327: Two (Surprisingly Scary) Tales of Platform Risk

Jun 7, 2024 16m

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Episode Description

This week, I almost lost access to my database, including all its backups. Also, a full-text index brought down my product. Neither were intended —obviously—, but both made me revisit my safety precautions and how I approach depending on platforms like AWS. Here's what happened, how I got out of there, and what there is to prevent this in the future.

This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com

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AI-Generated Summary

Understanding Platform Risk

In this episode, Avitka delves into the concept of platform risk that every software business must navigate. She explains how dependence on third-party services, such as AWS, can expose businesses to risks like unauthorized access warnings, service disruptions, and data loss. Avitka emphasizes that the problem of platform risk is universal, as almost all businesses rely on external vendors and systems to operate.

A Hair-Raising Incident with AWS

Avitka shares a personal experience of nearly losing access to her AWS database due to a false positive on unauthorized access. A crucial email from AWS, discovered just days before her vacation, warned of potential account closure if unaddressed. After investigating and communicating with AWS support, Avitka learned that an old access key usage triggered the alert. Throughout this ordeal, she realized the importance of having a robust backup strategy and how she plans to implement regular backups to safeguard her data.

The Search Engine Malfunction

The second instance of platform risk that Avitka faced involved a search engine malfunction that impacted her service. After deploying a new server using a search engine tool, the system started failing, blocking requests for extended periods. This forced Avitka into a situation where she had to delete and rebuild the search index to resolve the issue. She reflects on the heavy dependency on this system and the importance of diversifying search tools to minimize risks.

Building Resiliency into Platform Dependencies

Through her experiences, Avitka concludes that businesses must build processes and systems to mitigate the risks associated with relying on external platforms. She discusses practical solutions, such as creating read replicas to avoid downtime during indexing, and highlights the need for a reliable backup mechanism to ensure critical aspects of her business remain functional.