Fault Injection & Chaos Testing in NewSQL Databases

1. Introduction

Fault injection and chaos testing are essential practices in the development and maintenance of NewSQL databases. These techniques help ensure that database systems can withstand unexpected failures and continue to operate under adverse conditions.

2. Key Concepts

2.1 Fault Injection

Fault injection involves deliberately introducing errors into a system to test its robustness and error-handling capabilities.

2.2 Chaos Testing

Chaos testing is a broader approach that includes fault injection but also focuses on the overall resilience of the system, simulating failures in a controlled manner to observe how the system responds.

3. Step-by-Step Process

Important: Always conduct chaos testing in a controlled environment to prevent unintended data loss.

Identify critical components and dependencies within your NewSQL database system.
Select chaos engineering tools that support your database (e.g., Gremlin, Chaos Monkey).
Create a chaos experiment specifying the types of failures to simulate (e.g., network latency, server unavailability).
Run the experiment while monitoring system behavior and database performance.
Analyze the results to identify weaknesses and improve fault tolerance.

4. Best Practices

Conduct chaos testing during non-peak hours to minimize impact on users.
Automate chaos experiments to integrate them into your continuous delivery pipeline.
Document all findings and improvements made to the system based on chaos testing results.
Continuously review and enhance your chaos testing strategies as your system evolves.

5. FAQ

What is the difference between fault injection and chaos testing?

Fault injection specifically targets the introduction of errors to observe system behavior, while chaos testing encompasses a broader range of experiments to test system resilience.

Can chaos testing be automated?

Yes, many chaos engineering tools allow for the automation of chaos experiments, making it easier to integrate testing into your development workflow.

Is it safe to perform chaos testing on production systems?

It is generally not recommended to conduct chaos testing directly on production systems without proper safeguards, as it can lead to unexpected downtimes and data loss.

Flowchart of Chaos Testing Process


            graph TD;
                A[Start] --> B[Identify Critical Components];
                B --> C[Select Chaos Tools];
                C --> D[Create Chaos Experiment];
                D --> E[Run Experiment];
                E --> F[Monitor System Behavior];
                F --> G[Analyze Results];
                G --> H[Make Improvements];
                H --> A;