Balance Amount Meters

A balance amount meter measures the total consumed amount and the available amount of a set of balances at the subscriber- and group-level. Balance amount meters are similar to charge meters; however, the meter amount and threshold limit are determined by their balances and include impacts such as grants as they become available or expire.

The threshold limit is equal to the sum of the threshold limits of the tracked balances. The available amount is equal to the sum of the available amounts of the tracked balances. The available amount of a balance is never less than zero, even if its current amount exceeds its credit limit. If an operation causes the balance amount to exceed the credit limit, a balance top-up or credit can be applied.

Note: The available amount of a balance might exceed its threshold limit, for example, due to a balance adjustment under the credit floor. This might result in a balance amount meter whose current amount is negative.

You can define a balance-floor threshold to limit the maximum available balance amount in a balance amount meter that tracks prepaid balances only. You can optionally select to track only currency balances. If an operation causes the available balance amount to exceed the balance floor, the debit operation is allowed to complete. Enable notifications to generate a notification when the maximum allowable amount for a selected balance is reached.

A balance amount meter can measure specific balance templates or a class of balances.

You can set a threshold on a balance amount meter to generate a notification when a percentage of all assets of a specific class has been consumed. The threshold limit is the sum of the threshold limits on the tracked balances.

Consider the following balances, illustrated in Figure 1.

Balance B1 is postpaid with a credit floor 0. The current balance amount is 2GB and the credit limit is 10GB (2GB has been consumed and 8GB remains).
Balance B2 is postpaid with a credit floor 0. The current balance amount is 3GB, and the credit limit is 10GB (3GB has been consumed and 7GB remains).
Balance B3 is prepaid with a credit floor -10GB. The current balance amount is -6GB, and the credit limit is 0 (4GB has been consumed and 6GB remains).

Balance Amount Meter Diagram — Figure 1. Balance Amount Meter

A balance amount meter on these balances shows a total credit of 30GB (10GB + 10GB + 10GB). Of this total credit, 9GB (2GB + 3GB + 4GB) has been consumed and 21GB (8GB + 7GB + 6GB) is available. These amounts can be used as inputs for things such as balance thresholds, balance distribution normalizers, the scale basis of rating formulas, and so forth.

New periods of a periodic balance and the balance expiration are indicated in the current value of the balance amount meter.

To configure a balance amount meter, when creating or editing a meter template, select Balance amount in the Measured Quantity list in the Meter Details tab.

If a meter tracks virtual balances, the amount available in the associated aggregated G/L balance is tracked. For example, for a subscriber virtual balance, this includes shared group aggregated G/L balances. If Track Virtual Balances is selected but Track Balances With No Limit is not selected, virtual balances are not tracked.

Compare the following usage for one virtual balance for one member (Member A) of a group that is associated with a 50GB aggregated G/L balance owned by the group. In this example, Member A is consuming 1GB per row in Virtual Balance while the other members of the group consume 4GB per row, such that the group collectively consumes 5GB per row.

Table 1. Virtual Balance
Consumed by Other Members	Consumed by this Member	Consumed by All Members	Available Under 10GB Limit
30GB	0GB	30GB	10GB
34GB	1GB	35GB	9GB
38GB	2GB	40GB	8GB
42GB	3GB	45GB	5GB
46GB	4GB	50GB	0GB

Figure 2 illustrates the usage in Virtual Balance when there is no usage limit for members of the group.

No usage limit for member A — Figure 2. No Usage Limit for Member A

Figure 3 illustrates the usage in Virtual Balance when there is a 10GB usage limit for each member of the group.

10GB usage lmit for member A — Figure 3. 10GB Usage Limit for Member A

In Figure 3, the last two rows of Virtual Balance (Consumed by Other Members, Available to All Members, and Available Under 10GB Limit columns), illustrate how, when other members have consumed their combined 40GB, the other members begin using what remains of Member A's 10GB.

Each balance amount meter template includes a credit limit, which you can specify as a percentage of the total credit in the tracked balances. A balance amount meter template can also include a list of thresholds, which you can define as a percentage of the credit limit for the balance amount meter template.

IsMeterTrackingBalanceWithNoLimit in MtxPricingBalanceDetailInfo indicates if a balance amount meter tracks balances with no credit limit.

Note: MATRIXX Support recommends specifying the balance amount meter limit as 100% of total credit in the balances. The balance amount meter can then specify its thresholds as a percentage of that amount.

Balance Amount Meter Restrictions

The following restrictions apply to balance amount meters.

A balance amount meter cannot be configured as:
- Aggregated
- Periodic
- Session meter
- Turnstile meter
A balance amount meter cannot be associated with a specific service type.
A balance amount meter cannot be associated with balance filters.
A balance amount meter cannot be included in Adaptive Quota Management (AQM) or Balance Threshold Factor (BTF) quota reduction near thresholds.
The SubMan APIs cannot directly adjust a balance amount meter amount. Balance amount meters are affected if one of the tracked balances is adjusted.
If a balance is shared by a subscriber and all devices, a device-specific charge amount meter only tracks charges by that device, while a device-specific balance amount meter tracks all charges.
A balance amount meter cannot have a lower precision value than the underlying balance.