Information technology -- Cloud computing -- Interacting with cloud service partners (CSNs)

The purpose of this technical report is to expand on the description of the interactions between cloud service partners (CSNs) and cloud service customers (CSCs), and between CSNs and cloud service providers (CSPs).
Cloud computing is in a position to offer solutions to many emerging technologies, and it offers many benefits to all cloud service users (CSUs) and CSCs.  The broader requirement for cloud solutions is to ensure organizations have the best capabilities to fulfil their business missions.  This has helped to drive the adoption of cloud services and the marketplace is adjusting to the increasing demands.
In finding and applying appropriate solutions and leveraging the many benefits of using cloud services, many CSCs use multiple CSPs and various deployment models, and include a global network.  In using, sharing, and assessing data, an understanding and clarification of roles, activities and responsibilities will help to maintain the security, privacy, confidentiality and confidence of cloud services.
Interactions of CSCs and CSPs with the various CSNs have caused a degree of concern and confusion in the cloud service marketplace, in some cases causing harm to CSCs through inappropriate security controls and the lack of proper cloud service agreements relating to the cloud services being used. This is in part caused by an inadequate understanding of the relationships involved and by the lack of standards which might apply to those relationships.
Interactions between CSCs and CSPs have been described in detail in standards documents – ISO/IEC 17789 [2], 19941 [7], 27017 [11], 27018 [12] and the 19086 series. Interactions of CSNs, a key role in the cloud service environment, with CSCs and CSPs have not been described in similar detail. This TR is to provide guidance and descriptions for those interactions.
This document provides clarification of the concepts provided in ISO/IEC 17789, 19086, and 19941 regarding CSNs, and CSN interactions with CSCs and CSPs with the help of a few of exemplary market scenarios.  Building on an expanded description of sub-roles and activities, this document provides guidance on using cloud service agreements (CSA) and cloud service level agreements (cloud SLAs) to provide more clarity for CSN interactions. 
This document provides an overview of and guidance on interactions between cloud service partners (CSNs), specifically cloud service brokers, cloud service developers and cloud auditors, and other cloud service entities. In addition, the document describes how cloud service agreements (CSAs) and cloud service level agreements (cloud SLAs) should be used to address those interactions including the following:
Define Terms and concepts, and provide an overview for interactions between CSNs and CSCs and CSPs 
Description of types of CSN interactions
Description of interactions between CSNs and CSCs
Description of interactions between CSNs and CSPs
Elements of CSAs and Cloud SLAs for CSN interactions, both with CSPs and with CSCs
 
Under development