Introduction to Incidents

What are incidents?

In the software industry, incidents refer to any disruptions or outages affecting your software systems that hinder users from utilizing the product as intended. These can range from minor issues impacting a small group of users to critical outages affecting the entire system. Effective incident management ensures that these problems are identified, managed, and resolved as quickly as possible to minimize downtime and user impact.

The #incidents (broadcast) channel

The #incidents broadcast channel is a centralized space in Slack where Flare Kit posts high-level updates about all declared incidents. This channel provides an overview of the current status of incidents, making it easy for stakeholders to stay informed without needing to dive into the specific details of each incident.

• New Incident Notifications: When a new incident is declared, a notification is posted in the #incidents channel, including the incident's name, type, and severity.

• Status Updates: Any changes in the status of an incident, such as updates from "Investigating" to "Fixing" or "Resolved," are broadcast here to keep everyone up-to-date.

The dedicated channel for the incident

Each incident declared through Flare Kit automatically generates a dedicated Slack channel. This channel is specifically for managing and resolving the incident, providing a focused environment for communication and coordination.

• Channel Naming: The channel is named with a unique identifier (e.g., #flr-123) to distinguish it from other channels.

• Incident Details: The channel description includes critical details such as the incident name, type, severity, and summary, ensuring all participants have the necessary context.

• Task Management: Within this channel, team members can create and assign tasks, track progress, and provide updates, all aimed at resolving the incident efficiently.

How #incidents and the specific incident channels are connected

The #incidents broadcast channel and the specific incident channels are interconnected to ensure a seamless flow of information and updates:

• Incident Declaration: When an incident is declared, a notification is posted in the #incidents channel, and a dedicated incident channel is created.

• Status Updates: As the incident progresses, status updates and important information are posted on both the dedicated incident channel and the broadcast channel. This dual posting ensures that detailed, real-time updates are available to the team working on the incident, while high-level summaries keep the broader organization informed.

• Consistency and Visibility: By linking these channels, Flarekit ensures that all relevant stakeholders, from responders to executives, can access the information they need, tailored to their level of involvement and interest.