Reliable QoS monitoring based on client feedback

TLDR

Service‑level agreements define QoS contracts, but without penalties providers may deviate, so reliable QoS monitoring is essential for trust. The paper proposes a QoS monitoring approach that uses client‑provided quality ratings. The method aggregates client ratings via a reputation system to estimate delivered QoS. The approach incentivizes honest reporting while keeping cost and overhead low.

Abstract

Service-level agreements (SLAs) establish a contract between service providersand clients concerning Quality of Service (QoS) parameters. Without properpenalties, service providers have strong incentives to deviate from theadvertised QoS, causing losses to the clients. Reliable QoS monitoring (andproper penalties computed on the basis of delivered QoS) are thereforeessential for the trustworthiness of a service-oriented environment. In thispaper, we present a novel QoS monitoring mechanism based on quality ratings from theclients. A reputation mechanism collects the ratings and computes theactual quality delivered to the clients. The mechanism provides incentives forthe clients to report honestly, and pays special attention to minimizing costand overhead1.