5 SLO Templates Every SRE Team Needs

Service Level Objectives (SLOs) are the foundation of reliable systems, but creating effective SLOs from scratch can be time-consuming. Here are 5 essential SLO templates that every SRE team should have in their toolkit.

1. E-Commerce Platform SLOs

E-commerce applications require SLOs that focus on user experience and revenue impact. These templates prioritize checkout success rates and page performance.

E-Commerce SLO Template

Availability SLO: 99.9% uptime

Critical for revenue-generating transactions

Latency SLO: 95% of requests < 200ms

Page load performance for user experience

Error Rate SLO: < 0.1% error rate

Minimize failed transactions and user frustration

Checkout Success SLO: 99.5% success rate

Direct revenue impact measurement

2. SaaS Application SLOs

SaaS applications need SLOs that balance performance with multi-tenant considerations and API reliability.

SaaS Application SLO Template

API Availability SLO: 99.95% uptime

High availability for API-dependent applications

API Latency SLO: 95% of requests < 100ms

Fast API response times for good UX

Authentication SLO: 99.99% success rate

Critical for user access and security

Data Sync SLO: 99.8% sync success rate

Multi-tenant data consistency

3. Mobile App Backend SLOs

Mobile backends require SLOs optimized for mobile-specific challenges like battery life, offline sync, and push notifications.

Mobile Backend SLO Template

API Availability SLO: 99.8% uptime

Reliable backend for mobile apps

Mobile Response SLO: 95% of requests < 500ms

Optimized for mobile network conditions

Push Notification SLO: 99.5% delivery rate

Critical for user engagement

Offline Sync SLO: 99.9% sync completion

Data consistency across devices

4. Microservices SLOs

Microservices architectures need SLOs that account for distributed system complexity and inter-service dependencies.

Microservices SLO Template

Service Availability SLO: 99.9% per service

Individual service reliability

End-to-End Latency SLO: 95% of requests < 300ms

Complete request chain performance

Circuit Breaker SLO: < 1% circuit open rate

Fault tolerance and cascading failure prevention

Data Consistency SLO: 99.95% consistency rate

Distributed data integrity

5. Gaming Platform SLOs

Gaming platforms require SLOs that prioritize real-time performance, matchmaking reliability, and player experience.

Gaming Platform SLO Template

Game Session SLO: 99.5% session stability

Prevent game disconnections

Matchmaking SLO: 95% of matches < 30 seconds

Fast player pairing

Real-time Latency SLO: 95% of messages < 50ms

Low latency for competitive play

Leaderboard SLO: 99.9% update success rate

Accurate scoring and rankings

Implementation Best Practices

When implementing these SLO templates, follow these best practices for maximum effectiveness:

Start Conservative: Begin with achievable targets and tighten over time
Align with Business Goals: Ensure SLOs map to user experience and revenue impact
Monitor Error Budgets: Track burn rates and adjust development priorities accordingly
Regular Reviews: Revisit SLO targets quarterly based on performance data
Team Training: Educate teams on SLO interpretation and response procedures

Grafana Dashboard Configurations

Each SLO template includes pre-configured Grafana dashboards with:

Dashboard Features

• Real-time SLO status indicators
• Error budget burn rate charts
• Historical trend analysis
• Alert threshold visualizations

Alert Configurations

• Burn rate alerts (2x, 10x, 100x)
• SLO breach notifications
• Error budget depletion warnings
• Escalation procedures

Getting Started

To implement these SLO templates effectively, start with a pilot program on one critical service. Measure baseline performance, implement the appropriate template, and iterate based on results.

Remember that SLOs are living documents that should evolve with your application and business requirements. Regular review and adjustment ensure they continue to drive the right behaviors and outcomes.