Service level objectives
Encyclopedia
A Service level objective (SLO) is a key element of a service level agreement
(SLA) between a service provider
and a customer
. SLOs are agreed as a means of measuring the performance of the Service Provider and are outlined as a way of avoiding disputes between the two parties based on misunderstanding.
There is often confusion in the use of SLA and SLO. The SLA is the entire agreement that specifies what service is to be provided, how it is supported, times, locations, costs, performance, and responsibilities of the parties involved. SLOs are specific measurable characteristics of the SLA such as availability, throughput, frequency, response time, or quality.
The SLO may be composed of one or more quality-of-service measurements that are combined to produce the SLO achievement value. As an example, an availability SLO may depend on multiple components, each of which may have a QOS availability measurement. The combination of Quality of Service (QOS) measures into an SLO achievement value will depend on the nature and architecture of the service.
In Foundations of Service Level Management (2000), Rick Sturm and Wayne Morris argue that SLOs must be:
SLOs should generally be specified in terms of an achievement value or service level, a target measurement, a measurement period, and where and how measured. As an example, "90% of calls to the helpdesk should be answered in less than 20 seconds measured over a one month period as reported by the ACD system
". Results can be reported by the percent of time that the target answer time was achieved compared to the desired service level (90%).
The term SLO is deprecated in ITIL V3 to Service Level Target, not to be confused with Service Level Requirement
defined in the service design
.
Service Level Agreement
A service-level agreement is a part of a service contract where the level of service is formally defined. In practice, the term SLA is sometimes used to refer to the contracted delivery time or performance...
(SLA) between a service provider
Service provider
A service provider is an entity that provides services to other entities. Usually, this refers to a business that provides subscription or web service to other businesses or individuals. Examples of these services include Internet access, Mobile phone operators, and web application hosting...
and a customer
Customer
A customer is usually used to refer to a current or potential buyer or user of the products of an individual or organization, called the supplier, seller, or vendor. This is typically through purchasing or renting goods or services...
. SLOs are agreed as a means of measuring the performance of the Service Provider and are outlined as a way of avoiding disputes between the two parties based on misunderstanding.
There is often confusion in the use of SLA and SLO. The SLA is the entire agreement that specifies what service is to be provided, how it is supported, times, locations, costs, performance, and responsibilities of the parties involved. SLOs are specific measurable characteristics of the SLA such as availability, throughput, frequency, response time, or quality.
The SLO may be composed of one or more quality-of-service measurements that are combined to produce the SLO achievement value. As an example, an availability SLO may depend on multiple components, each of which may have a QOS availability measurement. The combination of Quality of Service (QOS) measures into an SLO achievement value will depend on the nature and architecture of the service.
In Foundations of Service Level Management (2000), Rick Sturm and Wayne Morris argue that SLOs must be:
- Attainable
- Repeatable
- Measurable
- Understandable
- Meaningful
- Controllable
- Affordable
- Mutually acceptable
SLOs should generally be specified in terms of an achievement value or service level, a target measurement, a measurement period, and where and how measured. As an example, "90% of calls to the helpdesk should be answered in less than 20 seconds measured over a one month period as reported by the ACD system
Automatic call distributor
In telephony, an Automatic Call Distributor , also known as Automated Call Distribution, is a device or system that distributes incoming calls to a specific group of terminals that agents use. It is often part of a computer telephony integration system.Routing incoming calls is the task of the ACD...
". Results can be reported by the percent of time that the target answer time was achieved compared to the desired service level (90%).
The term SLO is deprecated in ITIL V3 to Service Level Target, not to be confused with Service Level Requirement
Service level requirement
In the IT field, a Service Level Requirement is a broad statement from a customer to a service provider describing their service expectations. It includes the requirements of the customer from the service provider. A service provider then prepares the service level agreement based on the...
defined in the service design
Service design
Service design is the activity of planning and organizing people, infrastructure, communication and material components of a service in order to improve its quality and the interaction between service provider and customers....
.