Composite guide

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The guides in this section walk you through composite configuration steps, providing practical examples of a composite SLO configuration.

Composite and standard SLOs

A composite SLO is, first and foremost, an SLO. Like any other SLO, it requires the following configuration:

• The time window type—calendar-aligned or rolling—and duration
• The error budget calculation method, occurrences or time slices
• A reliability target

Composite SLOs are unique because they use their components' reliability or error budget values as SLIs, which can originate from different data sources. This requires defining composite-specific parameters:

• Data consolidation metric
• Delay handling settings
• Component weight

What to expect?

This guide covers topics to help you understand composite-specific configuration and select appropriate parameters for your composite SLO.

Composite SLO calculations add a layer of abstraction compared to standard SLOs. Unlike standard SLOs that reflect raw data, a composite SLO's error budget provides insights into the pre-calculated performance of its components.

Grasping these distinctions is essential for setting the correct budget target in various scenarios.

Composite guide structure

The guide is structured in four complementary sections:

SLOs error budget

Delve into error budget configuration for composite SLOs and see how it contrasts with standard SLO approaches.

Aggregation metrics

Select the appropriate aggregation metric for consolidating component data in your composite SLOs, with practical advice for different use cases.

Choosing weights

Assign appropriate weights to your composite SLO components to accurately reflect organizational priorities and reliability targets.

Choosing target

Set effective reliability targets for your composite SLOs by understanding the trade-offs between different target levels and their sensitivity to failure.