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Define & DesignDD-10
How to define and review service level objectives
Choose reliability targets to support user-centred trade-offs, then review whether the indicators actually represent the experience.
Product statusAvailable now
Input3 required inputsCritical user journeys and customer expectations · Available measurements and reliability evidence · Initiative focus and approved Product Brain guidance
SkillsDefine or review reliability objectives · Prepare task context · Review an artifact against agreed criteriaReliability Engineer + Reliability Engineer Agent
OutcomeSLO definition: user expectations, SLI definitions, objectives with window and owner, and the error-budget decision policy.Artifact: SLO definition
Owner
Reliability Engineer
Human + Agent
Participants · Agents
EngineerProduct ManagerReliability Engineer Agent
Trigger
A service and its critical user journeys need agreed reliability targets, or a review is due.
Required context
Product BrainCritical user journeys and customer expectationsAnalyticsAvailable measurements and reliability evidenceProduct BrainInitiative focus and approved Product Brain guidance
Optional context
ConfluenceCurrent targets and error-budget policyArchitectureService architecture
Skills
Define or review reliability objectivesPrepare task contextReview an artifact against agreed criteria
Suggested conversation arc
- 1Choose reliability outcomesIdentify the critical user operations and acceptable degradation, then select a small set of meaningful reliability dimensions.Skills: Prepare task context
- 2Define indicators and objectivesSpecify good/total events, data source, window, target, measurement limitations and an initial error-budget policy. Do not assume a perfect target.Skills: Define or review reliability objectives
- 3Agree reliability trade-offsReview feasibility with engineering and product, confirm ownership and how budget consumption changes prioritisation or release decisions.
- 4Review service evidenceCompare observed performance with the agreement and user experience. Identify blind spots and propose versioned updates rather than silently shifting targets after a breach.Skills: Define or review reliability objectives · Review an artifact against agreed criteria
Output
SLO definition: user expectations, SLI definitions, objectives with window and owner, and the error-budget decision policy.
Artifacts
Creates: SLO definition
What good looks like
- Indicators have unambiguous measurement definitions.
- Targets and policy approval are distinguishable from suggestions.
- No measured attainment claim without telemetry; no alerts configured or production changed.
Quality gate
The service owner confirms targets, ownership and the error-budget policy with engineering and product.
Destination
ConfluenceProduct Brain
Usually next
People and agents work from the same Product Brain. The owner stays accountable. Assigned agents prepare and check. A named person approves at the gate.
Choose the path that matches your role.
Set the Product AI direction with us, or test the shared Product Brain on real work with Jira and code.