Using service level objectives (SLOs) ensures system meets performance criteria in various contexts.
Aggregating metrics with percentiles and distributions better represents system data than averages.
Measuring latency, addressing burstiness, and prioritizing consistency are crucial for system performance.
Service level agreements (SLAs) define consequences of not meeting SLOs, emphasize realistic expectations, and user satisfaction.
Deep dives
Understanding Service Level Objectives
Service level objectives (SLOs) are important for ensuring that a system meets the desired performance criteria. In the podcast episode, they emphasized the significance of SLOs in various contexts such as user-facing services, storage systems, and big data systems. Examples of SLOs mentioned include availability, latency, and throughput. They discussed the importance of not caring about every metric but focusing on relevant indicators, using percentiles instead of averages, and understanding the distribution of data. They highlighted the need to collect metrics and indicators from both server-side and client-side perspectives.
Aggregating Metrics and Avoiding Averages
Aggregating metrics is necessary to represent data effectively, but it can also hide the true behavior of a system. The podcast episode emphasized the importance of using percentiles and distributions rather than averages. Percentiles provide a better representation of data, enabling an understanding of long tails and outliers. They cautioned against assuming normal distribution and highlighted the need to understand the distribution of data to make informed decisions.
Detecting Latency and Burstiness
Latency and burstiness are significant factors affecting the performance and user experience of a system. The podcast discussed the importance of measuring latency and how burstiness can affect the overall system behavior. They mentioned the preference for consistency over extreme fast-slow variances in a system. They emphasized the value of detecting and addressing burstiness in order to provide a more reliable and predictable user experience.
Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Collecting Indicators
Service level agreements (SLAs) are important agreements that define the consequences if service level objectives (SLOs) are not met. The podcast episode highlighted the need for SLAs to have a realistic understanding of infrastructure availability and reliability. It also mentioned the importance of collecting indicators from both server-side and client-side perspectives for accurate monitoring and performance evaluation. They emphasized the significance of understanding user expectations and the impact of consistency on user satisfaction.
Using Power Level 10k theme for Z shell
Power Level 10k is a theme for Z shell that can improve performance and speed up command execution.
Generate bookmarks HTML file for easier organization
Use the export and import function in browsers to generate an HTML file with bookmarks, making it easier to organize and share specific links.
Be conservative with published SLAs and SLOs
When publishing SLAs and SLOs, be conservative to avoid setting unrealistic expectations and potential problems down the line.
Pick and choose metrics wisely to avoid data overload
When adding metrics to your system, carefully consider which ones are truly necessary to avoid data overload and performance issues.
Welcome to the morning edition of Coding Blocks as we dive into what service level indicators, objectives, and agreements are while Michael clearly needs more sleep, Allen doesn't know how web pages work anymore, and Joe isn't allowed to beg.
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