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SLA HANDBOOK AND INTRODUCTION TO JOINT INITIATIVEMalcolm Sinton

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AGENDA

• TMF SLA Handbook -GB 917;

• TMF SLA Handbook W G and OG QoS Forum Liaison Initiative;

• Best Practices Assuring QoS via SLAs.

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SLA HANDBOOK

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Background Documents

• GB 917 -SLA Management Handbook;

• TMF 701 -Performance Measures and Concepts;

• N MF 503 -Service Provider to Customer Performance Reporting Business Agreement;

• N MF 506 -Service Quality Management Business Agreement.

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Currently work is to convert GB 917 into a 3 Volume structure aimed atTelcos, Service Providers(SP), Third Party SPs, Suppliers (equipment/system vendors) and Customers

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Volume 1 -Executive Business View

• An Executive Summary for busy Corporate Executives

highlighting:

– Industry Requirements and primary drivers for SLAs;

– Motivation for SLA management;

– Current SLA Assessment;

– Service Categories;

– What Executives do next.

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Volume 2 - Architectural Principles

• For CTO, ITO type manager readership to give:

– More in-depth view of what SLAs are about (parameters, metrics thresholds)

– How to create and manage SLAs

– Interconnecting systems between Operators and technologies

– What managers do next

– Interdependency on TOM/eTOM

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Volume 3 - Applications and Examples

• Provide examples of parameters, measurements and threshold

Management;

• Interface to associated systems(sub) based on TOM/eTOM;

• Application examples taken from GB 917;

• Relate to technology and service specific and independent

parameters.

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Current Status

• Volume 1:

– PowerPoint presentation prepared

– Structure agreed

– Much text incorporated

• Volume 2:

– Structure agreed

– Some text available

• Volume 3:

– Structure agreed

– Some text available

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Basic Concepts

• End-to-End Business Requirement;

• Domains of Responsibility;

• Performance Requirements “Flow Thru”;

• Life Cycle of Service;

• Parameter Framework;

• Interface to TOM/eTOM;

• Management of Measurements.

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End-to-End Business Requirements

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Application Performance

SLA “Warranty”SAP

SAP

M APMeasurement Access Point

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Domains of Responsibility

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Domains of Responsibility

• A SAP exists at each change in Administrative responsibility. The Primary function of the

SAP is to define the contractual responsibilities between two parties through a SLA.

• Administrative boundaries typically exist between SPs, NOs, internal IT dept which may or

may not require mapping or allocating performance for each parameter across the

boundary.

• Performance requirements must be consistently supported across each boundary.

User.. b(Client)

App .. y(Server)

User.. a(Client)

App .. x(Server)

BusinessRqmts

BusinessRqmts

PrimarySAP

PrimarySAP

Perf.Reqmts

Perf.Reqmts

SAP SAP SAP SAP

SLA

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Performance Requirements Flow Through

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QoS relating to ISO stack

QoSOperationally (Business) driven:•Intelligibility;•Reliable data.

Network driven:•Errors, delay;•Packet/cell loss.

Transmission media driven:•Errors;•Delay, Errors.

Information

Data streamPackets/cells

Bits

LayerApplication:•Voice, video;•File transfer, messaging.

Network:•Circuit switched, ISDN;•IP, ATM.

Link/physical:•Cable: metallic, fibre;•Radio: LoS, SATCOM.

Example QoS at various layers

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Service Life Cycle

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Service Life CycleProduct/Service

Development

Develop Templatesand Parametric

Boundaries

NegotiateIndividualContracts

Implementation

Take Line/ServiceOrders and Provision

Exec

utio

n

Monitor, Surveillance,Maintain, Bill

Assessment

Reassess

Negotiation and Sales

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Typical SLA Life Cycle

SLANegotiation

SLAOrder

Handling

Negotiation & Sales

SLAServiceConfig.

Implementation

SLAProactiveMonitoring

QoSAnalysis &ReportingSLA Rating

&Discounting

Customer SLAAnd QoSReporting

Execution

SLAPlanning &Development

Product/Service Development

Developtemplates and

Parametricboundaries

Negotiateindividualcontracts

TakeLine/service

Orders &Provision

Monitor,SurveillanceMaintain &

Bill

Reassess

Assessment

Reassess

Ref: TMF TO M Processes GB910

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Parameter Framework

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SLA Parameter FrameworkEnd-to-End

Technology-specific

physical interfacedetails

monthlyreported

parameters

Service-specific

service typeor bundle

billing method

usage-timebased

8 Categories

Single UserInstance(SAP)

maxresponse time

Aggregated(Periodic)

aggregateavailabilityfor all Apps

max down-timeper event

aggregateavailability

for all Apps

S/Tindependent

Application-specific

Enterprise Application SP Support @ SAP

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AT M Cell Delivery(Between the SAPs)

TechnologyAT M

Single UserInstance(SAP)

Aggregated(Periodic)

ServiceAT M

•Availability•Max Time To Restore

•M TBF•M TTR•M TRS

•Max•CER, CLR, CTD, CDV

•Mean & Total•CER, CLR, CTD, CDV

S/Tindependent

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Interface to TOM/eTOM

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SLA Process

SLA

•Parameters

• Acceptance• Operational

Performance

Legal Consequences

• Billing

Remedy

Basic Contract

•Thresholds

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The Operations area

• “FAB” is still the core of the

Operations area ;

• Operations Support & Readiness is separated from FAB;

• “OPS” also supports functional process groupings shown as

horizontal layers.

Operations

Fulfillment Assurance BillingOperationsSupport &Readiness

Customer Relationship Management

Service Management & Operations

Resource Management & Operations

Supplier/Partner Relationship Management

(Application, Computing and Network)

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Measurement Strategy

• Location of Measurement Access Points;

• Acquisition of Data from MAPs;

• Timeliness of Data Measure/Acquisition;

• Bandwidth of Management Network;

• Time Correlation Issues;

• Storage.

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Data AcquisitionQuantity, Timeliness, Reliability

M AP

!

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Proposal -4 Volume Structure

• Volume 4 -Open Group QoS work related to:

– QoS performance to meet business needs;

– Business Application User to Business Application User;

– Business Application User to SAP.

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SLA Interest by Industry

SW17%

System Integ13%

Network Equipment

13%

New SP7%

ASP6%

Wireless6%ISP

6%

Cable1%

Other9%

Incumbent SP8%

Industry Consultant

12%

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SLA Interest by Responsibility

Customer svc8%Corp mgt

9%

Sales/mktg10%

Engr Mgt21%

Operations Mgt14%

Net Svcs13%

MIS/IS/IT12% Tech Mgt

13%

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Introduction to New Joint TMF SLA Handbook WG and OG QoS Forum Initiative.

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e-Business Definition

• “An e-Business is a business where the impact of even a short

loss of any telecommunication-related service will cause severe loss of revenue and may even threaten the survival of the

business.” TeleManagement Forum Definition;

• GB 917 “SLA Management Handbook”.

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TMF SLA WG has always recognised that business requirements drive the need for a required performance to meet the business need.

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Customer Business View

• Customer Business Requirements;

• Value of Telecommunications;

• Business Dependency on Telecom;

• Outsourcing Strategy;

• Internal IT Accountability.

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Service Delivery Point

HOSTNetwork Equipment

XXX X XLANX

Provider DELIVERED Quality

SAPSAP

Customer QualityRECEIVEDPERCEIVEDPERCEIVED

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End-to-End SLA Functional Scope

User.. a(Client)

App .. x(Server)

User.. b(Client)

App .. y(Server)

BusinessRqmts

BusinessRqmts

S/T Indepen-dent

Agreement to supply enabling “services”

SLA

PrimarySAP

PrimarySAP

S/T Indepen-dent

Perf.Reqmts

Perf.Reqmts

Technology-specific

Service-specific

Service-specific

Technology-specific

Application-specific

Application-specific

SLA

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IP Network Performance(Service-specific)

IP ServiceWarranty

M AP

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DSL Access Performance(Technology-specific)

DSL AccessWarranty

DSL AccessWarranty

M AP

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Opportunity

Customer Service Provider

Access Line

The “SAP”

IP Probe?

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Best Practices Assuring QoS via SLAs

• Quality of Service is

‘the collective effect of service performance that determines the

degree of user satisfaction of a service’ (ITU-T E.800)

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Top SLA Parameters

• Availability;

• MTTR;

• Throughput;

• Application Uptime;

• Transmission Delay – Latency -Jitter.

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Best Practice (1)

• Committed, contractual and bounded;

• Real-time Customer monitoring -self-care;

• SP control to ensure service levels commitments are met;

• Differentiation in standard and revenue;

• Trend and Impact analysis.

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Best Practice (2)

• Automation:

– Pro-active detection of violations;

– Immediate impact analysis;

– Real time reports;

– Pro-active network changes;

• New features (security);

• Guaranteed Availability (not last mile);

• No rewards;

• Share Business risk.

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Best Practice (3)

• SP competition increasing;

• Revenue in:

– Added value;

– Service differentiation;

• Accurate QoS performance calculation;

• Dispute Avoidance Measures.

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Best Practice (4)

• Have a clearly defined SLAM process;

• Link SLA metrics/thresholds to business goals;

• Select SP based on accessibility, breadth and ease of use;

• Negotiate clear penalties based on transparent measurements.

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SLA Pointers

• Many SLA Components exist;

• End-to-end SLA is rarely available;

• Build expectations on what can be measured;

• Select standard parameters;

• Understand what is under contract/warranty/agreed;

• Promote standards (Industry Forums);

• Keep it simple.

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Impediments to Service Level Management

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

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No charge back No troubletracking

Lack tools

Percent

1998 NETPLEX

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Mutual Responsibilities (communicate)• Agreement;

• Expectation Management;

• Relationship Building;

• Partnership.

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Questions?

Don’t shoot the messenger!