Tech: First AWS and Microsoft Azure, now Cloudflare outages: Why are online services frequently down?
Last Tuesday, a Cloudflare outage disrupted internet service worldwide. This outage caused websites and apps for major online companies like X, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Cloud, and Canva to go down simultaneously. Previous outages from Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure had caused major website outages. This makes it clear that the internet is so interconnected that a small glitch at one company can impact users worldwide.
What is Cloudflare and why is it so important?
First, understand that Cloudflare isn't a website or an app. It's a company that provides internet infrastructure. Its job is to manage website traffic, protect users from cyberattacks, and ensure website loading speeds on users' devices. This means it creates a secure path between millions of users and websites, allowing users to access online services securely and seamlessly.
On Tuesday, a technical glitch at Cloudflare caused numerous websites and apps to crash. Cloudflare's Chief Technical Officer, Dane Knecht, stated that a latent bug existed in Cloudflare's bot detection and security service, which they were unaware of. When the company performed a routine configuration update, the bug was activated, causing some of its services to crash. This was not related to any cyberattack or hacking.
AWS and Microsoft Azure Outage
Before the Cloudflare outage, two other major companies, AWS and Microsoft Azure, also experienced outages, affecting major companies and online services worldwide.
AWS Outage: AWS, the world's largest cloud service provider, went down last month. This outage disrupted the web services of major online companies like Reddit, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Signal, Roblox, Fortnite, Xbox, and PlayStation. This affected internet users worldwide.
Explaining the reason for the AWS outage, Amazon stated that an old bug in its DNS management software, which was activated by an update, caused the AWS service outage. It took Amazon up to 15 hours to fix the outage and restore online services.
Microsoft Azure Outage: Just days after AWS, Microsoft Azure also experienced an outage. This disrupted online services for major companies like Microsoft 365, Xbox Live, Minecraft, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Heathrow Airport, Costco, and Starbucks. Microsoft stated that a technical glitch in its DNS caused the problem.
Why are online services frequently down?
A website isn't just a URL. Websites store their data on a single server, and they rely on network companies like AWS, Cloudflare, and Microsoft Azure to deliver it to users. These companies are extremely convenient, fast, and secure for online services. However, all companies have centralized systems, so even a small error can bring down millions of websites. This is exactly what happened with Cloudflare, AWS, and Microsoft Azure.
Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Dainik Jagran. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.
