Known error
a software bug that has not been fixed
A known error is a software bug that has not been fixed, but has an identified root cause and either has low disruptive impact on end users or a known workaround.
In the ITIL framework for IT service management, the term has a specific meaning that distinguishes it from a problem. A problem is an underlying cause of one or more incidents whose root cause has not yet been determined. Once the root cause is identified, the problem is reclassified as a known error. The known error remains in that state until a permanent fix is implemented or the affected system is decommissioned.
Known errors may be recorded in a Known Error Database (KEDB), which documents the root cause, any available workarounds, and the status of fix efforts. In ITIL, the KEDB is maintained as part of the Problem Management process and is used to prioritise changes, speed up incident resolution, and provide support staff with reference information when a workaround exists.
Tested systems are sometimes described as "free from known errors" to acknowledge that complex systems cannot be proven entirely error-free, but that all identified bugs have been either fixed or documented.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Known error” is a software bug that has not been fixed. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Known, error and software, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “a software bug that has not been fixed” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 12, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q16978186. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Known error”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Known error primary sources, Known error archive and Known research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Known error”?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Known error” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.