Service Level Agreement (SLA)

1. SLA Overview

This Service Level Agreement ("SLA") is incorporated into your subscription agreement with CEF Core, LLC ("CEF Core," "we," "us," or "our"). This SLA defines the service levels we target to provide for the CEF Core platform ("Service").

This SLA applies to all customers with active paid subscriptions unless a separate Enterprise SLA has been negotiated. In case of conflict between this SLA and an Enterprise SLA, the Enterprise SLA prevails.

We reserve the right to modify this SLA with 30 days' notice to customers. Continued use of the Service after the notice period constitutes acceptance of the modified SLA.

2. Definitions

3. Uptime Commitment

3.1 Uptime Target

3.2 Uptime Calculation

Monthly Uptime Percentage is calculated as:

Example for a 30-day month (43,200 minutes):

• 99.9% uptime = up to 43.2 minutes of downtime
• 99.5% uptime = up to 216 minutes (3.6 hours) of downtime
• 99.0% uptime = up to 432 minutes (7.2 hours) of downtime

3.3 Measurement Method

Uptime is measured through:

• Health Checks: API endpoint availability and response time monitoring
• Customer Reports: Validated reports of Service unavailability
• Internal Metrics: Server logs, error rates, and infrastructure metrics

4. Exclusions from Downtime

The following are not counted as Downtime for SLA purposes:

• Scheduled Maintenance: Planned maintenance communicated at least 7 days in advance
• Emergency Maintenance: Critical security or stability fixes (limited to 4 hours per month)
• Customer-Caused Issues: Downtime resulting from customer actions, configurations, or misuse
• Third-Party Failures: Internet service provider outages, DNS failures, or third-party service disruptions
• Force Majeure: Acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, pandemics, or government actions
• DDoS Attacks: Distributed denial of service attacks targeting the Service
• Browser/Network Issues: Customer's browser, network, or device problems
• Beta Features: Features explicitly marked as beta, preview, or experimental
• Suspended Accounts: Service suspension due to non-payment or Terms of Service violations

5. Scheduled Maintenance

5.1 Maintenance Windows

We schedule regular maintenance as follows:

• Preferred Window: Sundays, 2:00 AM - 6:00 AM Eastern Time
• Frequency: Monthly or as needed
• Advance Notice: Minimum 7 days via email and in-app notifications
• Status Page: Real-time updates at https://cefcore.com/status/

5.2 Emergency Maintenance

In rare cases, we may perform emergency maintenance without advance notice to address critical security vulnerabilities or service stability issues. We will provide notification as soon as possible and minimize disruption.

5.3 Maintenance Best Practices

• We deploy code changes continuously with zero downtime when possible
• Database migrations are performed during maintenance windows
• Infrastructure upgrades are staged and tested before production deployment
• Rollback procedures are prepared for all major changes

6. Service Credits

6.1 Credit Schedule

If we fail to meet our 99.9% uptime commitment, you may be eligible for Service Credits based on actual Monthly Uptime Percentage:

6.2 How to Request Service Credits

To request Service Credits:

• Submit a request to sla@cefcore.com within 30 days of the affected month
• Include your account ID, the month in question, and details of downtime experienced
• We will review your request and respond within 10 business days
• Credits will be applied to your next monthly invoice

6.3 Credit Limitations

• Service Credits are your sole remedy for uptime failures
• Credits cannot be redeemed for cash
• Credits expire if not used within 12 months
• Maximum credits per month: 50% of monthly fees
• Credits apply only to subscription fees (not usage-based fees or overages)

7. Support Services

7.1 Support Channels

We provide support through the following channels:

• Email Support: support@cefcore.com
• In-App Support: Help widget within the CEF Core application
• Knowledge Base: Self-service documentation and guides
• Status Page: Real-time system status at https://cefcore.com/status/
• Phone Support: Available for Enterprise customers

7.2 Support Response Times

Response times vary by priority level and subscription tier:

7.3 Support Hours

• Standard Support: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Eastern Time
• Critical Issues: 24/7 emergency support for P1 incidents
• Enterprise Support: 24/7 support for Enterprise customers (separate agreement)
• Holidays: Reduced support on U.S. federal holidays

8. Performance Targets

8.1 Response Time

We target the following API response times (measured at 95th percentile):

• Read Operations: < 200ms
• Write Operations: < 500ms
• Report Generation: < 5 seconds (simple reports)
• Complex Queries: < 2 seconds

Note: Performance targets are goals, not guarantees. Actual performance may vary based on query complexity, data volume, and network conditions.

8.2 Data Processing

• Nightly Jobs: Completed by 6:00 AM Eastern Time
• Daily Accrual: Processed within 2 hours of scheduled time
• Batch Imports: Completed within 1 hour for files < 10,000 records

9. Data Protection & Security SLA

9.1 Data Availability

• Backup Frequency: Nightly automated backups of every production database
• Backup Retention: Nightly backups retained for 30 days. Continuous backup, off-site storage and long-term archives are planned but not yet in place.
• Recovery Point Objective (RPO): Up to 24 hours today, set by the nightly backup schedule
• Recovery Time Objective (RTO): Target 4 hours (system restoration)

9.2 Security Incident Response

• Detection: System health dashboard with in-app alerts
• Notification: Customer notification within 72 hours of confirmed data breach (GDPR requirement)
• Remediation: Immediate containment of security threats

10. Reporting & Transparency

10.1 Status Page

We maintain a public status page at https://cefcore.com/status/ showing:

• Current system status (operational, degraded, or down)
• Scheduled maintenance notifications
• Incident history and resolution updates
• Historical uptime statistics

10.2 Uptime Reports

Enterprise customers can request monthly uptime reports showing actual performance against SLA targets.

11. Enterprise SLA

Enterprise customers may negotiate custom SLA terms, including:

• Higher uptime commitments (99.95% or 99.99%)
• Dedicated support resources and faster response times
• Custom maintenance windows
• Higher service credit percentages
• On-call support and escalation procedures
• Quarterly business reviews

Contact sales@cefcore.com for Enterprise SLA inquiries.

12. Limitations & Disclaimers

12.1 Sole Remedy

Service Credits are your sole and exclusive remedy for any failure to meet this SLA. We have no other liability for service availability issues covered by this SLA.

12.2 Changes to SLA

We may modify this SLA by providing 30 days' notice via email or in-app notification. Modifications will not reduce uptime commitments during your current subscription term.

12.3 Best Efforts

While we commit to the targets in this SLA, service availability is a goal and not a guarantee. Actual performance may vary due to factors beyond our reasonable control.

13. Contact for SLA Matters