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Impact Analysis

While Upstat doesn’t have automated impact analysis, you can use the dependency graph and entity relationships to understand potential impacts.

Manual Impact Assessment

Using the Dependency Graph

The dependency graph helps you visually trace impacts:

  1. Open the affected entity’s dependency graph
  2. Look for entities connected with “depends on” relationships
  3. These downstream services may be impacted
  4. Check their current status (green, yellow, red borders)

![Placeholder: Dependency Graph Showing Connected Services]

Understanding Relationships

Different relationship types indicate different impacts:

  • Depends on - Direct impact likely if this service fails
  • Backed by - May experience degraded performance
  • Supports - Might have reduced functionality
  • Parent/Child - Organizational relationship, impact varies

During Incidents

Quick Impact Check

When an incident occurs:

  1. Link the incident to affected catalog entities
  2. Open each entity’s dependency graph
  3. Identify services that depend on the failing component
  4. Notify teams responsible for downstream services

Status Propagation

Currently, status changes don’t automatically propagate. You’ll need to:

  • Manually check each dependent service
  • Update their status if affected
  • Create linked incidents as needed

![Placeholder: Multiple Services in Incident View]

Planning Changes

Before Maintenance

Use the dependency graph to plan:

  1. Identify all services that depend on what you’re changing
  2. Check the depth of dependencies (up to 2 levels shown)
  3. Coordinate with teams owning dependent services
  4. Plan your communication strategy

Risk Assessment

Consider these factors manually:

  • Number of dependent services
  • Criticality of dependent services
  • Type of dependency relationship
  • Current health of dependent services

Limitations

Current limitations of impact assessment:

  • Manual process - No automated impact calculation
  • Limited depth - Only shows 2 levels of dependencies
  • No impact scoring - Must assess severity manually
  • No propagation - Status doesn’t cascade automatically

Best Practices

Document Critical Paths

Since impact analysis is manual:

  • Document critical dependency chains
  • Note which services are most important
  • Keep runbooks updated with impact information

Use Entity Metadata

Add information to help with manual assessment:

  • Set clear entity names and descriptions
  • Use entity types to indicate criticality
  • Keep relationships up to date

Regular Reviews

Without automation, you need to:

  • Periodically review dependency graphs
  • Verify relationships are accurate
  • Update documentation as architecture changes

Future Considerations

To improve impact assessment:

  • Create incidents for each affected service
  • Use labels to track impact scope
  • Document common impact patterns
  • Build team knowledge of dependencies

Learn more