AWS adds 'basic first version' of automated troubleshooter to Systems Manager, but it's not a stand-in for engineers

A new component of AWS Systems Manager aims to assist with handling incidents. AWS Systems Manager (formerly called SSM – Simple Systems Manager) was introduced in 2017, though it really goes back to EC2 Systems Manager, launched late 2016. "It started as a way to manage your EC2 instances," AWS evangelist Julien Simon told …

[Craig 2]

Please tell me that the first suggestion is "have you tried turning it off and on again"

[Brewster's Angle Grinder]

And the second suggestion is: nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. (Upgraded to the first suggestion if an ML model suspects malware may have infected your site or that you have left your access creds on a publicly available bucket/repo.)

[Anonymous Coward]

No, that's the second suggestion.

The first suggestion is "Please contact your AWS representative so they can arrange for our consultants to help you address the problem." The 'small' additional fee is not mentioned.

[hoola]

Automated Troubleshooting......

There is this belief that everything can be automated when it comes to interacting with support. There are numerous "webchat" tools that send you insane because you cannot get past them to even talk to a human. Look at all the Microsoft Troubleshooting wizards that are completely useless and just send you on a loop of despair.

There will be things were a simple check can at least rule out the obvious but there has to be a quick and sensible way to get to a human or be able to log an incident that does not send you back in a loop to where you started. More and more companies are hiding behind websites with online-chats that are bots or some sort of message tool.

There is only one reason why companies do this, to save money.

There is only one automated tool I have come across that works every time: HP Print Doctor.

[Claptrap314]

Re: Automated Troubleshooting......

These will be custom-built by the teams that rent the servers. The real question is whether or not they have a proper SWE writing the code, some less-than-professional programmer. (To be clear: every OpE I've met has been MUCH better at my job than I am a theirs. But it remains that they are not professional *programmers*.)