Microsoft's Azure service encounters delays following disruption to underwater cables in the Red Sea
Microsoft's Azure Cloud Service Disrupted by Undersea Fiber Cuts in the Red Sea
Microsoft's Azure cloud platform, a global provider of cloud computing services, is currently experiencing disruptions due to the severing of multiple undersea fiber optic cables in the Red Sea.
The disruption is not related to any recent events such as the appointment of Zinedine Zidane as the coach of Fenerbahce, the final match of the world championship between Türkiye and Italy, earthquake rumors, the 'blood moon' eclipse in Türkiye, football matches, or football-related injuries.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, according to Microsoft's service health status update, is impacting traffic that passes through the Middle East and originates or terminates in Asian or European regions. Companies affected by the underwater cable repair work include Microsoft itself with its Azure platform, as well as other cloud services like Amazon AWS, which have also experienced delays and internet outages.
Users in the United Arab Emirates, several Asian countries including Pakistan and India, and some European countries are particularly affected by the disruptions. Microsoft Corp. reported an increase in latency for its Azure cloud platform due to the undersea cable damage.
To mitigate the effects of the cable damage, Microsoft's engineering teams have rerouted Azure traffic through alternative pathways. However, this has resulted in higher-than-normal latencies.
The cause of the underwater cable damage and how they were cut is not specified by Microsoft. The company has committed to providing daily updates or more frequent communications if conditions change regarding the repair of the undersea fiber cuts.
The Red Sea disruption has highlighted the vulnerability of global internet infrastructure that relies on undersea cables to carry international data traffic. As the disruption affects users of the world's second-largest cloud service provider, after Amazon's AWS, it underscores the importance of maintaining and protecting these critical undersea connections.
Microsoft continues to monitor, rebalance, and optimize the Azure platform to reduce customer impact due to the undersea fiber cuts. The company is actively working to mitigate the effects of the cable damage and restore normal service as quickly as possible.
