Periodic Meter Properties

Table 1. Periodic Properties
Property	Description
Periodic	Creates a meter comprised of periodic entries that are created on a recurring cyclical basis and valid only for that time period. The period can be any number of minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years, aligned with the billing cycle, or aligned to purchased item cycle. Note: Composite meter periodic cycles cannot be expressed in hours or minutes.
Every	(Required) Creates an interval that is independent of the billing cycle. To create the interval, enter the length and select the period type from the list. To create an interval independent of the billing cycle, do one of the following: In Every, enter the length and select the period type from the list: Minutes Hours Days Weeks Months Years For example, to make the period span 2 weeks, type `2` and select Weeks. To align the interval with the bill cycle, select Align with Bill Cycle from the list. To align the interval with the purchased item cycle, select Align to Purchased Item Cycle from the list.
Cycle Start Type	(Optional) The period interval start type. Can be one of the following: Midnight — The first interval starts at midnight. This is the default setting. Absolute — The first interval starts at the time specified by the cycle time defined in the meter template. Enter the absolute start time in the format 00:00:00 (hours:minutes:seconds). Purchase Time — For required G/L balances, the first interval starts at the `PurchaseTime` (without the date).
Cycle Offset Type	(Required when Periodic is selected, and period type is Weeks, Months, or Years) Select the Cycle Offset Type: Purchase Time — Cycle offset is at purchase time. Fixed Offset — Set an interval independent of the billing cycle. When selected, the balance period starts at the Cycle Offset value. Note: Cycle Offset is required when Cycle Offset Type is set to Fixed Offset. The periods start at a fixed offset from the beginning based on the period type: Weeks — Number of days into the week, represented numerically: Sunday (1) Monday (2) Tuesday (3) Wednesday (4) Thursday (5) Friday (6) Saturday (7) Months — Number of days into the month: 1-31. Note: If the day of the month is greater than the actual number of days in the month, the create_config.info question: `Global:What policy should be used for determining the end of monthly balance/billing cycles?` determines when the new period will start. For more information, see the discussion about global system configuration in MATRIXX Configuration. Years — Number of days into the year: 1-365. Note: January 1 is "1" and December 31 is "365." For a leap year, the last day of the year is used.
Window Size	(Required) A sliding window determines a finite number of meter entries in a subscriber's wallet that are available for an infinite amount of time. As events are received over time, the window slides forward to add new entries to the window and to remove expired entries from the window. See the Low Water Mark and High Water Mark properties for more information about window size.
Low Water Mark	(Required) The low-water mark value defines the minimum number of future periods, beyond the period used for the event being processed, that must be available in the window. The value must be high enough to cover all future periods that an event might span when the event is rated. For example, a monthly periodic meter for phone service should have a low-water mark value of at least 1 to guarantee that the window contains the current monthly period and the next monthly period, in case a call crosses the month boundary. When usage occurs, the low-water mark is examined and, if there are not at least this number of future periods available, the window is moved forward to make the total future periods available match the high-water mark value.
High Water Mark	(Required) The high-water mark value defines the maximum number of future periods that should be contained in the sliding window. This value is examined when the low-water mark is triggered and determines how many future periods must be added to reach the high-water mark. The high-water mark must be greater than or equal to the low-water mark and less than the window size. It should be large enough to minimize the frequency of the sliding but small enough to maximize how long expired meters are kept. A high value slides the window less often, which requires less processing, but also minimizes how long expired meters are kept. A low value requires more frequent slides but keeps expired meters longer. Expired meters are kept for situations in which events are received after the period they are associated with. This might occur when rating of old events is required or when offline rating is performed.

Periodic

Creates a meter comprised of periodic entries that are created on a recurring cyclical basis and valid only for that time period. The period can be any number of minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years, aligned with the billing cycle, or aligned to purchased item cycle.

Note: Composite meter periodic cycles cannot be expressed in hours or minutes.

Every

(Required) Creates an interval that is independent of the billing cycle. To create the interval, enter the length and select the period type from the list. To create an interval independent of the billing cycle, do one of the following:

In Every, enter the length and select the period type from the list:
- Minutes
- Hours
- Days
- Weeks
- Months
- Years
For example, to make the period span 2 weeks, type 2 and select Weeks.
To align the interval with the bill cycle, select Align with Bill Cycle from the list.
To align the interval with the purchased item cycle, select Align to Purchased Item Cycle from the list.

Cycle Start Type

(Optional) The period interval start type. Can be one of the following:

Midnight — The first interval starts at midnight. This is the default setting.
Absolute — The first interval starts at the time specified by the cycle time defined in the meter template. Enter the absolute start time in the format 00:00:00 (hours:minutes:seconds).
Purchase Time — For required G/L balances, the first interval starts at the PurchaseTime (without the date).

Cycle Offset Type

(Required when Periodic is selected, and period type is Weeks, Months, or Years) Select the Cycle Offset Type:

Purchase Time — Cycle offset is at purchase time.
Fixed Offset — Set an interval independent of the billing cycle. When selected, the balance period starts at the Cycle Offset value.
Note: Cycle Offset is required when Cycle Offset Type is set to Fixed Offset.
The periods start at a fixed offset from the beginning based on the period type:
- Weeks — Number of days into the week, represented numerically:
  - Sunday (1)
  - Monday (2)
  - Tuesday (3)
  - Wednesday (4)
  - Thursday (5)
  - Friday (6)
  - Saturday (7)
- Months — Number of days into the month: 1-31.
  Note: If the day of the month is greater than the actual number of days in the month, the create_config.info question: Global:What policy should be used for determining the end of monthly balance/billing cycles? determines when the new period will start. For more information, see the discussion about global system configuration in MATRIXX Configuration.
- Years — Number of days into the year: 1-365.
  Note: January 1 is "1" and December 31 is "365." For a leap year, the last day of the year is used.

Window Size

(Required) A sliding window determines a finite number of meter entries in a subscriber's wallet that are available for an infinite amount of time. As events are received over time, the window slides forward to add new entries to the window and to remove expired entries from the window. See the Low Water Mark and High Water Mark properties for more information about window size.

Low Water Mark

(Required) The low-water mark value defines the minimum number of future periods, beyond the period used for the event being processed, that must be available in the window. The value must be high enough to cover all future periods that an event might span when the event is rated. For example, a monthly periodic meter for phone service should have a low-water mark value of at least 1 to guarantee that the window contains the current monthly period and the next monthly period, in case a call crosses the month boundary.

When usage occurs, the low-water mark is examined and, if there are not at least this number of future periods available, the window is moved forward to make the total future periods available match the high-water mark value.

High Water Mark

(Required) The high-water mark value defines the maximum number of future periods that should be contained in the sliding window. This value is examined when the low-water mark is triggered and determines how many future periods must be added to reach the high-water mark.

The high-water mark must be greater than or equal to the low-water mark and less than the window size. It should be large enough to minimize the frequency of the sliding but small enough to maximize how long expired meters are kept. A high value slides the window less often, which requires less processing, but also minimizes how long expired meters are kept. A low value requires more frequent slides but keeps expired meters longer. Expired meters are kept for situations in which events are received after the period they are associated with. This might occur when rating of old events is required or when offline rating is performed.