Reviewed by Aditya Kumar · Last reviewed 2026-03-24
A P2 (Priority 2) ticket SLA (Service Level Agreement) defines the expected response and resolution times for high priority issues that cause major business impact but typically have an existing…
This easy-level General/Other question appears frequently in data engineering interviews at companies like Ford. While less common, it tests deeper understanding that distinguishes strong candidates.
Start by clearly defining the core concept being asked about. Interviewers want to see that you understand the fundamentals before diving into implementation details. Structure your answer with a definition, then explain the practical application with a concise example.
A P2 (Priority 2) ticket SLA (Service Level Agreement) defines the expected response and resolution times for high-priority issues that cause major business impact but typically have an existing workaround. While specific times vary by organization, a common P2 SLA dictates a response within 4-8 hours and a resolution within 24-48 hours.
P2 tickets represent a significant step down from P1 (Priority 1) critical issues, which demand immediate "all hands on deck" attention due to catastrophic impact (e.g., complete data outage, production system down). A P2 issue, conversely, indicates a major disruption where a core business function is impaired, but operations can continue, perhaps with degraded performance or manual intervention. For example, a critical dbt model failing to update, causing a key executive dashboard to show stale data, would likely be a P2 if a manual workaround or a slightly delayed report is acceptable for a short period.
The SLA typically has two components:
* Response Time: The time within which an engineer must acknowledge the ticket and begin investigation.
* Resolution Time: The time within which the issue must be fully resolved and normal service restored.
These targets are set to mitigate significant business disruption without requiring the extreme urgency of a P1. Factors influencing these times include the size of the engineering team, 24/7 operational requirements, and the specific business criticality of the affected system.
A typical P2 SLA might be a 4-hour response time and a 24-hour resolution time. This allows engineers to systematically diagnose the problem, perhaps involving data checks, log analysis, or even a small code fix, without the pressure of an immediate, potentially rushed, hotfix. The trade-off is balancing the speed of restoring service with the thoroughness required for a stable, long-term solution.
In the interview, also mention that it's crucial to understand the specific P2 definitions and SLAs of the organization you're joining, and to proactively communicate if an SLA is at risk of being breached.
Red Flag: Guessing. Pro-Move: 'Our P2: 4h response, 24h resolution; we track in Jira; escalate if at risk.'
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According to DataEngPrep.tech, this is one of the most frequently asked General/Other interview questions, reported at 1 company. DataEngPrep.tech maintains an editor-reviewed database of 1,863 data engineering interview questions across 7 categories.