What is a Service Level Agreement (SLA)?

In the business world, Service Level Agreements (SLAs) play a crucial role in defining the responsibilities and obligations between a provider and its customer. In the IT industry, the abbreviation SLA is also used as Server Level Agreement, referring to technical parameters such as minimum availability over a year, guaranteed computing power, as well as service elements like technical support and its accessibility.

What does a Service and Server Level Agreement include?

When it comes to SLA as a Server Level Agreement, it is a contract between the web hoster and their customer, established through the terms and conditions along with additional agreements. It comprises various individual points aimed at clearly defining expectations and entitlements on both sides. Some key components may include:

• Nature and scope of the service or products
• Average availability over a period of time or calendar year
• Response time and support responsibilities
• Claims and own obligations regarding the booked service
• Options for transitioning to other or new offerings
• Priority treatment, such as with VIP or premium packages
• Contact methods
• Technical parameters like guaranteed computing power, bandwidth, or response times

The Service or Server Level Agreement shares a similar objective to a service guarantee, but differs by its more comprehensive nature, resembling more of a self-commitment. This is particularly important for agencies and freelancers offering web hosting services to their clients.

What does an SLA or Server Level Agreement cover?

The SLA represents an official agreement that can be monitored for compliance in many aspects based on clear criteria - such as the availability of virtual and dedicated servers. However, some points also allow for interpretations or are linked to specific conditions. For example, even with a Server Level Agreement, the operator's responsibility applies exclusively to situations within their control and scope, and does not necessarily cover external factors such as disasters or technical failures outside the managed infrastructure. For instance, if there is a repeated failure of multiple internet nodes, this can significantly restrict availability and the Server Response Time (SRT) on a wide or regional scale. If the web host fulfils their role as a provider within the SLA and provides the necessary support, they are not directly at fault for the outages, placing them outside the scope of a Server Level Agreement.

What are the benefits of a Server Level Agreement?

For a customer, an SLA primarily means a clear commitment to binding standards that they implement both internally and externally. It provides a mutual security and serves as a tool within a company that enables quality control and innovative development of their own products. For this reason, both services and Server Level Agreements have become a standard, even though the principle originally stems from other areas, specifically outsourcing work and services to subcontractors. Its primary purpose is to provide comprehensive protection that can be aligned with objective criteria.

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