Service Level Agreement

This document defines the minimum level of service you should expect from Idaq Ltd. ("Idaq")

Standard Support Contract Service Level Agreement

Service description 

The service provides for the provisioning of a secure environment, Internet connection and resilient power for a customer's co-located server or a dedicated server provided by Idaq.

It includes customer-requested power recycles, monitoring of the Network and diagnostic action to confirm that the server is responding to basic reflect tests. 

This Service Level Agreement (SLA) sets out the levels of technical support and service credits available in the event of Network unavailability and the limits of iDAQ's and the customer's own responsibilities as regards the service.

Technical Support hours

Technical Support response times

Customers will receive a human response within four working hours of contacting support.

Security

Access to Idaq's data centres is restricted to a limited number of authorised staff. Security controls such as photo ID cards, CCTV, UPS back up and environmental control are all used to protect Idaq's data centres.

Backups and recovery

Idaq can offer all co-located and dedicated servers a range of backup options; monthly, weekly, daily or real-time offsite backups. Prices for these services are detailed in our Standard Price List.

In the event of a customer requiring recovery from backup, this will be the subject of a technical support call for which the standard charges apply as detailed in the Standard Price List, which is available upon request. 

Responsibilities of Idaq

Idaq will: 

• Provide either, a dedicated server or a virtual private server configured to Idaq's "initial server build", or rack space for co-located server. 
• Provide a 10Mbps, 100Mbps, 1000 or 10,000Mbps network connection on Idaq's switch.
• Provide power (UPS) to the customer (Power).
• Upon request, confirm that the relevant server responds to an echo test (Ping). 
• Maintain 99.999% Network availability, see "Calculating Service credits".
• Maintain the customer server in an appropriate environment as defined in this document.
• Where the customer does not have access to the connected power control equipment, Initiate customer-requested power recycles or reboots, up to a maximum of 4 occurrences in a calendar month, within technical support working hours. Any additional power recycle requests would incur an additional charge as specified in the Standard Price List. Please be aware that reboots may cause loss of data and this provision will be activated only upon the failure of an echo test to the customer's server. 
• Provide DNS (Domain Name Server) management for Domains registered with iDAQ and using our Name Servers, at no additional charge**, during the contract period of this service:
  • Adding/ removing Domain names 
  • Modifying zone records 
  • Managing DNS configuration 
  • Providing secondary DNS (if requested)
• Enable server hardware management***. All dedicated servers are provided with the standard manufacturer's hardware warranty. This would be implemented in the following way: for servers purchased by customers: iDAQ will coordinate arrangements between the manufacturer and the customer. Upon request, iDAQ can provide alternative solutions. 
  
  for servers rented by customers: Idaq will implement the warranty and provide a suitable alternative solution whilst repairs are carried out.

Responsibilities of the customer 

It is the customer's responsibility to operate and manage any dedicated server allocated to them, to ensure the integrity and security of their server and to comply with iDAQ's Acceptable Use Policy. iDAQ is not responsible for ensuring the integrity and security of customers' servers.

These responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

• Carrying out any configuration or customisation work after the "initial server build" 
• Installing and maintaining applications
• Ensuring applications are appropriately installed, configured and maintained including the interfaces to the Operating system 
• Maintaining Operating System Software at appropriate levels including the application of available software patches and updates 
• Ensuring adequate virus protection by updating appropriate patches 
• Ensuring that no activity affects the efficiency of the scheduled backup process 
• Ensuring the licenses are held for all software on the server 
• Ensuring that all non-essential ports are closed for security purposes and the provision of all necessary measures to protect the server from possible hacking 
• Abiding by the terms of use described in iDAQ's standard terms and conditions
• Ensuring the security of iDAQ's network; we would suggest that customers regularly change their passwords and under no circumstances disclose their username and passwords to any third parties (except as required to provide support) 
• Being aware of any notices posted on http:// www.idaq.com and to action any consequent recommendations 

Removal from Network

Idaq reserves the right to remove any customer server from the network should iDAQ determine, in its absolute discretion, that a server has been compromised or in any way used inappropriately. 

Events, which may trigger such actions, include but are not limited to: 

• The server is known to be involved in a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service Attack). 
• The server was found to be probing ports for vulnerabilities on other servers. 
• The server is involved in any form of illegal activity. 
• The server has been compromised. (Cracked/ Hacked). 
• The server is causing network disruption however caused. 
• The customer does not comply with Idaq's Acceptable Use Policy. 

Physical Access

Idaq's dedicated and co-located server products are designed to be managed remotely and as such we do not expect customers to require physical access to their server. However, for colocated server customers and subject to agreement with the Idaq technical support team, usually in the case where reasonable working hours notice is given and the appointment occurs during technical support working hours, there is no additional charge for this physical access. Visits that extend beyond these hours will incur the appropriate access fee as defined in the Standard Pricelist. 

In any other circumstance, the customer should expect to pay the appropriate access fee as defined in the Standard Pricelist. 

Calculating Service Credits 

Service Credits are applicable should the Network become unavailable. The Total Outage Period shall be calculated in the following manner: 

• The Outage Incident Start time of a Service being unavailable shall be defined and measured from the time the fault is detected by us or is reported to our Support Desk and a support call ticket has been originated. 
• The Outage Incident End time of the period of unavailability shall be deemed as the time at which the service can be demonstrated to be available by a PING command or that the support call ticket has been resolved. 
• The Total Outage Period shall be the period, or sum of multiple periods as applicable within any calendar (excluding any period of planned downtime) from the Outage Incident Start time to the Outage Incident End time, each as outlined above. 

The Total Monthly Time Period is calculated by taking the 24 hours in each day and multiplying these by the average number of days in each calendar month (365 days per year, divided by twelve months = 30.42 days per month). 

If, during any given calendar month the Total Outage Time is greater than 0.1% of the Total Time Period of the calendar month, then the service shall be deemed to have been unavailable for an unacceptable period. The customer shall be provided a credit against future Service Subscription Fees, or equivalent charges on presentation of a written claim within 30 (thirty) days of the first occurrence of the Outage, a sum equal to the amount of Service Subscription Fee pro-rated for the period of the Total Outage Time less the pro-rated sum for the first 0.1% of the given calendar month. 

The provision of Service Credits is the sole compensation available to customers in the event the services are unavailable. This SLA is supplemental to Idaq's standard terms and conditions, which apply to all services supplied 

Planned and emergency downtime 

Idaq reserves the right to close down customer systems with no notice should emergency maintenance become necessary. 

For planned downtime, Idaq will inform the customer by posting the relevant information on the Network status page on our website: https://www.idaq.com.

This planned downtime is excluded from any calculation of availability.

Activity/ KPI

Glossary of terms

*Technical support other than that described above, may be purchased separately as Consultative Support and is provided in line with the Standard Price List. 

In the event that any downtime is caused by customer intervention/error and the customer approves the use of Consultative Support to remedy the error then the customer is liable for the relevant Consultative Support charges incurred in resolving the problem.  

**It is not possible for Idaq to offer DNS management for domains that are not on Idaq's Name Servers. Idaq offers a free transfer service for domains transferred to our DNS. 

***Idaq will replace failed hardware but is not liable for downtime or loss of data that results from hardware failure.