Configure Usage Buckets

Overview

Usage buckets are attached to services in order to provide included usage and usage tiers. Usage buckets utilize base buckets to define basic bucket properties such as the unit of usage deducted from the bucket (data, time etc.), the usage classes that apply to the bucket (data, airtime, events, etc.) and the locations that are applicable to the bucket (Everywhere, North America, etc.). Usage buckets extend the attributes provided by base buckets to create the bucket that is attached to services. With usage buckets you can configure a one-time or recurring bucket, setup tiers with flat charges and/or rated usage charges, amongst other options explained in this guide. Usage buckets can be attached to services in the product catalog, or added as needed to services on accounts.

Prerequisites

• Base buckets need to be configured before usage buckets can be setup

Buckets Panel

The Buckets panel on the left of this screen allows you to select existing usage buckets to view and edit on the Edit Bucket panel to the right. Actions are also available in this panel which are shown as icons above the Filter text box. The available actions are described below.

Actions

Icon	Description
	Deletes the selected usage bucket if not in use (attached to a service)
	Adds a new usage bucket

Edit Bucket Panel

The information in this panel reflects the currently selected usage bucket. From here you can change bucket details (fields will display a red left border if a value is required and purple text if the field is read-only and cannot be modified).

Bucket Fields and Options:

• Name: a unique name for the bucket

• Base Bucket: the base bucket configuration to use. Determines the unit that the bucket uses, usage classes that are applicable to the bucket and other base characteristics. See the base buckets guide for more information

• Billing Activation: this setting will configure the bucket as a billing activation bucket, which can only be added to billing activation services (see the services help for more information on billing activation services). When this option is enabled usage threshold and time expiry settings will appear. These activation settings determine when to trigger billing for packages that are configured with a billing activation service. For example you could configure '1' 'Megabyte' and '1' 'Week' and any package setup with an activation service using the activation bucket would become active when either a megabyte of data is used (combined usage from all of the services in the package) or a week has gone by since the package was added to the account (whichever condition is met first)

• Prorate: if enabled this setting will prorate the usage provided in the 1^st tier when a recurring bucket is added to a service on an account. E.g. if a monthly recurring bucket is added on the 15^th of the month and the account's bill day is set to the 1st of the month, the normal allotment of Tier 1 usage on the bucket will be halved. If this setting is enabled proration will also occur when canceling the service the bucket resides on, truncating the usage provided and potentially pushing usage consumed to date into additional tiers/overage. This setting will be disabled when configuring a nonrecurring bucket

• Last Tier Repeats: enabling this option will cause the final tier on the bucket to repeat (including the flat charge, if applicable) when the final tier threshold is reached. If this option is not selected once the threshold on the last tier is reached the rate to charge will be determined by finding another rate plan (e.g. a rate plan on the account-service, account, etc.). For more information on rate plan selection behavior see the rate plans help. This setting will be disabled when configuring a nonrecurring bucket

• Recur Type: determines if the bucket will be replenished or will expire after being used up. The options are:

  • Nonrecurring: used to create a one-time bucket. When the allotted bucket usage is consumed it will not be replenished and the bucket will no longer be used

  • Recurring: the bucket is reset (replenished) based on the recur frequency specified. When the bucket recurs usage will again count against the 1^st tier configured on the bucket

  • Recurring with rollover: unused usage will rollover after the bucket recurs. E.g. if a bucket contains 100 GB of usage and 80 GB are consumed at the time of recurrence, the user will have 120 GB of included usage in the bucket. The bucket size is determined by the size of its last tier

• Expire After: when a nonrecurring bucket should expire. The Expire After field will only appear when selecting the 'Nonrecurring' Recur Type

• Recur Frequency: how often the bucket will be replenished. Enter a number and unit e.g. to configure a monthly recurring bucket set Recur Frequency to '1' and Unit to 'Month'. This field will only appear if the bucket is configured to recur

• Expire After Recurrence: allows you to expire the bucket after it recurs a specific number of times. If left empty the bucket will recur indefinitely. This field will only appear if the bucket Recur Type is configured with a recurring option

Tiers tab

Bucket tiers provide a means of configuring tiers of usage (data, airtime, events, etc.) on a bucket. A flat charge can be applied when entering a tier. A tier with a flat charge of zero will provide free usage when entering the tier or consuming usage while within the tier threshold. The guides section below describes how to configure tiers on a usage bucket.

Adding Usage Buckets

1. Under the Buckets heading on the left click the  icon

2. Under the Add Bucket heading on the right specify the bucket details

3. On the Tiers tab click on the + New button and populate the following fields:

   • Flat Charge: the value entered in this field will be charged when the tier is reached. If a flat charge is configured on the 1^st tier then any amount usage applicable to the bucket (e.g. 1 byte of usage against a data usage bucket) will cause the tier to be reached and the flat charge applied

   • Threshold: specifies the size of the tier (unit options listed here are determined by the base bucket's Unit Type). E.g. for a data bucket you would enter a Threshold of '10' with a Unit of 'GB' to create a tier ten Gigabytes in size. When the threshold is exceeded any flat charge and rates setup on the next tier will be applied. If there is no higher tier to use, and the last tier is not set to repeat, then rates in a rate plan will be used to calculate usage charges (the lowest level rate plan found will be selected if multiple rate plans are found). If no rate plan can be found the rating engine will generate rating exceptions when processing usage data related to the service

4. Click Add when finished populating tier details. Repeat the process to add additional tiers if desired

5. When you have finished configuring the usage bucket click Save

Adding Usage Buckets to Services

See the services help guide for instructions on adding usage buckets to services in the product catalog.

Editing Usage Buckets

1. Under the Buckets heading on the left click the usage bucket you wish to edit

2. Under the Edit Bucket heading on the right modify the Bucket details

3. To edit Tiers click the  icon next to the tier

4. Modify the tier values as desired

5. Click Update on the Edit Tier pop-up when finished

6. To save your changes click Save

Deleting Usage Buckets

1. Under the Buckets heading on the left select the usage bucket you wish to delete

2. Under the same Buckets heading on the left click the  icon

3. On the confirmation dialog that appears select Yes