“HySLAC” – A Conceptual Model for Service Level Agreement Compliance in Hybrid Cloud Architectures

Abstract

Cloud computing provides IT infrastructures and services via networks, and it enables economic potentials for end users as well as a focus on core competencies. In addition to its extensive potentials, cloud computing in general, and hybrid cloud computing in particular, pose new challenges in the negotiation and formulation of Service Level Agreements, as well as in the monitoring of and compliance with contractual requirements. An understanding of cloud service and deployment models, perspectives, roles, and contractual terms is essential for a successful and compliant adoption of hybrid clouds. Consequently, this paper proposes the novel HySLAC model, focusing on service level agreement compliance in hybrid cloud architectures. Based on eight model requirements and a systematic literature review, the HySLAC model was conceptualized with UML 2.0. It comprises eight UML classes and five associated enumerations, and it is instantiated by means of a case study. The model offers scientific and practical application capabilities for the analysis of service components as well as hybrid cloud service compositions, and it opens up potentials for decision support.