Accounting Periods

What are accounting periods?
(also refered as Bill Periods or Statistics Periods)

Users can define periods the current statistics will be accumulated and shown for. Statistics periods are defined for each network adapter separately. Current period is a period that covers today date.

Volume limit can be defined for a period. If user defines limit - the limit remainder (limit remaimder = limit - volume consumed in the current period) will be shown and user will be warned (tray symbol becomes first yellow then red) if the limit is exceeded.

How to use accounting periods:

1. User has got a fixed price for a period and this price includes x GB of free traffic, all above must be paid. User defines statistics period and limit for the period. Then the TrafficStatistics Monitor always shows already spent volume for the current period and limit remainder. When the limit is exceeded the user is warned and how much limit exceeded is shown.
2. User pre-pays some volume and works till prepaid is not spent, then user have to pay next portion. In this case user creates one period from activation with no end and set prepaid volume as the limit. All the traffic since activation is accumulated. If user pays next portion he adds new prepaid volume to the limit and new limit remainder is shown.
3. User dont pay attention on traffic limits. In this case user can define periods as calender months (as well as decades, weeks etc.) and current statistics will be shown for a month. Limit for a period may not be defined. There will be no warnings, but user always can see how much traffic is consumed in the current month (decade, week etc.)

Configuration of accounting periods.

Accounting periods are configured for each adapter separately. To configure periods select an adapter in adapters list, right-click and select pop-up menu item "Billperiods" (an adapter should be configured firstly) or click button "Edit Bill Periods" from "Interface Adapter Configuration" form. There will be a "Bill Periods Editor" form shown.

Creation of statistics periods.

There are several ways to define periods:

1. Add one period, set Start Date, End Date for a period.

2. Add several periods, set Start Date of the first period, length of a period in days or in months and number of periods to be created.

3. Consider calednder months as statistics periods (number of periods be created 12), each period has lenght a month with exception the first one. Start Date of the first period is tomorrow date in cases
   - there is no period,
   - all periods finish before tomorrow,
   - there is a period with infinite End Date;
   otherwise Start Date is the next day after the end of the latest period.

The new period should be not in the past, both Start Date and End Date should be on today or in the future.

Editing of statistics periods.

Data of statistic period can be edited, dates of a period and a limit. But there are constraints:

1. Start Date of a period should be less or equal to End Date of period.

2. Start Date of a period (the old and the new values) should be in the future.

3. End Date of period (the new and the old values) should be on today or in the future.

4. Period's limit can not be edited if period closed already (End Date should be not in the past).

5. Periods for a network adapter should not intersect, such the data can not be saved. Firstly periods should be adjusted to do not have overlapped dates.

After the user created a period it may overlap with another period or there may be a gap between periods. Functions "Adjust to next" and "Adjust to previos" help user to make periods valid without posting dates, End Date of period or Start Date of period will be changed automatically.

Deletion of statistics periods.

Ever not started period can be deleted, both Start Date and End Date of a period should be in the future.