The Service Levels Block of a Service Level Agreement (SLA) lays out the key performance standards that the provider agrees to meet. This block serves as the foundation for service delivery, setting clear expectations for both the provider and the customer. Each component of the Service Levels Block should be thoroughly defined and configured to ensure the optimum performance of the contracted services. - The Support service levels portion of this block outlines the availability and delivery timeframes for support services, such as helping users with non-technical questions. For example, the SLA might specify that the provider offers email support between 9 am and 5 pm on business days. Exclusions, such as situations where the provider is not obligated to provide support services, should also be included. An example of an exclusion might be if the user is using the product in a way that is inconsistent with the product's documentation or intended use. - The Error Correction service levels outlines the response and remedy timeframes for different types of errors, such as critical errors, urgent errors, and service-impacting errors. For instance, the SLA may require the provider to acknowledge critical errors within one hour and resolve them within 24 hours. Exclusions, such as situations where the provider isn't obligated to correct errors, should also be specified. For instance, if the product is combined with unapproved third-party products, the provider might be exempted from error correction responsibilities. Additionally, it's important to include any customer obligations, like providing the provider with remote access to their systems if needed to resolve errors. - The Uptime service levels sets out the expected uptime for the service and the measurement periods. For instance, the SLA might require 99.9% uptime over a month, which allows for roughly 43 minutes of downtime. This section should also define the acceptable downtime brackets and any exclusions, such as scheduled maintenance or downtime caused by the customer's actions. - Finally, the System Response Time service levels sets the expected response times for the system or application in question. For instance, it might require that API calls to a third-party application must return a response within 200 milliseconds 99% of the time. This section should also detail how this measurement will be carried out and the period over which system responses will be measured. - By configuring these essential elements within the Service Levels Block, both the customer and provider can set clear expectations for service performance. These agreed-upon standards then serve as a basis for ongoing performance monitoring and can help to address any potential issues before they become significant problems. Thus, the Service Levels Block is an integral part of tech contracts, underpinning successful service delivery and customer satisfaction.