Understanding MTTR
How we calculate. MTTR = sum of restore durations ÷ number of incidents. The form uses the same arithmetic as the worked examples on this page. See our methodology and accuracy policy.
Real-world scenario: A typical MTTR case uses total restore time 250 and incidents 5. Enter the same figures below to reproduce the worked path.
What is MTTR?
A DORA stability metric. Clarify whether the clock stops at mitigation or full recovery.
- Use one time unit (minutes recommended)
- Count customer-impacting incidents
- Document start/stop events
The Formula
Worked Example
Common Use Cases
- SRE reviews: recovery speed
- On-call health: weekend vs weekday
- SLO programs: error-budget burn context
Pro Tips
- Exclude planned maintenance if policy says so
- Track MTTD separately
- Improve runbooks when MTTR spikes
Limitations: MTTR results are educational DevOps/FinOps planning aids—not SLAs or billing guarantees. Confirm definitions with your platform and finance policies.
FAQ
Restore vs repair?
Many teams use restore (service usable). Repair may continue after mitigation—label which you report.
What if incidents is 0?
MTTR is undefined—no incidents to average.
Authoritative References
For DORA and FinOps definitions, consult:
- DORA — Four Keys research and definitions
- Google SRE books — SLOs and error budgets
- FinOps Foundation — cloud cost practices