What to promise and expect.
WHAT A PROVIDER MAY COMMIT TO
Availability Response times Support response
WHAT TO CHECK
Whether it is a commitment or a target.
WHY THAT DISTINCTION MATTERS
A target carries no remedy.
WHAT THE REMEDY USUALLY IS
Credits, proportionate and capped.
WHAT THAT MEANS PRACTICALLY
The remedy rarely covers your loss.
WHY THAT MATTERS FOR DESIGN
You must build for their failure regardless of what they promised.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH ABOUT ANY CRITICAL PROVIDER
Their actual historical availability Whether an alternative exists How long switching would take
WHAT TO DO WITH THAT
Decide whether a single provider is acceptable.
WHAT TO COMMIT TO YOURSELF
Only what you can measure and meet.
WHAT TO EXCLUDE EXPLICITLY
Failures of providers you depend on Planned maintenance Misuse by the caller
WHY THOSE EXCLUSIONS
Without them, someone else's outage becomes your liability.
WHAT TO MEASURE
Your own availability, from outside.
WHAT TO PUBLISH
Honest figures.
WHY
Credibility is worth more than an unblemished claim nobody believes.
WHAT TO PREPARE
Evidence, since claims require it.
