How to Raise a Sev-1 Incident
Something is fully down. This page is the checklist for getting CTO2B on it as
fast as possible. Sev-1 is covered 24/7, with a 15-minute first response
target and a 4-hour resolution target.
Do this now
- Open a portal ticket. Support portal → Create request →
Sev-1 — Critical. Note the ticket key (for exampleSD-1234). - Post in your Slack channel, using the message template below.
- Wait for acknowledgement — within 15 minutes. If nothing arrives, post a
follow-up in Slack. - Keep adding what you learn to the ticket as you find it.
A portal ticket is required. Slack alone does not start the SLA clock or
trigger on-call escalation. Post in Slack as well, never instead.
Slack message template
SEV-1 INCIDENT — [short description]
Portal ticket: SD-1234
Started: ~HH:MM CET
Impact: [what is broken, who is affected]
Recent changes: [deploys or config changes in the last 2 hours, or "none known"]What to put in the ticket
- Summary — one line, for example "Production environment unreachable, all
users affected". - Environments — which environment is affected.
- What you observed — error messages, when it started, and any change your
team made shortly beforehand.
Is it a sev-1?
| Signal | Severity |
|---|---|
| Platform fully down, all users affected | Sev-1 |
| Significant degradation, some users affected, no workaround | Sev-1 |
| A suspected security incident | Sev-1 |
| Significant degradation but a workaround exists | Sev-2 |
| Your application is down but the platform is healthy | Sev-2 — application layer, your team acts first |
When in doubt, raise Sev-1. Your Customer Success Engineer will adjust the
severity if it does not fit.
What CTO2B does next
- Acknowledges within 15 minutes, in the ticket and in your Slack channel.
- Triages to find whether the cause is in the platform layer or the
application layer. - Updates you in your Slack channel at least every 30 minutes, and
immediately on any significant development. - Remediates with a fix or a workaround, then confirms the platform is
stable and your application is healthy. - Follows up with a post-incident summary once the incident is closed.
If the root cause turns out to sit in your application layer, CTO2B shares the
evidence and hands it to your team, and can discuss a Professional Services
engagement if you want help with the fix.
After the incident
- CTO2B closes the ticket with a summary.
- Your Customer Success Engineer schedules a post-incident review if one is
warranted, and puts the incident on the agenda for the next service review.
If you cannot reach either channel
If you have lost access to both the portal and Slack, contact your Customer
Success Engineer directly. Their contact details are in your onboarding pack.
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