Azure Service Level Agreements (SLAs) ensure that your business-critical applications and workloads are available, reliable, and performant. They provide clear guidelines for the level of service that Microsoft will deliver and what you can expect from your Azure subscription. In this article, we`ll explore what Azure SLAs are, why they matter, and how they work.
What are Azure SLAs?
Azure SLAs are contracts between Microsoft and Azure customers that outline the level of service that Microsoft will provide for Azure services. These SLAs cover a variety of areas, including availability, performance, and support. SLAs are typically measured in terms of uptime or availability. For example, a 99.95% uptime SLA means that Microsoft guarantees that your service will be available 99.95% of the time.
Why do Azure SLAs matter?
Azure SLAs are important because they provide customers with a clear understanding of the level of service they can expect from Azure. They also provide a measure of accountability for Microsoft. If Microsoft fails to meet the SLA, customers may be entitled to compensation in the form of service credits or refunds.
SLAs can also help customers make informed decisions about how to use Azure services. For example, if a customer has a business-critical application that requires high availability, they may choose to use Azure services that have a higher SLA for availability.
How do Azure SLAs work?
Azure SLAs are based on the principle of “service credits.” Service credits are compensation that Microsoft provides to customers if a service fails to meet the SLA. Service credits are typically a percentage of the monthly subscription fee for the affected service.
For example, let`s say that a customer is using an Azure service with a 99.95% uptime SLA, and the service is unavailable for 2 hours during a given month. In this case, the customer is entitled to a service credit equal to 1% of their monthly subscription fee for that service.
It`s important to note that SLAs only apply to specific Azure services and not to the entire Azure platform. Additionally, SLAs only apply if the customer is using the service in accordance with Microsoft`s usage guidelines and has paid their subscription fees in full.
Conclusion
Azure SLAs are an important part of ensuring the reliability and availability of your business-critical applications and workloads. They provide a clear understanding of the level of service that Microsoft will deliver and the level of accountability that Microsoft has for its services. By understanding how Azure SLAs work, customers can make informed decisions about how to use Azure services and can ensure that they are getting the level of service they need.