For whom SLA - mist, tell you what's going on
Service Level Agreement - a document describing the level of service expected by the customer from the supplier, based on the indicators applicable to this service, and establishing the responsibility of the supplier if the agreed indicators are not reached.
Roughly speaking, if you turn off the Internet at home, then in the end you will spit and go for a walk, to the cinema or a pub, at best hoping for recalculation.
If you disconnect communication at the office, then sales stop at you (customers cannot reach you and go to other suppliers without waiting for an answer by mail), the accounting department cannot make payments (here you’re failing your partners), and , say, a bureau of traders, the amount of losses can reach thousands of dollars (you will not be able to buy or sell shares on time).
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There may be a lyrical digression about reserving channels, etc., but before our eyes there is an example - the building of the Moscow-City complex, in which a couple of years ago, in an unexpected way, both the main and the backup channels came from a single provider. And trouble, as you know, does not come alone. As a result, twice for 7-8 hours (during working hours), the companies from the Fortune 500 rating found themselves without communication.
Therefore, especially meticulous legal services of companies whose business is particularly sensitive to the quality of communication, try to calculate the amount of damage to the company not only by the cost of non-consumed services, but also by the profit lost by the client due to communication downtime.
Starting points
Here are some indicators in one or another of the composition found in the operator's documents:
ASR (Answer Seizure Ratio) is a parameter that determines the quality of a telephone connection in a given direction. ASR is calculated as a percentage of the number of telephone connections established as a result of calls to the total number of calls made in a given direction.
PDD (Post Dial Delay) is a parameter that determines the period of time (in seconds) that has elapsed from the moment of the call to the moment of establishing a telephone connection.
Service Availability Ratio - the ratio of the time of interruption in the provision of services to the total time when the service should be provided.
The packet loss rate is the ratio of correctly received data packets to the total number of packets that were transmitted over the network for a certain period of time.
The time delays in the transmission of packets of information - the period of time required to transfer a packet of information between two network devices.
Reliability of information transfer - the ratio of the number of erroneously transmitted data packets to the total number of transmitted data packets.
Periods of work, time of notification of subscribers and time to restore services.
In other words, 99.99% service availability means that the operator guarantees no more than 4.3 minutes of communication downtime per month, 99.9% - that the service may not be provided for 43.2 minutes, and 99% - that the break can last more than 7 hours. In some practices, there is a delineation of network availability and a smaller value of the parameter is assumed - during off-hours. Different types of indicators are also provided for different types of services (traffic classes). For example, for a voice the delay indicator is most important - it should be minimal. And the speed is needed for it to be low, plus some of the packages can be lost without loss of quality (up to about 1%, depending on the codec). To transfer data, speed comes first, and packet loss should tend to zero.
World standards
In Western practice, it is customary to give an official report on network parameters for the last year. Here, for example, indicators for the Internet channel for May of several well-known brands.
Signal Delay (Latency, ms)
Packet Loss (Packet Loss,%)
Jitter (delay variation, jitter, ms)
The amount of compensation depends on the monthly payments of the client and varies from provider to provider. In the case where the network availability indicator exceeds the threshold specified in the SLA, Verizon will compensate the subscriber for a daily payment for each hour of service unavailability. If in any month the SLA in terms of the signal transmission delay is not fulfilled, then compensation in the amount of the daily subscription fee is assumed.
Sprint approaches itself more rigidly, and if the SLA is not respected (at least with respect to MPLS VPN ), the subscription fee is returned to the client for the entire month in which the problem was fixed.
If the service is unavailable due to NTT, the operator sets a framework for identifying and solving the problem in 15 minutes - after which the client is reimbursed from 1/30 to 7/30 of the monthly payment. If the SLA does not correspond to the speed of the signal delay, the client can count on returning the daily payment one time.
Our realities
In the Russian business, international brands are predominantly SLA. At the same time, for metropolitan clients, the phrase itself also became familiar, and even medium-sized companies are sometimes interested in this document. Here we would like to note that the service level agreement does not replace and does not cancel the standard clauses on operator’s responsibility in the service agreement, as well as the norms established by law and subordinate acts (for example, the Federal Law "On Communications", Order No. 92 "On the approval of standards on the electrical parameters of the main digital channels and paths of the backbone and intrazonal primary networks of ARIA of Russia ”, etc.), which we all faithfully follow.
In the practice of Gars Telecom, in the event of any “fakap”, disputes are resolved in the framework of the processing of troubles and service recovery time. Accidents that caused the inoperability of the service should be eliminated from 4 to 72 hours (depending on the cause). In case of exceeding the specified parameters - the subscriber is compensated for every additional hour of downtime, and when the operator reaches the threshold values ​​- the percentage of compensation increases.
Of the interesting cases, you can recall the store of musical instruments, which accused us (the operator) of falling piano sales (for some time the phone did not work). Here, again, you can compare with the advanced customer-oriented West, but it is better to turn to the Russian outback, where not so much about the SLA - in general, the concept of "service recovery time" does not exist. At best, the reaction time is 48 hours. For examples, you don’t even have to go far - 15 km from St. Petersburg - and the local operator refuses any responsibility. It would be ugly to speak for all regional operators, but, unfortunately, this is more the rule than the exception.
What conclusions need to be drawn from these stories?
Roughly speaking, if you turn off the Internet at home, then in the end you will spit and go for a walk, to the cinema or a pub, at best hoping for recalculation.
If you disconnect communication at the office, then sales stop at you (customers cannot reach you and go to other suppliers without waiting for an answer by mail), the accounting department cannot make payments (here you’re failing your partners), and , say, a bureau of traders, the amount of losses can reach thousands of dollars (you will not be able to buy or sell shares on time).
')
There may be a lyrical digression about reserving channels, etc., but before our eyes there is an example - the building of the Moscow-City complex, in which a couple of years ago, in an unexpected way, both the main and the backup channels came from a single provider. And trouble, as you know, does not come alone. As a result, twice for 7-8 hours (during working hours), the companies from the Fortune 500 rating found themselves without communication.
Therefore, especially meticulous legal services of companies whose business is particularly sensitive to the quality of communication, try to calculate the amount of damage to the company not only by the cost of non-consumed services, but also by the profit lost by the client due to communication downtime.
Starting points
Here are some indicators in one or another of the composition found in the operator's documents:
ASR (Answer Seizure Ratio) is a parameter that determines the quality of a telephone connection in a given direction. ASR is calculated as a percentage of the number of telephone connections established as a result of calls to the total number of calls made in a given direction.
PDD (Post Dial Delay) is a parameter that determines the period of time (in seconds) that has elapsed from the moment of the call to the moment of establishing a telephone connection.
Service Availability Ratio - the ratio of the time of interruption in the provision of services to the total time when the service should be provided.
The packet loss rate is the ratio of correctly received data packets to the total number of packets that were transmitted over the network for a certain period of time.
The time delays in the transmission of packets of information - the period of time required to transfer a packet of information between two network devices.
Reliability of information transfer - the ratio of the number of erroneously transmitted data packets to the total number of transmitted data packets.
Periods of work, time of notification of subscribers and time to restore services.
In other words, 99.99% service availability means that the operator guarantees no more than 4.3 minutes of communication downtime per month, 99.9% - that the service may not be provided for 43.2 minutes, and 99% - that the break can last more than 7 hours. In some practices, there is a delineation of network availability and a smaller value of the parameter is assumed - during off-hours. Different types of indicators are also provided for different types of services (traffic classes). For example, for a voice the delay indicator is most important - it should be minimal. And the speed is needed for it to be low, plus some of the packages can be lost without loss of quality (up to about 1%, depending on the codec). To transfer data, speed comes first, and packet loss should tend to zero.
World standards
In Western practice, it is customary to give an official report on network parameters for the last year. Here, for example, indicators for the Internet channel for May of several well-known brands.
Signal Delay (Latency, ms)
| Sprintnet | Verizon | Cable & wireless | NTT | |||||
| Fact | Standard | Fact | Standard | Fact | Standard | Fact | Standard | |
| Europe | 18.9 | 45 | 15.178 | thirty | 17.6 | 35.0 | 24.00 | 35 |
| USA | 36.91 | 55 | 42.851 | 45 | 45.9 | 65.0 | 45.83 | 60 |
| Asia | 83.78 | 105 | 100.640 | 125 | 48.3 | 90.0 | 47.34 | 95 |
| Europe Asia | 207.63 | 270 | - | - | 174.1 | 310.0 | 260.23 | 300 |
| Europe-USA | 74.53 | 95 | 78.784 | 90 | 78.7 | 90.0 | 71.57 | 90 |
| Sprintnet | Verizon | Cable & wireless | NTT | |||||
| Fact | Standard | Fact | Standard | Fact | Standard | Fact | Standard | |
| Europe | 0 | 0.3% | 0.025% | 0.5% | 0 | 0.2% | 0 | 0.3% |
| USA | 0.01% | 0.3% | 0.019% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0 | 0.3% |
| Asia | 0 | 0.3% | 0.004% | one% | 0 | 0.2% | 0 | 0.3% |
| Europe Asia | 0 | 0.3% | - | - | 0 | 0.2% | 0 | 0.3% |
| Europe-USA | 0 | 0.3% | 0 | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0 | 0.3% |
| Sprintnet | Verizon | Cable & wireless | NTT | |||||
| Fact | Standard | Fact | Standard | Fact | Standard | Fact | Standard | |
| Europe | 0.0017 | 2 | 0.026 | one | - | - | 0 | 0.5 |
| USA | 0.0007 | 2 | 0.058 | one | - | - | 0 | 0.5 |
| Asia | 0.0201 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0.5 |
| Europe Asia | 0.0001 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0.5 |
| Europe-USA | 0.0001 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0.5 |
Sprint approaches itself more rigidly, and if the SLA is not respected (at least with respect to MPLS VPN ), the subscription fee is returned to the client for the entire month in which the problem was fixed.
If the service is unavailable due to NTT, the operator sets a framework for identifying and solving the problem in 15 minutes - after which the client is reimbursed from 1/30 to 7/30 of the monthly payment. If the SLA does not correspond to the speed of the signal delay, the client can count on returning the daily payment one time.
Our realities
In the Russian business, international brands are predominantly SLA. At the same time, for metropolitan clients, the phrase itself also became familiar, and even medium-sized companies are sometimes interested in this document. Here we would like to note that the service level agreement does not replace and does not cancel the standard clauses on operator’s responsibility in the service agreement, as well as the norms established by law and subordinate acts (for example, the Federal Law "On Communications", Order No. 92 "On the approval of standards on the electrical parameters of the main digital channels and paths of the backbone and intrazonal primary networks of ARIA of Russia ”, etc.), which we all faithfully follow.
In the practice of Gars Telecom, in the event of any “fakap”, disputes are resolved in the framework of the processing of troubles and service recovery time. Accidents that caused the inoperability of the service should be eliminated from 4 to 72 hours (depending on the cause). In case of exceeding the specified parameters - the subscriber is compensated for every additional hour of downtime, and when the operator reaches the threshold values ​​- the percentage of compensation increases.
Of the interesting cases, you can recall the store of musical instruments, which accused us (the operator) of falling piano sales (for some time the phone did not work). Here, again, you can compare with the advanced customer-oriented West, but it is better to turn to the Russian outback, where not so much about the SLA - in general, the concept of "service recovery time" does not exist. At best, the reaction time is 48 hours. For examples, you don’t even have to go far - 15 km from St. Petersburg - and the local operator refuses any responsibility. It would be ugly to speak for all regional operators, but, unfortunately, this is more the rule than the exception.
What conclusions need to be drawn from these stories?
- After a fight, they do not wave their fists - if there are any critical parameters for a business, you need to think about what and negotiate with the operator at the stage of agreeing documents
- The indicator that is worth constantly working on is the recovery time of services and the level of technical support. Because when nothing works at all - it is worse than when it works, but it’s bad (in this case, the client can, at least, change the operator quickly and painlessly)
- It is also necessary to take care of reservations in advance, and the service must be from independent operators, at least one of which must be fixed.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/143305/
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