AWS Outage Explained: Why a DNS Error Disrupted the Internet Globally

AWS Outage Latest News

• A major Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage disrupted over 1,000 online services worldwide, including WhatsApp, Snapchat, Reddit, and even government and financial platforms like the UK tax service.
• The incident exposed the vulnerability of global businesses that depend heavily on cloud-based infrastructure. 
• The recent outage follows similar incidents, such as a Microsoft cloud failure last year, which also caused global service interruptions.

AWS: The Backbone of the Internet

• AWS has positioned itself as the core infrastructure of the Internet, providing cloud storage, computing tools, databases, and web traffic management to about one-third of all online services.
• Its business model is simple — it hosts and manages computing systems for companies, sparing them the expense of maintaining their own data centres.
• While AWS contributes about 20% of Amazon’s total sales, it generates nearly 60% of its operating profits, highlighting its critical role in the company’s business model — and in keeping the global Internet running.

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The Massive AWS Outage

• The Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage began on Oct 20 morning, with users worldwide reporting problems accessing major online platforms. 
• The disruption affected AWS’s North Virginia data centre region, one of its key operational hubs.
• On its official health page, Amazon stated that it had experienced “increased error rates and latencies” across several services. 
• The company later identified the root cause as a DNS (Domain Name System) resolution issue related to its DynamoDB service endpoints.

Understanding the DNS Issue

• The Domain Name System (DNS) acts as the Internet’s address book — translating human-readable domain names (like example.com) into numerical IP addresses that computers use to locate servers.
• When DNS fails, web browsers cannot find the correct server, leading to slow loading, inaccessibility, or error messages. 
• Such issues are common but disruptive, as they can cascade across multiple services relying on the same cloud infrastructure.

Role of DynamoDB in the Outage

• At the centre of the outage was Amazon’s DynamoDB, a fully managed, serverless NoSQL database service that supports high-performance, scalable applications.
• Unlike traditional SQL databases with fixed table structures, NoSQL databases like DynamoDB can handle flexible, diverse data formats, making them popular for dynamic web platforms and apps.
• Because many major services depend on DynamoDB, a DNS failure in this system had widespread ripple effects, temporarily crippling parts of the Internet.

AWS Outage Reveals About the Fragility of the Internet

• Despite hosting billions of online services, most of the global Internet runs on cloud infrastructure managed by just three companies — AWS, Microsoft, and Google.
• Experts have long warned that this concentration of digital infrastructure poses a major risk: a minor glitch in one provider can disrupt large portions of the Internet, as seen in the recent AWS outage.

Why Businesses Depend on Big Cloud Providers

• Until a few years ago, companies managed their own servers and cloud systems. 
• But shifting to major providers proved cheaper, faster, and more efficient, leading to mass outsourcing of IT operations.
• While such outages remain infrequent, their impact is massive because so many businesses rely on the same limited set of cloud vendors.

Similar Global Disruptions in the Past

• In 2024, a CrowdStrike code update within Microsoft’s cloud network caused widespread disruptions across sectors like aviation, banking, and broadcasting.
• The incident showed how a single faulty update in a shared cloud ecosystem can paralyse global systems almost instantly.

Impact on India: Aviation and Banking Sectors Hit

• In India, the AWS outage particularly affected the aviation industry, grounding operations as airlines’ digital systems failed, forcing a temporary return to manual processing.
• According to the Reserve Bank of India, at least ten banks and NBFCs experienced minor service disruptions, most of which were quickly resolved.

The Call for Cloud Diversification

• The outage reignited debate over the need for countries to develop independent cloud infrastructure to reduce reliance on U.S. giants.
• Incidents like this highlight that outsourcing digital infrastructure to a handful of firms carries significant risks, underscoring the need for diversification and digital self-reliance.

Source: IE | BBC | ET