Microsoft fix for global service outage not working as expected
The software giant is identifying alternate workstreams to increase capacity after Outlook, Teams and Copilot services were disrupted.
Microsoft has stated that changes applied to fix an ongoing global outage are not working as expected, according to reports by Times of India and Financial Express. The company is now identifying alternate workstreams to increase capacity to address sustained traffic management imbalances.
The outage has affected Microsoft 365 services, including Outlook, Teams, Copilot, and Exchange Online mailboxes. Downdetector reported that nearly 130,000 users worldwide experienced problems at the peak, while Financial Express noted that reports associated with Outlook surged to nearly 140,000 around 18:00 GMT on November 12.
The company initially attributed the disruption to an elevated load on its infrastructure. Microsoft clarified that this was not caused by an increase in traffic, but by several servers becoming unexpectedly unavailable after failing automated health checks, which shifted additional traffic onto the remaining infrastructure.
Australian Home Affairs and Cybersecurity Minister Tony Burke said he spoke to Microsoft officials who do not believe they are dealing with a cyber event. Microsoft executive Charles Lamanna also ruled out a cyber-attack, stating there is no indication of malicious or cyber activity.
The disruption has impacted several federal agencies, including the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). There is currently no information on when services will be fully restored.