Service Level Management

Knowing What You Pay For

Contents

1. The Motivation for Service Level Agreements

2. Identification of Service Level Parameters

3. Defining a Service Level Agreement

4. Managing for a Service Level

 Introduction
• The network provider provide a network service as a product to a
customer or a user who pay for this service.

The Definition of the service level

• technical properties, such as performance, capacity, and availability of
service in the form of a service level agreement (SLA).
The Definition of the service level agreement
• the technical terms of the service that is being provided. In addition, it
includes business terms, such as precise terms of what will happen if
the agreed-to service level is not met.
 Introduction
The Definition of the service level agreement
A service level agreement (“SLA”) is a formal document describing the level
of service a customer expects from a service provider.

SLA is intended to specify performance expectations, responsibilities and

metrics. It ensures all parties have the same understanding of and improves
each parties ability to reach planned goals.

We must remember that the SLA is an output of the Service Level

Management process. If we focus too strongly on developing SLAs without
their supporting process, then we may miss some key process activities that
are critical dependencies to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of
delivering services.
 11.1 The Motivation for Service Level Agreements

• SLA as a contract between the provider and the user of a

communications service define the service level that is
expected for the service—characteristics of the service that
relate to aspects such as its performance, capacity, and
availability properties.

• Because communication needs vary greatly between

customers, SLAs are often customized and negotiated on a
case-by-case basis according to service type such as a VPN
or Internet Data Center host web site.
11.1 The Motivation for Service Level Agreements
• the SLA generally also contains nontechnical aspects.
Those aspects explain what is to happen in case the service
level falls below the target and certain objectives are not
met—ranging from corrective actions that will be taken to
financial penalties that will be sustained.
11.2 Identification of Service Level Parameters

The criteria of the service level parameters

• Significance—It must be significant and meaningful for the
service that is being defined.
• Relevance—It must be relevant to the context in which the
service will be used.
• Measurability—It must be measurable and objectively
verifiable.
 11.2 Identification of Service Level Parameters
Significance

• Parameters that give a much more meaningful to users such as

dropped calls, background noise, and perceived voice quality
instead of Jitter.
• The more the parameters are significant, the more the user can
use it in complain, such as “The network dropped my call three
times,” “There is background noise on the line,” or simply “My
voice quality is crap.”
 11.2 Identification of Service Level Parameters
Significance

Figure 11-1 Differences in Service Level Parameters, Depending on the Layer of the Service
 11.2 Identification of Service Level Parameters
The significant parameters for a voice service level
• The time that it takes until a user hears a dial tone when picking up the
phone.

• End-to-end voice delay.

• Call completion rate.
• Busy hour call attempts (BHCA), the number of call attempts during the
busiest period of the day.
• The length of time that it takes until a ring tone is received after a call is
dialed
11.2 Identification of Service Level Parameters
Relevance

• The parameters must be dependent to the context to avoid

shifting attention away from it.
• A parameter might also not be relevant when it is simply met.
For example, the BHCA parameter that we just encountered
for voice service enable users to judge the service.
 11.2 Identification of Service Level Parameters
Measurability
• The parameters must be measurable, verifiable and cost-effective to
test if the service is met or not.
• To make the MOS score measurable and cost effective, an automatic
software that analyzes call samples. Such software can generate
synthetic MOS scores that provide a good approximation of actual
MOS scores.
 11.3 Defining a Service Level Agreement
11.3.1 Definition of Service Level Objectives
The considerations

Figure 11-3 Trade-Off Between Cost and Benefit of Higher Service Levels
11.3 Defining a Service Level Agreement
11.3.1 Definition of Service Level Objectives
The considerations

• Specific: it must not be ambiguous such as “delay”.

• Realistic: it must not be fake to just complete the
contract. The provider should never make a promise
that can’t answer to keep the confidence with customer.
11.3 Defining a Service Level Agreement
11.3.2 Tracking Service Level Objectives
The considerations
• Be clear about where parameters are measured.

Figure 11-4 Different Points to Measure Service Level Parameters, Example Data Center
 11.3 Defining a Service Level Agreement
11.3.2 Tracking Service Level Objectives

The considerations

• Be clear how parameters are measured with high accuracy. When

measuring the delay, is the local time at the two nodes accurate?.
• Finally, it should be clear who measures and how your measurements
can be verified.
 11.3 Defining a Service Level Agreement
11.3.3 Dealing with Service Level Violations
The steps
• Restoring the agreed-to service level: make an emergency plan to
solve the issues as fast as you can.

• Make up for service level that was not delivered.

• Reconsidering the future business relationship: the user should
estimate the situation and can change the SLA or change the provider.
SLA Checklist
Does the SLA cover?
• Service objectives
• Parties included
• People responsible for the agreement
• Coverage period
• Definition of terms
• Procedures for updating/changing/amending the
agreement
SLA Checklist
Does the agreement include the following service factors?
• Definition of the service(s)
• Service hours and dates
• Service exclusions
SLA Checklist
Does the agreement detail coverage of customer and
service provider factors?
• Procedures for adding or changing services
• Arrangements for service interruptions
• Escalation procedures
• Customer / service provider responsibilities
SLA Checklist
Does the agreement cover communication channels?
• Contact points included for both customer and
service provider
• Communication channels and methods
SLA Checklist
Does the agreement state what and how performance
monitoring will occur?
• Service targets (expected and minimum levels)
• How to monitor and report on performance
• Frequency of reporting
• Auditing of reports and monitoring
• Quality assurance measurements
• Complaints handling
SLA Checklist
Does the agreement delineate service costs and
penalties for substandard performance?
• Service cost and financial penalties
11.4 Managing for a Service Level
Of course, we are not finished after SLA has been defined. Next, the
SLA needs to be delivered on! This involves a number of aspects:

Before Operational
• Service need to be setup:
oBuild out my Network and Resources.
oConnections must be dimensioned.
oPorts assignments.
oPlanning the Topology.
 11.4 Managing for a Service Level
After Operational
• Monitoring the service Level:
oEnsure that service level objectives that were promised are being
met.
oPerform scenario of flaws and define preventing actions that needed.
oGathering all statistical data.
That’s Why Service Level Monitoring is important
11.4 Managing for a Service Level
To make management easy, you must understand each piece in service .
• Benefits:
oHelps to diagnose and detect the root problem that may degrade
SLA.
oEase to assess drop in performance of the service and taking counter
measure before customers are even impacted.
oProvides guidance to plan and design the network for a given service
level.
oHelpful to devise a strategy for how to monitor the service.
 11.4 Managing for a Service Level

Figure 11-7 Business Relationships and SLAs for Global Long-Distance Example
11.4 Managing for a Service Level
Network Maintenance Considerations

Maintenance operations consist of :

• Routine Backups.
• Hardware and Software upgrades.
During maintenance may be some errors occur ,so the service provider
must inform his clients that there is some upgrades or maintenance take
place.
 11.4 Managing for a Service Level
Service Level Monitoring—Setting Up Early Warning Systems

• When the service is operational the manager has to monitor the service
incase of alerts or warning is appeared.
• This give the manager a chance to perform some
process(countermeasure actions) to prevent errors before it happened.
• Service Level Monitoring consists of:
oMonitoring SL parameters(Performance).
oDetecting when problem is about to occur.
 summary
• Service level agreements are often at the core of the business relationship between
the provider and the customer of a service.
• An SLA specifies a set of service level objectives, how those objectives will be
tracked and verified, and the course of action that needs to be taken along with
possible consequences if service level objectives are violated.
• A service level objective sets a target for a service level parameter—generally, a
parameter that is related to the performance, capacity, or availability of a service.
• Service level monitoring involves monitoring and analyzing operational and state
data that provides an indication of the service level that is currently being
experienced.
• It is important to spot developing problems early, to be able to take countermeasures
in time.
• data about the service level that is currently experienced should not be discarded,
but collected.
Thank You