Service Context Quota Settings

Define general quota properties and Adaptive Quota Management (AQM) properties for a service context type in My MATRIXX.

If any quota values are specified for a service context, it is assumed that all properties are set. Therefore, all quota properties set for the default service context are ignored. It is an all-or-nothing specification.

Quota Holding Time

Quota holding time is the period of time, in seconds, of inactivity after which the network should report usage and release the remaining quota. MATRIXX reports this amount in the response message to the network. This value must be 0 or more.

This property does not apply to Immediate Event Charging (IEC).

Quota Threshold

Quota threshold is the amount of unused quota below which the network should send a request to reauthorize assets, based on the current usage. When the subscriber has less than this amount remaining from the authorized quantity, the network should send a request for additional assets. This value must be less than or equal to the default or reauthorization authorized quantity total.

You can specify a quota threshold for each service context. If this property is specified and the value is not zero, rating ensures that the appropriate quota threshold AVP (Time-Quota-Threshold for duration, Volume-Quota-Threshold for volume, or Unit-Quota-Threshold for service-specific) is set in the Credit-Control Answer (CCA) message. The value set in the CCA message may be zero if the authorized quota size would be less than the configured value or if AQM is trying to reach an exact balance threshold.

Set this property only for services using Session Charging with Unit Reservation (SCUR), where ongoing usage is periodically reauthorized across many Credit-Control Response (CCR) messages.

Quota threshold unit is the quota threshold measurement unit, for example, bytes or kilobytes. MATRIXX sets this value in bytes for data volume rating or in seconds for duration rating, even if the quota threshold unit value is a higher unit. MATRIXX then converts the unit value. For service-specific quantities, for example, SMS, there is no unit conversion of the value. Set this property only for services using SCUR, where ongoing usage is periodically reauthorized across many CCR messages.

Default Quota Validity Time

Default quota validity time is the default number of seconds for which the authorized quota is valid. The GGSN must send a request at this time, regardless of whether the authorized amount has been used.
Important: If you set this value for a service type, you must also set the Minimum Quota Validity Time and Maximum Quota Validity Time options. If you do not set the quota validity time values, the default values are used.

This property does not apply to IEC.

Adaptive Quota

Select Is Quota Adaptive? on a service context to enable AQM functionality for quota authorizations.
Note: Only set this property for services using SCUR, where ongoing usage is periodically reauthorized across many CCR messages.

Adaptive Threshold

AQM uses a minimum quota value in the following circumstances:
  • The quota velocity is unknown.
  • The balance velocity is unknown.
  • The balance velocity is near a balance threshold.
In such cases, the minimum quota value can be the configured Minimum Authorized Quantity or the computed minimum, which equals the quota velocity × the Minimum Quota Validity Time value. The Adaptive Threshold Use Min Auth? property indicates which minimum value to use. When selected on a service context or the quota velocity is unknown, the Minimum Authorized Quantity is used. When Adaptive Threshold Use Min Auth? is deselected (the default) and the quota velocity is known, the greater of the two values is used.

When authorizing across a time change into a new balance or meter whose consumption is velocity, select Adaptive Threshold Use Min Auth After Time Change to determine the AQM behavior. When selected, AQM uses the minimum value after the time change, which may prevent authorization across the time change and increase network traffic at that time. When deselected, the quota can use the default quota across the time change regardless of the velocity, even if that might cross a balance threshold.

Set these properties only for services using SCUR, where ongoing usage is periodically reauthorized across many CCR messages.

Quota Validity Time

You can set the minimum and maximum quota validity time when defining a service context type.

Select Minimum Quota Validity Time to set the period of time, in seconds, that sets a minimum baseline or target validity time before rating. Rating might result in a lower value in the Validity-Time AVP based on several factors.

The GGSN should reauthorize service at this time, regardless of whether the authorized amount has been used. The Charging Server may send one or more Re-Authorization Request (RAR) messages to elicit a reauthorization, after which the session may be terminated.
Important: If you set Minimum Quota Validity Time for a service type, you must also set the Default Quota Validity Time and Maximum Quota Validity Time values. If you do not set any Quota Validity Time values, the default values are used.
The Minimum Quota Validity Time property does not apply to IEC and is used only when Is Quota Adaptive is selected on the service context.
Select Maximum Quota Validity Time to set the maximum number of seconds for which the authorized quota is valid.
Important: If you set Maximum Quota Validity Time for a service type, you must also set the Default Quota Validity Time and Minimum Quota Validity Time values. If you do not set any Quota Validity Time values, the default values are used.
The Maximum Quota Validity Time property does not apply to IEC.

Adaptive Threshold Scale Factor

This property controls the distance before a threshold at which the quota drops from default authorization or reauthorization values to the minimum authorization or reauthorization values. This property provides a buffer if additional subscribers unexpectedly request quota.

The value must be more than or equal to 1.0. The threshold scale factor value in the balance template overrides the service or context type value. If neither value is set, the default value (1.0) is used.

Set Adaptive Threshold Scale Factor only for services using SCUR, where ongoing usage is periodically reauthorized across many CCR messages.