In today’s fast-paced world of distributed applications and cloud-native architectures, ensuring system stability goes beyond just writing good code—it requires a strong focus on Non-Functional Requirements (NFRs). This session explores the role of NFRs in delivering reliable, performant, and scalable systems, with a deep dive into the critical trio of Service Level Indicators (SLIs), Service Level Objectives (SLOs), and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

We will discuss how well-defined SLOs drive operational excellence, enabling teams to proactively manage system performance, latency, and availability. You’ll learn how to set realistic SLOs, measure against SLIs, and balance trade-offs between reliability and agility. Whether you’re responsible for a single application or an enterprise-wide platform, mastering NFRs will set you up for long-term success.

This talk also provides real-world examples of how teams transition from reactive SLAs to proactive SLOs, ensuring their systems meet customer expectations while optimizing infrastructure costs.

Key Takeaways

• Understanding NFRs – The critical role of non-functional requirements in modern software systems.
• SLIs, SLOs, and SLAs Explained – How these service-level metrics ensure reliability, availability, and performance.
• Defining & Measuring SLOs – Strategies for setting realistic goals and tracking key performance indicators.
• Balancing Reliability & Agility – Managing trade-offs between system uptime, latency, and feature velocity.
• Proactive vs. Reactive Approaches – How shifting from SLAs to SLOs can improve resilience and user experience.

Target Audience

• Site Reliability Engineers (SREs) & DevOps Professionals managing service availability and system reliability.
• Software Architects & Engineering Leaders designing cloud-native and distributed systems.
• Platform Engineers & Performance Engineers working with scalability, observability, and system health metrics.
• Product & Business Owners responsible for defining SLAs and ensuring business-critical applications meet customer expectations.