Outage Budget
Definition
An outage budget limits tolerated unavailability within a period.
From an availability target, the allowed proportion of outages or failed events is derived. In the SRE context, this is a possible form of the error budget.
Simply explained
A defined reliability framework shows how much disruption is still within the target.
Why it matters in practice
This connects stability requirements with decisions about changes.
Example from business
Hypothetical: A team postpones risky releases when its agreed budget is exhausted.
Limits and pitfalls
- Time-based and request-based budgets must not be mixed. Maintenance rules must be defined in advance.
Origin & history
The concept originates from service-level objectives and site reliability engineering.
Use in mid-sized companies
- SMEs can define availability according to actual business significance.
Frequently asked questions
Is this permission for planned errors?
No, it is a control instrument for agreed reliability.
Sources
- Error Budget Policy — · Google SRE Workbook: Error Budget Policy —
Editorially reviewed on: