Monitoring of service provider performance is improved by providing
detailed instructions for evaluating metrics relating to categories in
which the service provider's performance is to be measured. Such
instructions describe the metrics in sufficient detail such that they can
be evaluated by a monitoring component without having to obtain
monitoring data from the service provider, thereby decreasing the level
of trust that must be placed in the service provider to monitor itself.
The ability to evaluate metrics independent of service provider
monitoring data further reduces the size of code which must be generated
for the service provider and the number of tasks which must be performed
by the service provider, thereby decreasing operating expenses and
freeing up resources for other aspects of the service provider's
operations.