Incident Response
VRO is a moderately complex system that integrates with other systems and is hosted on a shared infrastructure. Incidents of unplanned service failures and disruptions are inevitable. The first objective of the incident response process is to restore a normal service operation as quickly as possible and minimize the incident's impact. This document describes the core steps for responding to incidents.
We define an incident as an unplanned event or occurrence that disrupts normal operations, services, or functions on the VRO platform. These negatively impact the availability, performance, security, or functionality of a VRO service and require immediate attention to mitigate its effects and restore normalcy. Incidents can vary widely in scope and severity and can be caused by factors in or out of the VRO team's control.
Examples:
- Service Outages: Complete or partial unavailability of infrastructure services.
- Performance Degradation: Noticeable slowdown or inefficiency in infrastructure services.
- Security Breaches: Unauthorized access, data breaches, or vulnerabilities affecting infrastructure integrity, confidentiality, or availability.
- Operational Failures: Failures in deployment pipelines, configuration management, or automated processes impacting normal operations.
- Resource Exhaustion: Over-utilization or exhaustion of resources leading to degraded service.
- Unexpected Behavior: Anomalies or unexpected behaviors in infrastructure services affecting development, testing, or deployment activities.
The root cause of an incident is investigated and assigned to the team responsible for the issue’s origin - not necessarily the team addressing it - to ensure accurate reporting and unbiased resolution efforts.
Root causes are documented in Incident Reports and labeled on incident tickets. During the resolution process of an incident, the root cause is not included in updates or communications with partner teams to avoid bias and ensure impartiality.
Types of Root Causes:
- VRO - an issue on the VRO platform that ties directly to our team's scope of responsibilities
These incidents are tracked to measure our MTTR (Mean Time to Resolve) metric.
- Partner Team Application or External VA - an issue with the partner team application controlled by the partner team, or due to a VA external system not functioning appropriately
These are not within the VRO team's control, but the VRO team assists in resolving the incident alongside the partner team affected.
- LHDI - an issue on the LHDI platform
These are not within the VRO team's control, but the VRO team reports them to LHDI and works to resolve them in partnership with LHDI.
As a default, incident response is the responsibility of the VRO primary on-call engineer, which rotates with every VRO sprint period. Throughout the process, they might personally conduct each step or delegate tasks as needed; regardless, a single individual should be identified as being in charge of the incident response. If this responsibility needs to be transferred while an incident is active, then this handoff should be explicitly communicated (sample language provided in Acknowledge).
Slack channel #benefits-vro-on-call is designated for messaging about active incidents, to foster shared situational awareness among the VRO team, partner teams, and stakeholders. During an incident, status updates should be provided at regular intervals and when key developments occur, to be prepared by the individual leading the incident response or a delegate.
On the VRO backlog (#2959) is a communication plan for non-VRO team members during an incident. Pending materials from #2959, strive for messaging that is succinct and specific; links to pertinent reference materials (eg app performance dashboards; GH commits; StackOverflow threads); and avoids jargon or acronyms that non-VRO team members may not be familiar with.
Also on the VRO backlog (#3005) is developing more guidance on handling common on-call situations.
This section establishes comprehensive communication standards for incident response across varying severity levels, ensuring a consistent and effective approach. Each severity level is clearly defined with some examples, priorities, and detailed communication procedures. By adhering to these standards, we guarantee that all Partner team incidents, regardless of their severity, are managed with uniformity, facilitating effective resolution and transparent communication. VRO’s goal is to provide a structured framework that allows for swift, precise, and coordinated responses to incidents, enhancing overall incident management.
SEV 1: Critical
- Priority: Immediate investigation.
Communication Procedure:
- Acknowledgement of Issue by VRO team:
Standard phrasing from VRO:
A Critical SEV-1 incident was reported at [time], and the VRO Team is actively addressing the situation. The reported symptoms include [list symptoms provided by the partner team]. Immediate actions taken so far include mobilizing the Incident Response Team and initiating initial diagnostics. We will provide detailed updates on our findings and actions taken every ~30 minutes until the issue is resolved. To track the progress of this incident, please refer to the incident report write-up [here](insert link). Further information will follow shortly. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.
Notification Channels: #benefits-vro-on-call
Tags: Enablement team (Amy, Cory, Julie), @vro-team, VRO engineers on call (Primary and Secondary)
Timing of acknowledgment: Within ~30 minutes of initial report between 9 - 5pm EST
Content:
See standard phrasing above for the VRO team.
2. Regular Updates:
Frequency: Hourly between 9 - 5pm EST until resolved
Content:
- Current status and progress.
- Specific actions taken since the last update.
- Any changes to the estimated resolution time.
- Next update time.
3. Documentation:
Details: Full incident report including incident description, impact assessment, steps taken, root cause analysis, and lessons learned.
Storage: VRO wiki page.
4. Final Resolution:
Standard Phrasing:
"The Critical SEV-1 issue reported at [time] has been resolved as of [time]. Documentation of this incident(insert link) is complete, and no further action is needed. Thank you for your patience."
Notification Channels: #benefits-vro-on-call - Same thread as the SEV-1 report.
Tags: Enablement team, @vro-team, VRO engineers on call (Primary and Secondary)
**SEV 2: High **
- Priority: Immediate investigation.
Communication Procedure:
- Acknowledgement of Issue by VRO team:
**> Standard phrasing from VRO: **
A High SEV-2 incident was reported at [time], and the VRO Team is actively addressing the situation. The reported symptoms include [list symptoms provided by the partner team]. Immediate actions taken so far include mobilizing the Incident Response Team and initiating initial diagnostics. We will provide detailed updates on our findings and actions taken every ~30 - 60 minutes until the issue is resolved. To track the progress of this incident, please refer to the incident report write-up [here](insert link). Further information will follow shortly. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.
Notification Channels: #benefits-vro-on-call
Tags: Enablement team (Amy, Cory, Julie), @vro-team, VRO engineers on call (Primary and Secondary)
Timing of acknowledgment: Within ~30 - 60 mins of initial report between 9 - 5pm EST
Content:
See standard phrasing above for the VRO team.
2. Regular Updates:
Frequency: Hourly between 9 - 5pm EST until resolved
Content:
- Current status and progress.
- Specific actions taken since the last update.
- Any changes to the estimated resolution time.
- Next update time.
3. Documentation:
Details: Full incident report including incident description, impact assessment, steps taken, root cause analysis, and lessons learned.
Storage: VRO wiki page.
4. Final Resolution: Standard Phrasing: "The High Sev-2 issue reported at [time] has been resolved as of [time]. Documentation of this incident(insert link) is complete, and no further action is needed. Thank you for your patience." Notification Channels: #benefits-vro-on-call - Same thread as the SEV-2 report. Tags: Enablement team (Amy, Cory, Julie), @vro-team, VRO engineers on call (Primary and Secondary).
SEV 3: Medium Priority: Continued passive monitoring; investigation within the next business day. Communication Procedure: Acknowledgement of Issue: Standard phrasing from Partner teams: We are reporting a Medium SEV-3 incident that requires your immediate attention. The symptoms observed include [list 1-3 key symptoms, e.g., "Sustained increase in CPU utilization, sustained increase in open database connections"]. The initial impact assessment indicates [Brief description of the impact"]. Please review this incident and investigate at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Standard phrasing from VRO: A Medium SEV-3 incident was reported at [time], and the VRO Team is monitoring the situation. The reported symptoms include [list symptoms provided by the partner team]. While there is no immediate performance degradation, we recognize the need to investigate these unexpected metrics. We will conduct a thorough investigation within the next business day and provide hourly updates as more information becomes available. To track the progress of this incident, please refer to the incident report write-up [here](insert link). Further information will follow shortly. Thank you for your patience and cooperation. Notification Channels: #benefits-vro-on-call Tags: Enablement team (Amy, Cory, Julie), @vro-team and VRO engineers on call (Primary and Secondary) Timing of acknowledgment: Timing: Within a business day of the initial report. Content: See standard phrasing above for the VRO team. Regular Updates: Frequency: Daily between 9 - 5pm EST until resolved Content: Current status and progress. Specific actions taken since the last update. Any changes to the estimated resolution time. Next update time. Documentation: Details: Full incident report including incident description, impact assessment, steps taken, root cause analysis, and lessons learned. Storage: VRO wiki page. Final Resolution: Standard Phrasing: "The Medium SEV-3 issue reported at [time] has been resolved as of [time]. Documentation of this incident(insert link) is complete, and no further action is needed. Thank you for your patience." Notification Channels: #benefits-vro-on-call - Same thread as the SEV-3 report. Tags: @vro-team and VRO engineers on call (Primary and Secondary)
SEV 4: Low Priority: Immediate investigation, limited to identifying root cause. Communication Procedure: Acknowledgement of Issue: Standard phrasing from Partner teams: We are reporting a Low SEV-4 incident that requires your immediate attention. The symptoms observed include [list 1-3 key symptoms, e.g., "Gaps or increased latency in transmitting data to an analytics platform"]. The initial impact assessment indicates [Brief description of the impact"]. The initial impact assessment indicates that this issue does not affect core functionality and poses minimal risk. Please investigate the root cause at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Standard phrasing from VRO: A Low SEV-4 incident was reported at [time], and the VRO Team is planning an investigation. The reported symptoms include [list symptoms provided by the partner team]. While there is no immediate performance degradation, we recognize the need to investigate these unexpected metrics. We will investigate the root cause at our earliest convenience and provide updates as necessary. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Notification Channels: #benefits-vro-on-call Tags: @vro-team and VRO engineers on call (Primary and Secondary)
Timing of acknowledgment: Timing: As soon as possible. Content: See standard phrasing above for the VRO team. Regular Updates: Frequency: As needed. Content: Current status and progress. Specific actions taken since the last update. Any changes to the estimated resolution time. Next update time. Documentation: No documentation is required for Low SEV-4 incidents Final Resolution: Standard Phrasing: "The Low SEV-4 issue reported at [time] has been resolved as of [time]. No further action is needed. Thank you for your patience." Notification Channels: #benefits-vro-on-call - Same thread as the SEV-4 report. Tags: @vro-team and VRO engineers on call (Primary and Secondary)
| Step | Description | Estimated time to complete | SLA* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Step 0: Acknowledge | Upon learning of a potential incident, acknowledge the report and start investigating. | 2 minutes | within 60 minutes of report |
| Step 1: Triage | Conduct a brief assessment. Determine an initial severity level (SEV) and affected systems. Share initial assessment and intended next steps. |
10 minutes | initial assessment within 30 minutes of Acknowledgement |
| Step 2: Contain/Stabilize | Work to prevent further damage. Share regular status updates. (at team's discretion for SEV 3 or SEV 4)
|
varies |
SEV 1: 16 business hoursSEV 2: 24 business hours SEV 3, SEV 4: as soon as VRO can prioritize |
| Step 3: Remediate (short-term) | Restore system functionality. Share regular status updates. Follow up with the party that reported the incident (if applicable). (at team's discretion for SEV 3 or SEV 4)
|
varies |
SEV 1: 16 business hoursSEV 2: 24 business hours SEV 3, SEV 4: as soon as VRO can prioritize |
| Step 4: Monitor | Verify that the incident is under control. | at minimum: 30 minutes | n/a |
| Step 5: Log the incident | Document the incident in the VRO wiki's Incident Reports. | 30 minutes | within 8 business hrs of the incident's resolution |
| Step 6: Post-incident review | Assess what happened, what went well, what did not go well, and measures to prevent a recurrence. (at team's discretion for SEV 3 or SEV 4)
|
4 hrs | within 5 business days of the incident's resolution |
| Step 7: Discuss longer term remediation | Prioritize implementation of preventative measures. | varies | within 2 sprint cycles of the incident's resolution |
*Still to be defined is a service level agreement (SLA) between VRO and partner teams, to cover details including on-call coverage windows (eg 24/7? 9am-5pm ET on weekdays?). We expect to resolve this as part of #2959.
Upon learning of a potential incident, acknowledge the report and start investigating. Timebox: 2 minutes
Why: reduce likelihood of uncoordinated troubleshooting efforts; reduce panic; establish consistent data point for calculating incident metrics
Common situations and sample acknowledgements:
| source | acknowledgement |
|---|---|
| Incident Report (slack workflow) | an emoji reaction of 👀 to the Incident Report post in #benefits-vro-support. |
| slack post other than the Incident Report | 1. an emoji reaction of 👀 to the post. 2. an Incident Report using the slack workflow. 3. an emoji reaction of 👀 on the Incident Report post in #benefits-vro-support. If the source is a person and they are not in #benefits-vro-support, direct them to the channel. |
| email message from a known partner or stakeholder | 1. an email response: "Investigating. If you have access to the DSVA slack, I will be tracking this in #benefits-vro-support." 2. an Incident Report using the slack workflow. 3. an emoji reaction of 👀 on the Incident Report post in #benefits-vro-support. |
| email message from an unknown party | Consult the VRO team and OCTO Enablement Team. |
If at any time the individual in charge needs to transfer responsibility to someone else, this should be noted in #benefits-vro-on-call. Sample message: Handing over incident response to [person taking over the incident].
Conduct a brief assessment. Determine scope and an initial severity level. Timebox: 10 minutes.
Why: gain situational awareness; respond with appropriate urgency
| Severity Level | Description | Examples | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
SEV 1 |
Core functionality is unavailable or buggy | a VRO app appears offline; a VRO app's transactions are failing; a VRO data service appears unresponsive; inaccurate data is transmitted | immediate investigation |
SEV 2 |
Core functionality is degraded | increased latency; increased retry attempts | immediate investigation |
SEV 3 |
Unexpected metrics related to core functionality, although without noticeable performance degradation | sustained increase in CPU utilization; sustained increased in open database connections | continued passive monitoring; within the next business day: investigation into what is causing the issue |
SEV 4 |
Non-core functionality is affected | gaps or increased latency in transmitting data to an analytics platform | immediate investigation, limited to identifying root cause |
Share this initial assessment and intended next steps in #benefits-vro-on-call.
may not be required for
SEV 3orSEV 4
Work to prevent further damage. As needed, enlist assistance from VRO teammates, partner teams, and LHDI.
Why: containing the situation might provide more immediate relief than implementing a remediation
Some starter things to consider:
- is there a configuration change to prevent requests to the buggy system?
- would an increase in compute resources temporarily stabilize the system?
Share a status update at least 1x/hr during business hours to #benefits-vro-on-call, and before moving to the next step.
may not be required for
SEV 3orSEV 4
Get the system back to a minimally acceptable operating status.
To consider:
- should compute resources be recalibrated?
- would a rollback or roll-forward of code/configuration would be appropriate and feasible?
Share a status update at least 1x/hr during business hours to #benefits-vro-on-call, and when this step is completed (at which point the incident is considered resolved).
Follow up with the party that reported the incident (if applicable).
Look for data points that indicate the incident is under control. As needed, return to Steps 2 (Contain/Stabilize) and 3 (Remediate).
Why: gain confidence that the incident is under control
Share a status update to #benefits-vro-on-call when starting this step and when this step is completed, and at any point if monitoring indicates the incident is not under control.
Sample messages:
A remediation is in-place. Starting a period of monitoring for stability.Things appear close to back to normal. I'm closing this incident.
Document the incident in the VRO wiki's Incident Reports. This is more of a snapshot of the incident rather than an in-depth analysis.
Why: build a record of incidents that can reveal patterns, inform engineering decisions, and be a general resource
Details to account for:
- how the incident was detected, including timestamp
- severity level
- corrective measures, and timestamp of when system returned to operating status
- "red herrings" that were encountered
- follow-up tasks
Better guidance on how to log an incident is an expected outcome of #3005.
at team's discretion for
SEV 3andSEV 4
Assess what happened, what went well, what did not go well, and measures to prevent a recurrence. Describe troubleshooting measures, including log snippets and command line tools. Share this document with the VRO team and with partner teams.
Why: leverage the incident as a learning opportunity; surface further corrective measures
Follow principles of blameless post-mortems:
focus on identifying the contributing causes of the incident without indicting any individual or team for bad or inappropriate behavior.
Determine measures that would reduce the likelihood of this incident recurring and/or give the team better visibility into conditions that led to this incident. Propose these to the Product Manager for consideration.
Maintaining and refining this document is the responsibility of the interdisciplinary VRO platform team. Feedback from VRO partner teams and other stakeholders is welcome, although changes should be agreed to by the VRO platform team, to include at least two engineers serving in the on-call rotation.
The flowchart image was generated using draw.io. Source file:
incidentResponse.drawio.txt (remove the .txt extension in order to use in draw.io)