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QoS management through service level agreements: a short overview

QoS-Management mittels Service Level Agreements — ein Überblick

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Abstract

The Internet protocol (IP) was created as a connectionless network layer protocol that takes no attempt to distinguish between various application types. Hence, the integration of a wide range of telecommunication services over the Internet is the main reason behind the need for the provision of quality of service (QoS) guarantees to end users. In such multiservice networks, resources are managed based on service level agreements (SLA), acknowledging different types of traffic in terms of bandwidth requirements, delay and other QoS parameters. An SLA is the documented result of a negotiation between a customer and a service provider that defines service characteristics, responsibilities and priorities of every party. An SLA may include statements about tariffing and billing, service delivery, and compensations. This paper provides a short overview of some aspects of quality of service, and identifies main issues and problems of defining and managing an SLA, based on its current standardization stage.

Zusammenfassung

Das Internetprotokoll (IP) wurde als verbindungsloses Netzprotokoll völlig unabhängig von den verschiedenen Anwendungstypen entwickelt. Die Einführung verschiedener Telekommunikationsdienste im Internet ist der Hauptgrund für den Bedarf an benutzergarantieren Dienstegüten. In einem Multiservicenetz werden die Ressourcen mittels Service Level Agreements (SLA) gehandhabt und durch die verschiedenen Verkehrstypen in Bezug auf QoS-Parameter, wie zum Beispiel Bandbreite und Verzögerung zugewiesen. Durch Service Level Agreements werden Rechte und Pflichten zwischen dem Diensteanbieter und dem Dienstenutzer zusammengestellt und vertraglich fixiert. Gleichzeitig werden messbare Kriterien vereinbart und ein Rückkopplungsprozess bestimmt, um den Erfüllungsgrad der Qualität nachweisen zu können. Ein SLA kann Erklärungen über Tarifierung und Abrechnung, Lieferung und Entschädigung miteinschließen. Dieser Beitrag gibt einen kurzen Überblick über einige Aspekte des QoS und identifiziert Hauptfragen und -probleme bei Definition und Management eines SLA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Breitbandkommunikation, Technische Universität Wien, Favoritenstraße 9/388, A-1040, Wien

    B. Statovci-Halimi Dipl.-Ing. & A. Halimi Dipl.-Ing.

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  1. B. Statovci-Halimi Dipl.-Ing.
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  2. A. Halimi Dipl.-Ing.
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Correspondence to B. Statovci-Halimi Dipl.-Ing..

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Statovci-Halimi, B., Halimi, A. QoS management through service level agreements: a short overview. Elektrotech. Inftech. 121, 243–246 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03055357

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