This article applies to versions 2.x and 3.0 of the Cloud Service Agreement. For version 1.x, see SLA (optional). Learn more about agreement versions here.
SLA is an optional variable that appears in the Cloud Service Agreement Cover Page, in the Order Form section. Use it to commit to your product's uptime and support response times, and to the credits your customer receives if you miss them.
How to fill this out
Check Include SLA, then choose one of three ways to provide it:
Describe the SLA: write your own SLA terms in a text box. This starts with a short default: you'll use commercially reasonable efforts to keep the Cloud Service available, and if you miss the SLA in two consecutive months, or over three months in any 12-month period, your customer's only remedy is to terminate the Order Form and receive a prorated refund of prepaid fees.
Use the Common Paper Standard SLA: incorporate the Common Paper Service Level Agreement Standard Terms and fill in the variables below.
Add as an attachment: attach your own SLA document.
The rest of this article covers the Standard SLA. It has two parts, and you can include either or both: Include target uptime and Include target response time.
Target Uptime
Check Include target uptime to guarantee a monthly uptime percentage. You then fill out three things.
Target Uptime percentage
The percentage of each month the Cloud Service will be available.
Default: 99.5%
Service Credits
The credits your customer receives against the monthly Cloud Service Fee when actual uptime falls below the target. Each row pairs an Actual Uptime Percentage range with a Percentage of monthly Cloud Service Fee. Click Add row to add tiers. You need at least one row.
Default:
98.0% to Target Uptime: 10%
95.0% to 98.0%: 25%
Under 95.0%: 50%
Scheduled Downtime
Scheduled Downtime is time the Cloud Service is unavailable that doesn't count against your Target Uptime. Choose at least one of these three options:
Maintenance window: downtime because you're performing routine or scheduled maintenance during set hours. Choose a start time, an end time, a time zone and the days of the week. Default: 8:00pm to 2:00am Eastern Time on Saturday and Sunday.
Written notice: downtime that you announce in writing (by email, on the Cloud Service, or on your website) at least a set amount of time beforehand. Default: 8 hours.
Custom description: describe your Scheduled Downtime in your own words. For example, if your service is always on, you can write There is no Scheduled Downtime.
These three are the only Scheduled Downtime options.
How your choices appear on the Cover Page:
Maintenance window or written notice (or both): the Cover Page shows "Scheduled Downtime means" followed by a list with one item per option you chose.
Custom description with either of the others: your custom text is added as the last item in that list.
Custom description only: the Cover Page shows only your custom text, with no "Scheduled Downtime means" list.
The custom description box starts empty and you can leave it blank. A blank custom description adds nothing to the Cover Page. If it's the only option you chose, the Cover Page won't define Scheduled Downtime at all, so write out what you mean, such as There is no Scheduled Downtime.
NOTE: You'll see "SLA maintenance window, notice, or custom description must be provided." if you include Target Uptime without choosing any Scheduled Downtime option.
Target Response Time
Check Include target response time to commit to how quickly you respond to support requests. Fill out:
Target Response Time: the amount and unit, such as 8 hours.
Response Time Credit: the percentage of the monthly Cloud Service Fee your customer receives each time you miss the Target Response Time.
Support Channel: how customers request support or file an incident ticket, such as email [email protected].
Default
Default: No SLA