Error Budget Policies

Getting Started​

Error Budget Policies (EBP) create "wiggle room” for down time. They acknowledge the futility of 100% uptime as impossible and not worth the expense when it comes to service quality and availability.

If an SLO states that it will target 99.9%, for example, then the EBP acknowledges and accepts 0.1 % imperfection for the total time the service is available. By planning for imperfection, the EBP can:

• Factor in improvements in service (be they hardware or software) as long as they can be integrated, tested, and restored to Production within the EBP allowance

• Monitor and assess Actual availability to help define how much down time vs. uptime is cost-effective

• Continue to update, patch, and enhance the customer experience as long as the EBP is not exceed

Create an Error Budget Policy​

1. Select the Error Budget Policy (EBP) option on the left side of the SLO Landing window. Blameless shifts to the SLI Step, displaying a list of available SLIs (if any).

If there are no EBP created, Blameless will display this fact.

2. If an EBP exists, you can click on it to open the EBP Details window.

3. If creating a new Error Budget: Click on the "New Policy" button on the right side of the window. A new modal opens.

4. Enter a Policy name and description. The “Save” button goes active.

5. Click the “Save” button.

Setting Policy Thresholds​

1. Open the new Policy. Within the new policy window, you will see a list of thresholds that can be set.

2. Set an automated Threshold(s). Set the desired threshold. Values for the threshold must be a number (integer) between 0 and 99% (no need to add the % symbol).

3. Select the notification policy and make sure to select at least one recipient:

• Notify via E-mail

• Notify via Slack

• Create a Blameless ticket

  This means, for example, you could set up an E-mail notification for 25% and 50%, then “escalate” by setting a Slack notification at 75%, and finally generate a Blameless Incident ticket at 100% by setting the Severity as well as Incident type.

4. Click the “Save” button to complete the Error Budget.

Edit an Error Budget Policy​

1. Select the Error Budget Policies (EBP) option on the left side of the SLO Landing window. Blameless shifts to the error budget policies page, displaying a list of available error budget policies (if any).

• Edit

• Delete

2. If an EBP exists, you can click on it to open the EBP Details window.

3. Select the option adjustments you desire.

4. Click on the “Save” button.

Setting Policy Thresholds​

1. Open the new Policy. Within the new policy window, you will see a list of thresholds that can be set.

2. Select the notification type.

• Notify via E-mail

• Notify via Slack

• Create a Blameless ticket

  This means, for example, you could set up an E-mail notification for 25% and 50%, then “escalate” by setting a Slack notification at 75%, and finally generate a Blameless Incident ticket at 100% by setting the Severity as well as Incident type.

  a. Select % of Error Budget depleted. i. Select the Depletion level (a percentage of the Error Budget). ii.Select the notification method to associate with that level.

  1. If selecting E-mail: Enter the e-mail address(es) to contact.

  2. If selecting Slack: Enter the channel(s) or User(s).

  3. If selecting a Blameless Incident: Select the Severity (Sev) Level and Incident type.

  b. Select Days left before 100% depletion. i. Select the Depletion level (in Days). ii. Select the notification method to associate with that level.

  1. If selecting E-mail: Enter the e-mail address(es) to contact.

  2. If selecting Slack: Enter the channel(s) or User(s).

  3. If selecting a Blameless Incident: Select the Severity (Sev) Level and Incident type.

3. Click on the “Save” button to complete the Error Budget.