Define SLOs and Error Budgets for a Real-Time Trading API
Overview
What this challenge is about.
You analyze Prometheus data to define SLIs, SLOs, and error budgets for a crypto trading API. Deliver a policy and catalog. Earn a verifiable certificate.
The scenario
The exchange (around USD 110M revenue, 24/7 trading, regulated under MAS) cannot agree on what 'reliable enough' means — and that disagreement is blocking platform-team funding.
The Brief
What you'll do, and what you'll demonstrate.
Define SLOs and an error-budget policy for the trading API, validated against 90 days of historical data and signed off by engineering + product.
Earning criteria — what you'll demonstrate
- Distinguish SLI from SLO and SLA in a real production context
- Choose SLIs that reflect user-perceived experience, not just backend metrics
- Calibrate SLOs against historical data so they are achievable but meaningful
- Write an error-budget policy engineering and product will both honor
Program Fit
Where this fits in your program.
Sharpens the same skills your degree expects you to demonstrate.
Site Reliability Engineering
Master · Cloud And Devops
Strong alignment
This challenge maps to Site Reliability Engineering at the Master level. It sharpens the same practical skills your coursework expects — but in a real industry context with actual constraints and deliverables.
Skills
Skills you'll demonstrate.
Each one shows up on your verified credential.
- Slo Definition
Apply slo definition to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- Error Budgets
Apply error budgets to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- Sli Design
Apply sli design to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- Prometheus
Apply prometheus to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- Stakeholder Communication
Apply stakeholder communication to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- Reliability Engineering
Apply reliability engineering to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
Careers
Career paths this challenge builds toward
Completing this challenge demonstrates skills that transfer directly to these roles: