microsoft says it s recovering after azure Microsoft has reported that its Azure cloud computing service is recovering from a significant outage that affected multiple high-profile services, including Microsoft 365, Xbox, and even Starbucks.
microsoft says it s recovering after azure
Overview of the Outage
On October 29, 2025, Microsoft Azure experienced a widespread outage that began around 16:00 UTC. This disruption not only impacted Microsoft’s own services but also affected various third-party companies relying on Azure’s infrastructure. Notable among these were Capital One, Alaska Airlines, and Starbucks, all of which reported service interruptions linked to the Azure issues.
Causes of the Outage
According to Microsoft, the outage was triggered by an “inadvertent configuration change” along with a DNS problem. These technical issues led to significant latency, timeouts, and errors across multiple Azure services. As the situation unfolded, Microsoft provided updates on its status page, detailing the extent of the impact and the steps being taken to resolve the issues.
Services Affected
The outage impacted a wide range of Azure services, including but not limited to:
- App Service
- Azure Active Directory B2C
- Azure Communication Services
- Azure Databricks
- Azure Healthcare APIs
- Azure Maps
- Azure Portal
- Azure SQL Database
- Azure Virtual Desktop
- Container Registry
- Media Services
- Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Microsoft Purview
- Microsoft Sentinel
- Video Indexer
These disruptions led to significant challenges for businesses and users relying on these services for daily operations.
Timeline of Events
As the outage unfolded, Microsoft provided a series of updates to keep users informed. At 7:40 PM ET, the company confirmed that Azure Front Door (AFD) was experiencing issues, which were affecting various services. The initial communication indicated that the company was working diligently to restore service health.
Recovery Efforts
Microsoft reported that the AFD service was operating at above 98% availability by the time of the update. While many customers began to see improvements, the company acknowledged that some users might still experience residual impacts. Microsoft revised its mitigation timeline, aiming for full recovery by 00:40 UTC on October 30, 2025, although they expressed hope that mitigation could be achieved sooner.
Impact on Microsoft Services
Throughout the day, various Microsoft services were affected. At 12:25 PM ET, the Microsoft 365 status account acknowledged reports of issues accessing Microsoft 365 services and the admin center. By 1:02 PM ET, an update indicated that the company had identified portions of its internal infrastructure experiencing connectivity issues and was working to reroute affected traffic.
Meanwhile, the Xbox Support account reported that gaming services had recovered to their pre-incident state. However, some players noted that they needed to restart their consoles to reconnect to the service. This highlights the complexities involved in restoring services after a significant outage.
Wider Implications of the Outage
The Azure outage had repercussions beyond Microsoft’s services. Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines both reported disruptions to key systems, including their websites, due to the Azure issues. The airlines advised customers to seek assistance from airport agents for boarding passes if they were unable to check in online.
Community Fibre, an internet service provider in the UK, also confirmed that some customers experienced issues as a result of the Azure outage. Additionally, Kroger informed customers that its site and mobile apps were facing unexpected outages, while Starbucks and Costco’s websites and apps were also down. Users reported difficulties with Capital One, further illustrating the widespread impact of the Azure issues.
Stakeholder Reactions
The reactions from stakeholders varied, with many expressing frustration over the disruptions. Customers of affected services took to social media to voice their concerns, while businesses relying on Azure for critical operations faced challenges in maintaining service continuity. The incident raised questions about the reliability of cloud services, particularly for companies that depend heavily on Azure for their infrastructure.
Microsoft’s Response and Future Considerations
In the wake of the outage, Microsoft has emphasized its commitment to improving service reliability. The company has stated that it is actively investigating the causes of the incident to prevent similar occurrences in the future. This includes reviewing internal processes and configurations to ensure that such inadvertent changes do not lead to widespread outages.
Moreover, Microsoft is likely to face increased scrutiny from both customers and industry analysts regarding its cloud service reliability. As cloud computing continues to play a pivotal role in business operations, companies expect robust infrastructure and minimal downtime. The Azure outage serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities inherent in cloud services, prompting organizations to evaluate their contingency plans and consider diversifying their cloud providers.
Conclusion
The Azure outage on October 29, 2025, serves as a significant event in the landscape of cloud computing, affecting not only Microsoft’s services but also a multitude of businesses relying on Azure’s infrastructure. As Microsoft works towards full recovery and addresses the underlying issues, the incident highlights the critical importance of reliability in cloud services. Stakeholders will be watching closely to see how Microsoft implements changes to enhance service resilience and prevent future disruptions.
Source: Original report
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Last Modified: October 30, 2025 at 5:39 am
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