Introduction: What You’ll Learn
This simulation places you in the hot seat during an active incident where you must decide whether to roll back a deployment or fix forward. You only have partial information, and the pressure is on to minimize impact while guiding the team through uncertainty.
You’ll practice:
- Assessing incomplete information under pressure
- Communicating clearly and decisively
- Weighing the risks of rollback versus fix forward
- Coordinating a focused incident response
Step-by-Step Simulation
Scene 1: Incident Onset
Incident Leader: (You receive an alert from the monitoring system indicating a spike in login failures post-deployment.)
"Hey team, we’ve got an alert about increased login failures since the last deployment. Let's jump into the incident channel and get this sorted. Start by checking logs, recent changes, and any user feedback."
Scene 2: Gathering Information
Sara (DevOps): "I'm seeing a spike in error rates in the auth service logs, starting right after the deployment. The errors seem to be related to token validation failures."
Alex (Backend Developer): "I'm checking the code changes now. There was a tweak to the token logic — it seemed simple but might be causing this. Let me dig in a bit more."
Priya (QA): "Our login tests passed in staging, but there are failures in production logs. It's happening intermittently, which makes it tricky."
Leo (Frontend Developer): "Frontend looks okay, but we're getting sporadic error reports from users. I'll compile these to see if there's a pattern."
Incident Leader: "Thanks for the updates, everyone. Let's decide whether to roll back or try a fix forward. Keep in mind the user impact and how stable we can keep things."
Scene 3: Decision Making
Incident Leader: "Alright, let's weigh the pros and cons. What happens if we roll back versus fixing forward?"
Sara: "Rolling back should stabilize things, but we'll lose some recent updates that aren't critical."
Alex: "I'm honing in on the token logic. If I can isolate the issue, a fix forward might be quicker and less disruptive."
Priya: "We need to think about user trust. If errors persist, it's going to hurt. Rollback feels safer unless we nail this fast."
Leo: "Feedback shows login issues mostly during peak hours. If Alex is confident, fixing forward could be the best bet."
Incident Leader: "Let’s go for a quick fix attempt, timeboxed. Alex, focus on the token logic. Sara, get the rollback scripts ready just in case. Priya, prioritize regression testing, and Leo, keep an eye on user feedback."
Scene 4: Execution and Follow-Up
Incident Leader: "Alex, how’s the fix coming along?"
Alex: "Found the bug in the token validation logic and patched it. Tested locally, and the errors aren't showing up anymore."
Incident Leader: "Awesome. Let’s deploy the fix and keep a close watch. Sara, if errors persist, go with the rollback. Priya, run tests in production. Leo, stay on top of user feedback."
(After deployment…)
Priya: "Tests are clear in production. Login issues seem resolved."
Leo: "User feedback is positive — no new problems reported."
Incident Leader: "Great work, team. Let’s document this incident for a post-mortem and plan a review to discuss improvements for our deployment process."
Mini Roleplay Challenges
Challenge 1: Sara suggests an immediate rollback without full context.
- Best Response: “Hold on, let’s give it a quick check first; rollback’s our backup.”
Challenge 2: Alex is unsure about the fix’s impact.
- Best Response: “Focus on the main issue — we’ve got your back with the testing.”
Challenge 3: Priya is uncertain about test reliability.
- Best Response: “Let’s hit the high-impact areas and use live monitoring to confirm.”
Optional Curveball Mode
- A new issue pops up during discussion.
- A stakeholder insists on an immediate resolution.
- Communication tools are lagging or down.
Practice staying composed and on track through these challenges.
Reflection Checklist
Decision-Making
- Did I assess options thoroughly with the information at hand?
- Did I make a clear, timely decision?
Communication
- Was I clear about roles and next steps?
- Did I ensure everyone was aligned on the strategy?
Incident Management
- Did I balance risk and speed effectively?
- Was the incident resolved with minimal impact?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Delaying decisions due to incomplete data
- Failing to prepare a rollback option
- Overlooking communication clarity during high-pressure moments
- Not scheduling a post-incident review to capture insights