Article Summary
This article explains how service level agreements (SLAs) with outside providers affect the availability of San Jacinto College technology services. Information Technology Services (ITS) works to restore service as quickly as possible, but some outages cannot be resolved until a provider, utility, network, or other required service is restored.
Applies To
Employees, Students, Guests, ISD Partners
Information
What Is a Service Level Agreement?
A service level agreement, or SLA, is a provider’s published commitment for the availability of a service. It establishes the service level the provider is contractually expected to meet. An SLA is not a promise that service will never be interrupted.
How Service Dependencies Affect Availability
College technology services work as a connected chain. A disruption at any required point can affect the service experienced by users, even when the College-managed portion is working as designed.
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Dependency
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Why it matters
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Power and facility systems
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Technology equipment requires electrical power and suitable operating conditions.
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Campus and provider networks
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Users and systems need working network paths to reach hosted applications and online services.
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Hosting and cloud platforms
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Many applications rely on provider-managed data centers or cloud infrastructure.
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Software and communications providers
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The application or communications platform must be available for the College service to function.
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User connection and device
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Off-campus availability may also depend on the user’s internet, wireless service, device, and local conditions.
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A local example: If utility power is unavailable at a campus, ITS may be unable to provide on-site access to equipment or services until power is restored. Likewise, if a contracted cloud or software provider has an outage, ITS may need to wait for that provider to restore its platform before the College service can return.
Contracted Service Levels Chart
The Contracted Service Levels Chart lists selected core services, contracted service level targets, and the corresponding amount of allowable unscheduled downtime over a year. It also identifies key dependencies and common exclusions.
What to Expect During Outage
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Stage
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What it means
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Assess
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ITS evaluates the reported impact and determines whether the issue is within College control or involves a provider or dependency.
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Escalate
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When a contracted service is involved, ITS works through the provider’s support and escalation process.
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Communicate
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ITS shares confirmed information about impact, available workarounds, and restoration updates through appropriate College channels.
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Restore
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ITS validates service after the provider or underlying dependency reports restoration and addresses any remaining College-side issues.
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Review
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For significant incidents, ITS may document the cause, response, and opportunities to improve resilience or communication.
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Service Availability Considerations
- An SLA describes a contractual service level; it does not guarantee uninterrupted service.
- The availability experienced by an individual user may differ from a provider’s overall service level because local power, network, device, or internet conditions can also affect access.
- Restoration timing may depend on the responsible provider or utility. ITS cannot restore a provider-controlled system before the provider restores the underlying service.
- Planned maintenance is scheduled and communicated in advance when possible. Maintenance duration can vary based on the work being performed.
- The chart is a transparency resource. The applicable contract and the facts of a specific incident govern how service levels, exclusions, and remedies are applied.
Additional Information / Need More Help?
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