Usage Buckets Screen

Last verified with: 10.8.6.0

Overview #

Usage Buckets are used to provide included usage or included monetary value before normal overage rating applies. A bucket can be attached to services, packages, or other supported configuration areas so that usage is consumed from the bucket first.

Usage buckets are built on top of base buckets. The base bucket defines the underlying usage characteristics, such as the unit type and the kinds of usage that can be deducted. The usage bucket then adds behavior such as recurrence, proration, overage handling, and tier thresholds.

The screen supports both Usage buckets and Money buckets:

• Usage buckets track included usage such as time, data, or count.
• Money buckets track a monetary balance that can be reduced by rated usage charges.

Prerequisites #

Base buckets need to be configured before usage buckets can be set up.

Buckets Panel #

The Buckets panel on the left displays the usage buckets that already exist in the system. Select a bucket to load its details in the edit panel on the right.

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 panel on the right displays the selected usage bucket and is where you configure its core behavior.

Main Fields #

• Name: The unique name of the usage bucket.
• Bucket Type: Determines whether the bucket is a Usage bucket or a Money bucket.
• Convert Data To Binary: Controls whether data-based tiers use binary units such as KiB, MiB, and GiB instead of decimal units. This applies only when the selected bucket configuration supports data usage.
• Recur Type: Determines whether the bucket is nonrecurring, recurring, or recurring with rollover.
• Recur Frequency: Defines how often a recurring bucket replenishes.
• Expire After Recurrence: Limits how many times a recurring bucket can recur before it expires.
• Expire After: Defines when a nonrecurring bucket expires.
• Overage Rate Plan: The rate plan used when included usage has been exhausted and the bucket supports overage rating.
• Billing Activation: Configures the bucket for billing activation behavior instead of standard ongoing usage consumption.
• Prorate: Controls whether recurring bucket allotments are prorated when the related service is added or canceled mid-cycle.

Notes About Conditional Behavior #

• Money buckets do not use the Tiers tab.
• Billing Activation buckets use activation threshold or expiry settings instead of normal tier-based bucket consumption.
• Overage Rate Plan can be restricted by the tier configuration.
• Some fields become read-only after the bucket has been configured with base buckets or tiers.

Base Buckets Tab #

The Base Buckets tab is used to attach one or more base buckets to the usage bucket.

Base Bucket Fields And Controls #

• Unit Type: Filters the available base buckets by bucket base unit type.
• Base Bucket: Searches for a base bucket to attach.
• Add: Adds the selected base bucket to the current usage bucket.

Base Bucket List #

The list in this tab shows the base buckets currently attached to the usage bucket. You can remove an attached base bucket from here before saving.

For Usage buckets, the attached base buckets must align to the selected usage type. For Money buckets, multiple underlying usage types can be supported through the attached base buckets.

Tiers Tab #

The Tiers tab is used for usage buckets that apply tier-based included usage or tier-based charging behavior.

Each tier row can include:

• Flat Charge: The charge applied when the tier is reached.
• Threshold: The usage amount covered by the tier.
• Tier Usage Volume: Additional usage-volume logic when the tier uses usage-volume calculation.
• Tier Calculation Type: Determines how the tier behaves.

Tier Options #

• Last Tier Repeats: Causes the final tier to repeat instead of falling through to overage rating.

Tier Calculation Type #

The bucket tier configuration can use different tier calculation approaches. One of the newer options is a usage-volume tier.

When a tier uses usage-volume calculation, additional fields can appear in the tier dialog, including:

• a usage class for the usage-volume condition
• a usage-volume threshold
• a usage-volume unit

Usage-volume tiers must be configured carefully because they affect when the bucket can use an overage rate plan and where that tier can appear in the tier sequence.

Billing Activation Behavior #

When Billing Activation is enabled, the bucket is used to trigger package activation based on either:

• a usage threshold
• an expiry period

On activation buckets, the screen displays the threshold and expiry controls used to determine when activation should occur. This configuration is intended for billing-activation scenarios rather than standard included-usage buckets.

Adding Usage Buckets #

To add a usage bucket:

1. In the Buckets panel, click Add.
2. Enter the Name.
3. Select the Bucket Type.
4. Configure the recurrence or expiry settings that apply to the bucket.
5. If needed, set Overage Rate Plan, Billing Activation, or Prorate.
6. Open the Base Buckets tab and attach the required base bucket entries.
7. If the bucket supports tiers, open the Tiers tab and add the required tier rows.
8. Save the bucket.

Editing Usage Buckets #

To edit an existing usage bucket:

1. Select the bucket in the Buckets panel.
2. Update the editable fields in the main panel.
3. Add or remove base buckets on the Base Buckets tab as needed.
4. Update the tier configuration on the Tiers tab if the bucket uses tiers.
5. Save the changes.

Deleting Usage Buckets #

To delete a usage bucket:

1. Select the bucket in the Buckets panel.
2. Click Delete Bucket.
3. Confirm the deletion when prompted.