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Service Level Agreement  

Last revised October 6th, 2023

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1) Purpose and Scope 

 

This is a Service Level Agreement (SLA) between Trismax, Inc. (“Trismax”) and you (the “Institution”) to document: 

 

  • The technology services Trismax provides to the Institution. 

  • The general levels of response, availability, and maintenance associated with these services. 

  • The responsibilities of Trismax as a provider of these services and of Institutions receiving services. 

  • Processes for requesting services. 

 

The purpose of this document is to ensure that proper procedures are in place to provide high quality service and support to the Institution. This document is pursuant to the License Agreement under which the Institution uses Trismax software application (Circle LMS). This SLA shall remain valid until revised or terminated. It is understood that, while diligent and continuous effort shall be made by Trismax and its employees to fulfill this SLA, the potential exists for exceptional circumstances to arise beyond our control that could temporarily prevent such fulfillment. In such an event, Trismax shall continue to strive to fulfill the promises of this SLA as completely as possible given any extenuating circumstances. 

 

 

2) Service Description 

 

2.1 Service Scope. 

 

Most of the support issues that arise with Circle LMS actually relate to details of its operation, not the system itself. Therefore, the Institution shall provide the first level of technical support. Designated "Admins" and system administrators at the Institution will be trained by Trismax (as outlined and contracted for in the governing License Agreement). These Admins are responsible for helping end-users resolve questions about curriculum issues and procedural questions, such as "How do I take a course?”. The Institution's Admins will have full access to Trismax's support services team. There is no phone or support provided for end-user questions regarding system use issues. Available end-user support for application usage will include self-service via help pages and recorded tutorials available online. If an issue is found to be an actual bug or defect in the software, then the Institution's support staff should inform Trismax's support services team.

 

2.2 Covered services and exclusions. 

 

For all systems, the following services are covered: 

 

  • Any bug or defect in the software. This covers any portion of the system that is not functioning correctly. This does not cover additional functionality that does not currently exist. 

  • Authentication issues, up to the point of communicating with your authentication mechanism. 

  • Errors in your institution's authentication mechanism are not covered. 

  • Improper display or rendering of pages within supported browsers. 

 

If the Institution is self-hosting - that is, running and maintaining its own servers - then the following issues are NOT the responsibility of Trismax, although we will work with you to identify the problem: 

 

  • Hardware failure 

  • Network connectivity 

  • OS issues 

  • Power outages 

  • File system Issues with user-entered data. This covers problems arising from dates being incorrectly entered and anything else that is caused by, and can fixed by, data entry. 

  • Advising Trismax in advance of any updates to the operating system 

 

If your site is hosted by Trismax, the following services are covered under your hosting agreement: 

 

  • 99.9% uptime, not including scheduled maintenance 

  • Hardware failure 

  • Network connectivity, not including connectivity issues within your network. Trismax guarantees that your server is properly and securely connected to the internet.

  • OS issues 

  • Power outages 

  • File system 

  • The entire MySQL database install 

  • The MySQL database and specifically the accounts that are used as part of the Circle LMS package Note: If your local administrator requires access to servers hosted by Trismax, those servers must remain dedicated to the Circle LMS application, its operating system, its database and all related necessary elements. No incidental or ancillary data may be installed on Company-hosted servers by your local administrator without explicit written permission from an authorized representative of Trismax.

 

Supported Browsers:

 

All supported browser must be a current version of the browser, which is defined as a version that is no more than 12 months old. As of September 2021, the following browsers are supported (current versions unless otherwise specified below): 

 

  • Firefox on Windows, Mac, Linux 

  • Chrome on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android IE8 for basic functionality 

  • IE9 and higher on Windows Opera on Windows, Mac, Linux 

  • Safari on Mac, PC, and ipad/iphone - this is our preferred browser, and the one we recommend

 

Staff and course directors/coordinators will need to use the standard version in order to access the full functionality required by their more sophisticated tasks. Trismax will allow you to use other browsers but cannot guarantee that all functions will work when using non-supported browsers. A message to this effect will be displayed to users of non-supported browsers. 

 

Trismax reserves the right to discontinue support for browsers that are obsolete by generally accepted business standards. Note: we recommend that administrators use Safari, as some of the administrative functions have not been optimized for other browsers. 

 

 

3) Roles and Responsibilities 

 

3.1 Parties. 

 

The following Principal Officers of Trismax are responsible for Trismax's performance under this Agreement: 

 

  • Trace Lee, CEO 

  • Chris Tsang, CIO 

 

 

3.2 Trismax's Responsibilities. 

 

Responsibilities and/or requirements of Trismax in support of this Agreement include: 

 

  • Meeting service delivery commitments as outlined

  • Meeting response times associated with the priority assigned to incidents and service requests

  • Generating annual reports on service level performance

  • Appropriately notifying Client personnel of all scheduled maintenance 

 

 

3.3 The Institution's Responsibilities. 

 

The Institution's responsibilities and/or requirements in support of this Agreement include: 

 

  • Using the defined processes for requesting help and services.

  • Monitoring Trismax Maintenance Calendar and notifying Trismax of forthcoming local events with Circle LMS dependencies.

  • Responding to inquiries from Trismax staff who are handling service requests.

  • Providing remote connectivity to all systems as required by Trismax to allow remote access to the systems as required to investigate a fault condition. All remote access will comply with the Customer’s security requirements. 

  • The Institution is responsible for informing users of potential outages which may occur during problem isolation. 

  • The institution is responsible for the first level of technical support, which includes content questions and other issues that are specific to the Institution and/or its curriculum but not to the software. 

 

 

4) Requesting Service 

 

A service request means a request is made by the Institution to Trismax for a covered service under this SLA. Regular Business Hours are 9am to 5pm Pacific Time, Monday to Friday (excluding holidays). For urgent matters, emergency service is available outside this window and should be requested by phone. NOTE: Should the Institution abuse this level of support by repeatedly identifying lower-priority issues as urgent, Trismax reserves the right to require a paid service support plan for the Institution. 

 

Requests made online will be processed during Regular Business Hours. The Trismax ticket system via the web interface is the most efficient method to log and process incidents. Phone service is available during Regular Business Hours. Messages left during off hours will be processed the next business day.

 

 

5) Hours of Coverage, Response Times & Complaint Resolution 

 

5.1 Hours of Coverage. 

 

A four-hour response time is guaranteed for Priority 4 service requests (see chart below). A two-hour response is guaranteed for Priority 2 or 3 service requests. A one-hour response is guaranteed for Priority 1 service requests. For true emergency situations, the support team may be reached 24/7 by phone. Note: Should the Institution abuse this level of support by repeatedly identifying lower priority issues as urgent, Trismax reserves the right to require a paid service support plan for the Institution.

 

 

5.2 Response. 

 

For responses to incidents, Trismax’s goal is to acknowledge requests and assign one of the following Priority Levels within the time frames indicated below during Regular Business Hours: 

 

  • Priority 1 - Critical Impact: service outage or a major application problem making it impossible to use the system.

  • Priority 2 - Major Impact: Large number of users is impacted and no workaround exists.

  • Priority 3 - Ordinary Impact: Small number of users affected or impact on a large number of users, but workaround exists.

  • Priority 4 - Low Impact: No impact on users.

 

For incidents that generate a large amount of tickets, a mass mailing may be sent out in lieu of an individual response. 

 

 

5.3 Prioritization. 

 

If you consider your incident request urgent, directly contact Trismax's support team. This will ensure your ticket is routed as quickly as possible. 

 

Upon receipt of a service request, the Trismax support team will assess the situation and assign a priority level as outlined above. Over the course of problem investigation, the priority level may be changed by the Trismax support team. If it is determined that the issue affects more users than initially estimated, the severity will be increased and more resources devoted to finding a solution. Likewise, if it is determined that a workaround (such as using an alternative browser) is available, the severity may be lowered. 

 

5.4 Escalation

 

If you are not satisfied with the level of service on a request, contact our support team. They will categorize and process your input as appropriate. In the event that calls remain outstanding beyond the agreed times, the Trismax support team will escalate the call. Trismax will notify the Institution if it is apparent that the complexity of a call may result in a protracted timeline for resolution. Trismax may also escalate calls of a repetitive nature. The Institution may escalate any call at any time should they deem it to be appropriate in any specific instance. 

 

 

6) Maintenance and Service Changes 

 

Trismax makes every effort to minimize unintended service disruptions or other impacts as a result of changes in the production environment. Trismax does this by monitoring, managing, and evaluating changes to maximize the service benefits to the Institution, while minimizing the risks involved in making those changes. 

 

6.1 Circle LMS Maintenance Calendar

 

All routine IT-related service events will be conducted on Saturdays or Sundays so as to minimize service disruptions during business hours. Should additional service events be required, Trismax will send a notification to your local system administrator advising of the date and purpose of such service events. Your local system administrator is responsible for notifying Trismax of forthcoming local events with Circle LMS dependencies. 

 

Trismax is responsible for communicating service events and changes to service groups via the email addresses on the account as necessary. There are two categories of service events: 

 

  • Planned Events: A planned service event is work that is planned and scheduled at least two weeks prior to the scheduled date. Trismax Communication Manager will communicate to the appropriate audience at least two weeks prior to the scheduled outage. 

  • Unplanned Events: An unplanned service event is work that is required due to an unforeseen event or urgent repair to prevent failure. Unplanned service events are given priority (and communicated immediately) on a case-by-case basis. 

 

 

6.2 Guidelines for Trismax's Maintenance Windows 

 

A maintenance window is a defined period of time during which planned service events and changes to production services and systems may occur. The purpose of defining standard maintenance windows is to allow the Institution to prepare for possible disruption or changes. In addition to any specific requests from the Institution regarding maintenance windows, the following general guidelines shall apply: Planned service events should be performed between 7:00 PM Friday - 7:00 AM Monday Pacific Time. Work scheduled outside of this window should have explicit sign-off from the system steward or designated Institution representative.

 

 

7) Reviewing and Reporting

 

7.1 System Performance and Availability Reporting

 

Quarterly performance and availability reports will be published for review. First-contact response to incidents and service request is based on information from the Trismax ticket system. Resolution of help tickets is based on information from the Trismax ticket system. Hours are counted as clock hours, weekends excepted. Outage metrics measure planned vs. unplanned outages and their associated root causes. Quality metrics are used to evaluate success of the services offered and to determine when a change in strategy is required or additional resources are needed. 

 

  • Availability (uptime) 

    • Excellent: 99.5%; maximum outage duration not to exceed 6 business hours 

    • Good: Over 97%; maximum outage duration not to exceed 12 business hours 

    • Poor: Less than 97%; maximum outage duration exceeds 24 business hours 

 

  • Performance 

  • Excellent: Less than 5 second response time 

  • Good: No more than 5 second response time on 90% of the monitored screens 

  • Poor: More than 5 second response time on 20% of the monitored screens 

 

  • Issue resolution 

    • Excellent: More than 99% of critical and major issues resolved or mitigated within one business day 

    • Good: Over 94% of critical and major issues resolved or mitigated within one business day 

    • Poor: Less than 90% of critical and major issues resolved or mitigated within one business day

 

Please note that uptime will be determined based on data reported by automated monitoring. Downtime due to announced maintenance will not be used in uptime calculations. Reports of downtime submitted by users will be investigated but won't be used to calculate uptime, since downtime experienced by users can be related to network issues on the user side or anywhere between the user's computer and the system. Uptime will be measured by automatic monitoring of the application. 

 

 

7.2 SLA Reviews. 

 

This Agreement is valid from the date shown below and is reviewed annually or as otherwise needed. Trismax is responsible for facilitating annual reviews of this document. Contents of this document may be amended as required, provided mutual agreement is obtained from the primary stakeholders and communicated to all affected parties. No changes shall take effect unless and until confirmed in writing by Trismax and the Institution and made a part of this Agreement. 

 

 

8) Governing Law.

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This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws under the State of California, USA.

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9) Venue:

 

Any dispute that may arise under this agreement shall be filed in the court of the county of Alameda.

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