Lessons learned from enterprise service-level objective management

Enterprises are increasingly focusing on service-level objectives (SLOs) to enhance system availability and resilience, as demonstrated by Dynatrace customers who have shared their experiences in implementing SLO management to support business demands. SLOs form part of a broader framework that includes service-level agreements (SLAs), service-level indicators (SLIs), and error budgets, with each element playing a crucial role in tracking and maintaining service levels. However, many organizations face challenges in understanding and applying SLOs effectively, leading to common issues such as misunderstanding timeframes and ownership when violations occur. Examples from a multinational software corporation and a Greek communication technology company illustrate different approaches to SLO management; the former embraced Google's "Four Golden Signals" to standardize its SRE dashboards, while the latter focused on mapping key user journeys to improve IT prioritization and customer experience. Both examples highlight the importance of aligning internal and external stakeholders, choosing appropriate SLIs, and continuously learning to improve SLO management. These insights underscore the potential benefits of using tools like Dynatrace to establish, monitor, and optimize service-level management practices.