Struggling to fix that pesky software bug?

Use these strategies to get to the root cause sooner.

Hey there 👋 - Amrut here!

Happy Sunday to all synced with The Tech Pulse!

Fixing software bugs is challenging and painful.

Sometimes, it can take weeks or even months to identify the cause, let alone come up with a fix.

Depending on the severity of the software bug, it can lead to customer dissatisfaction, increased workload, and missed deadlines, creating a cycle of endless troubleshooting.

Over the years, I have tried several techniques to get to the root cause of the bug sooner.

Some involved:

• randomly looking at logs

• running debuggers for hours with no end in site

• talking to seniors and subject matter experts of the system, only to feel overwhelmed by the information

• reading architecture documents to identify the part of the system that could cause this bug

• interacting with clients directly to scalp as much information I could from the behavior and information they were able to describe

However, with experience, I have narrowed it down to a few techniques that have helped me reach the root cause of the bug faster.

In today’s newsletter, I will describe:

• What is root cause analysis (RCA)?

• Strategies to get better at root cause analysis

• One technique that has helped me and you can start using right away.

Let’s dive in!

What is Root Cause Analysis (RCA)?

Root cause analysis (RCA) is a problem-solving method to identify the underlying or fundamental cause of a fault or problem.

RCA's primary goal is to determine a problem's origin by tracing it back to its source rather than just addressing its symptoms.

This approach ensures that measures can be taken to prevent the recurrence of the issue.

RCA is often a step-by-step process involving data collection, information analysis, identifying contributing factors, and finally pinpointing the root cause.

Strategies for Getting Better at Root Cause Analysis

Improving at root cause analysis for complex software bugs involves several vital strategies:

𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀

Familiarize yourself with debugging tools and techniques specific to your development environment. Practice using debuggers, log analysis, and breakpoints effectively.

𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 

Gain a deep understanding of the system’s architecture and components. This helps pinpoint where bugs could originate and how different system parts interact.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝗴𝘀

Review past bugs and their solutions. This helps in recognizing patterns and common issues in the system.

𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺

Divide complex bugs into smaller, manageable parts. Analyze each part individually to understand how they contribute to the overall issue.

𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽

Collaborate with team members. Different perspectives can offer new insights and solutions.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴

Stay updated with new technologies and methodologies in software engineering. This could include learning from online courses, webinars, or tech talks.

𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵

Adopt a systematic approach like the Five Whys technique. This involves asking "why" repeatedly until you uncover the root cause of the problem.

𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀

Keep detailed records of how the bug was diagnosed and resolved.

This documentation can be invaluable for future reference and other team members. Root cause analysis is a crucial skill for any software engineer.

Here’s one technique you can start using right away

There are several techniques you can use to perform root cause analysis.

However, the following one has helped me personally over the years.

The Five Whys technique.

The Five Whys technique is a simple yet effective method for root cause analysis, often used to uncover the underlying cause of a problem.

It involves repeatedly asking the question "Why?" to peel away the layers of symptoms and reach the core issue.

The process typically unfolds as follows:

✅𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺

Start with a clear and concise statement of the problem.

✅𝗔𝘀𝗸 "𝗪𝗵𝘆?"

Ask why the problem occurred.

This first answer will lead you to the next question.

✅𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Continue asking "Why?" for each response you receive.

The goal is to delve deeper into each layer of the issue.

✅𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲

Usually, when you've asked "Why?" five times, you've uncovered a fundamental cause of the problem.

✅𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

Once the root cause is identified, develop actions to prevent recurring problems.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗱.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺: A software application crashed.

❓ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗵?

The server ran out of memory.

❓ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆?

Too many processes were running simultaneously.

❓ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲?

The application didn't manage the processes efficiently.

❓ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆?

The process management module contained a bug.

❓ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝗴?

It wasn’t thoroughly tested before deployment.

𝗥𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲: Inadequate testing of the process management module.

In this example, the Five Whys technique leads to the realization that the root cause of the application crash was inadequate testing, which is a more actionable issue than just "the server ran out of memory."

Summary

Root cause analysis (RCA) is a crucial process in software engineering for identifying the fundamental reasons behind software bugs or system failures.

The Five Whys technique stands out as a remarkably effective tool in the realm of root cause analysis within software development.

By methodically asking "Why?" at each level of a problem, this technique delves beyond superficial symptoms, uncovering the fundamental causes of issues that often elude more cursory examinations.

This enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of problem-solving efforts and contributes to developing more reliable and robust software systems.

Adopting the Five Whys methodology can significantly improve the quality of software products and your productivity, ensuring that problems are resolved permanently and not just temporarily patched.

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