Table of Contents:

Definition and Overview

1. Introduction

2. Background

3. What Is Service-Level Management?

4. What Is Needed?

5. The Solution

Self-Test

Glossary

PDF of this tutorial

Definition
Service-level agreements (SLAs) are contracts between service providers and customers that define the services provided, the metrics associated with these services, acceptable and unacceptable service levels, liabilities on the part of the service provider and the customer, and actions to be taken in specific circumstances. Service-level management is the set of people and systems that allows the organization to ensure that SLAs are being met and that the necessary resources are being provided efficiently.

Overview
This tutorial is a guide for companies looking to manage not just network equipment but the services associated with that equipment. The tutorial introduces service-level management, its relationship to SLAs, and the requirements of a service-level management system.