#1 HyperConverged Appliance for SMB and ROBO. StarWind Virtual SAN Service Level Agreement

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1 #1 HyperConverged Appliance for SMB and ROBO StarWind Virtual SAN OCTOBER 2015

2 Trademarks StarWind, StarWind Software and the StarWind and the StarWind Software logos are registered trademarks of StarWind Software. StarWind LSFS is a trademark of StarWind Software which may be registered in some jurisdictions. All other trademarks are owned by their respective owners. Changes The material in this document is for information only and is subject to change without notice. While reasonable efforts have been made in the preparation of this document to assure its accuracy, StarWind Software assumes no liability resulting from errors or omissions in this document, or from the use of the information contained herein. StarWind Software reserves the right to make changes in the product design without reservation and without notification to its users. Technical Support and Services If you have questions about installing or using this software, check this and other documents first - you will find answers to most of your questions on the Technical Papers webpage or in StarWind Forum. If you need further assistance, please contact us. Copyright StarWind Software Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of StarWind Software. TECHNICAL PAPER 2

3 Contents Support Terms Definitions... 4 Annual Soft Ware Maintenance (ASM)...5 Customer Service and Technical Support...5 Methods of Communication...5 Phone and Remote Support Sessions StarWind On-Line Community...6 Pre-Sale Support... 7 Post-Sale Support...8 Severity Level Definitions Initial Configuration Assistance Customer Satisfaction Surveys: Document Terms and Conditions: Contacts TECHNICAL PAPER 3

4 Support Terms Definitions StarWind Software stands behind its products, and we are dedicated to providing our prospects and customers with industry-standard support services. Our support services are divided into two programs: Pre-Sale Support Services that are provided to help customers with the initial software deployment and optimal configuring during the software evaluation period during business hours. In order to get the assistance please contact your sales account manager. Post-Sale Support Services that are provided to assist customers in reconfiguring StarWind software or solving productivity and technical issues caused by StarWind software. Post-Sale Support is divided into 2 types: Standard Support - The service level that is included with all StarWind software purchases. By default, each purchased copy of StarWind software includes one year of standard technical support. Premium Support - This service level has a faster response time and additional methods of resolving issues. Premium Technical Support is available for an additional fee. The response time is defined in accordance with the purchased support plan and the issue severity level. ASM (Annual Software Maintenance) The service that allows customers to obtain major and minor product updates and technical support. TECHNICAL PAPER 4

5 Annual Soft Ware Maintenance (ASM) Annual Software Maintenance (ASM) for StarWind products provides major and minor product version releases/updates and a technical support plan. Major version releases are indicated by an increase in the first digit in the version number, i.e. 6.0 to 8.0. Annual Maintenance and Support is available on a per-year basis. The subscription can be purchased for a 1-, 2-, or 3- year period. Maintenance is required for all perpetual license purchases. Customer Service and Technical Support All StarWind software users are entitled to our technical support according to the support plan purchased. Customers who use the trial software are provided with 30 days of free Pre-Sale Technical Support and access to the following online resources: How To Articles Step-by-Step Technical Guides Educational Video Resources Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Knowledge Base StarWind On-Line Community Methods of Communication Support can be provided via , phone, or web forum. In order to open a support case, the customer is required to submit a support form via starwindsoftware.com/supportform or send an to support@starwindsoftware.com. It is highly recommended to include the customer name, contact details, software version used, and a detailed description of the problem into the initial support request. TECHNICAL PAPER 5

6 Phone and Remote Support Sessions A technical support representative may require an attended remote support session and/or a phone call to resolve severity 1 and severity 2 issues. If a remote support session is not required, case resolution is conducted via . It is up to the StarWind support engineer to determine the necessity of having a phone call or remote session. This type of communication is performed through a web form that can be filled out on our website or by sending an to support@starwindsoftware.com. StarWind On-Line Community All forums can be accessed via our website: TECHNICAL PAPER 6

7 Pre-Sale Support Pre-Sale Support services are aimed to assist users of the trial versions with system configuration for the best performance and stability of StarWind products. In order to schedule Pre-Sale Support services, contact your sales representative. The following services are included in the 30-day pre-sale technical support: Free minor and major upgrades /Phone configuration assistance Remote Session Access to online resources Live product demonstration Pre-Sale support is provided during StarWind Software Inc. business hours with an average response time of 4 hours: Monday Friday EMEA Office 8 AM 5 PM GMT USA Office 9 AM 6 PM EST TECHNICAL PAPER 7

8 Post-Sale Support Post-Sale Support services are aimed to assist users of commercial versions of StarWind products with system configuration, reconfiguration, and system tuning in order to achieve the best performance and stability. In order to receive post-sale assistance, please complete the web-form or use the address provided, which corresponds to your support plan. The following services are included in the post-sale support: Free minor and major upgrades /Phone configuration assistance Remote Session Access to online resources Important notices: 1. In order to receive proper post-sale support and make sure that the system is configured properly StarWind support engineer approves must system configuration. Please refer to the Installation assistance section of this document. 2. In case implementation of major or minor changes into StarWind configuration is planned, it s highly recommended to consult with StarWind engineers before. Otherwise, StarWind holds no responsibility for the possible damage. Post-Sale Support can be Standard or Premium. Each purchased copy of StarWind software includes one year of Standard technical support. To upgrade the support level or time covered please contact your sales representative. TECHNICAL PAPER 8

9 Support Offerings Standard support plan Premium support plan Forum Phone Remote Support Sessions* Disaster Recovery Assistance** Installation Assistance OS Configuration Assistance for Proper StarWind Operation Network Performance Consulting Disk Performance Consulting StarWind Virtual SAN Configuration Installation Assistance Number of Installation assistances 1*** Unlimited * Standard Support will provide remote session assistance for Severity 1 production issues ** StarWind-related only ***the additional installation assistance may be received for additional fee. If you would like to learn more please contact your sales account manager. TECHNICAL PAPER 9

10 The Support Engineer who works with you to try to resolve the issue, taking whatever step is necessary to diagnose the problem, and to find the solution or work around after. This may involve: Asking you to provide more information Asking you to install specific software, driver or patches Asking for a specific debug data from the server where issue occurred, or any other machine if necessary for troubleshooting Trying to reproduce the problem in StarWind test lab Verifying the software issues with our engineering Asking you to implement and test workaround suggestions that may avoid the issue Asking you to involve your staff to help troubleshoot the issue Working with you to involve relevant third party software or hardware vendors (if the problem is suspected in their product) StarWind does not assisting with configuring 3rd Party Client-Side Hosts in the Standard or Premium support plans. Nevertheless, this option may be obtained. A 24/7 Premium technical support plan can be purchased for an additional fee. The response time is defined in accordance with the support plan purchased and the issue severity level. Severity Level Definitions Severity levels provide an indication of the urgency of an issue, and help us provide a prompt and effective response. Categorizing severity levels incorrectly hinders the overall case-handling process, and can adversely affect you. When you report an issue, you and the StarWind Support TECHNICAL PAPER 10

11 engineer should discuss and agree upon an appropriate severity level. You have the option to change the severity level of an issue as business conditions change around the impact. Response goals are intended to provide a target for initial response to an issue or query. We will work a Severity 1 issue if you have a technical resource available to work with us until: A resolution or workaround is in place and business impact has been mitigated. The severity is mutually downgraded Severity 1 issue is any issue that is caused by StarWind software and prevents production system from functioning while no immediate workaround is available. Severity 2 issue is any issue that is caused by StarWind software and prevents production system from functioning and a workaround exists. Severity 3 issue is any non-critical issue that is caused by StarWind software; a production system is able to function. Any other issues such as general questions are classified as Severity 3. Technical Support Plan Premium Technical Support Standard Technical Support Severity 1 1 hour 4 business hours * Severity 2 4 hours 8 business hours * Severity 3 4 business hours* 12 business hours * Installation Assistance 1-2 Business Days* 3-5 Business Days* *StarWind Software Inc. business hours: EMEA Office 8 AM 5 PM GMT Monday Friday; TECHNICAL PAPER 11

12 USA Office 9 AM 6 PM EST Monday Friday TECHNICAL PAPER 12

13 Initial Configuration Assistance All new StarWind customers can obtain initial StarWind configuration assistance provided via phone or an attended remote support session*. Please visit the StarWind System Requirements page to obtain a list of minimum system requirements and supported operating systems. The configuration assistance can be scheduled and provided during US and EMEA business hours. The configuration assistance includes: OS configuration assistance for proper StarWind operation Network performance tuning Disk array performance tuning SAN solution configuration * StarWind software does not offer assistance configuring third-party software and client-side servers. Customer Satisfaction Surveys: We periodically survey customers to obtain additional feedback on recent experiences with Customer Support, and the survey results are reviewed by management. When a support case is closed, an may be sent to the customer contact associated with the case. The contains a link to an online survey with questions covering areas such as the handling of the support case, professionalism, knowledge of the support analyst, and overall satisfaction with the management of the case. TECHNICAL PAPER 13

14 Document Terms and Conditions: Other terms and conditions are: This document is effective as of the date shown in the footer of this document. This document completely replaces all previous versions with an earlier effective date. This document is subject to change without notice. TECHNICAL PAPER 14

15 Contacts US Headquarters EMEA and APAC (French) Customer Support Portal: Support Forum: Sales: General Information: TECHNICAL PAPER 15