Using Service Level Indices to Manage the Quality of Computing Service: A Case Study

This paper shows how utility and theory are applied to develop a service level index (SLI) to judge the quality of delivered computing service. The SLI intergrates objectively measurable systems performance data with customer value judgements. Hidden assumptions and implicit tradeoffs among service attributes are made explicit in the process. A nonemotional objective discussion of critical service issues between the computing service provider and the customer is supported.