What ISVs should know - Part 2 - Support
As highlighted in the intro, my aim is to shed light on the multifaceted impact that the transition to the cloud can have on a software provider. Given my background as a Technical Account Manager in AWS Support, it seems fitting to kick things off by delving into the implications for Support.
In the realm of cloud migration, Support departments should proactively prepare for various scenarios:
Support systems integration
Support engineers, tasked with addressing tickets from end customers, often need to escalate issues to AWS. Picture this: Customer A creates case 12345 to report an issue. The support engineer, after troubleshooting, decides to escalate the matter to AWS, initiating another case (let’s call it AWS9876). Given the volume of support cases from various customers and departments, integrating case 12345 with case AWS9876 becomes crucial for effective management. AWS provides an API for seamless integration, and there’s even a handy solution available on GitHub.
Reverse Support Case
In certain situations, AWS may initiate a support case, such as when there’s suspicion of abuse. In such cases, it’s imperative to identify the initiated case and promptly notify the relevant stakeholders.
Identify Tenant Impact
While this aspect leans more towards Operations, Support should also be in the know. As incidents are inevitable (as wisely stated by AWS CTO, Werner Vogels, “Everything breaks all the time”), understanding which tenant is impacted and which stakeholders need awareness is crucial. For instance, if an EC2 in your system goes down, can you promptly identify the affected end customers and notify them or their designated account managers? Do you comprehend the user experience for each customer, whether it’s latency, error messages, or retries? Utilizing tools like Amazon CloudWatch Synthetics can simulate customer experiences, preemptively alert on potential issues, and provide insights into the expected impact, facilitating better communication with customers.