a problem, the whole thing seems overblown.
Having run my own mail server, and used mail servers run by companies I work for, I'll -gladly- take GMail's track record for reliability. Even with no 'guarantee', it's been a hell of a lot better than anything else I've experienced.
And what's -really- the difference between a server going down locally that affects you and a server going down globally that affects you? Nothing.
"If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
Anyone who has ever used or administered a mail server has experienced a mail server going down. This is not news.
What is news is that Google Mail has been up for so long until now. And current accounts seem to indicate the outage lasted about one hour.
One hour of down time after five years of steady service is good enough for me. It is better than any other mail server I have ever used.
Thanks for ruining it. Cultural references are MUCH funnier when not immediately followed up by some smartass going "I got the joke, guys! It's funny, see, he's paraphrasing a line from !"
Don't do that anymore. Please.
Considering the amount of usage google sees, a minor interruption like today's issue is nothing that worries me much at all.
But usage is precisely the point.
I lost access to Search, News, E-Mail...
Everything Google.
To a casual user at home this doesn't matter - but try explaining a global blackout of Google to your boss.
Google is the poster child for the web-based app.
Computing in the cloud.
Or you know, do what most people do when systems go down... work on things not requiring those systems.
What's that? All your work systems are dependent on a single outside vendor?
Heh. Heh heh. Brilliant.
"Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
Finally someone commenting with some sense. It kills me to read all the "Great Job! Google!" and "Bravo!" comments. This exposes a serious flaw in planning, design and change management of a very heavily relied upon resource.
There is nothing to give kudos for here. Gotta love blind loyalty.
http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
But usage is precisely the point.
I lost access to Search, News, E-Mail...
but try explaining a global blackout of Google to your boss.
Well that sounds like your problem really. Guess you shouldn't sold him on that single point of failure idea then huh?
Your hair look like poop, Bob! - Wanker.
Looks like it screwed up your typeface too.
"The ability to quote is a serviceable substitute for wit." --- W. Somerset Maugham
OK, search and news is gone? you do know there are other services besides Google, right?
You also assume in house systems would never go down.
"Boss, Google is having a slow down on the west coast."
There done.
Unless you made a stupid promise saying a system will never go down and now are getting called out onto the carpet it should be a problem.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
"This exposes a serious flaw in planning, design and change management of a very heavily relied upon resource"
true. But there record over all is very good.
In house system go down as well.
Yeah, it's a screw up. Just like anything can screw up.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on