This procedure applies when access ports are virtually limited to a lower capacity than their maximum (Virtual Rate-Limit, hereinafter VRL).
Monitoring and analysis
MIX continuously monitors the ports on the switches to which ISP routers are connected. Each month, the monitoring system collects data, discards the top 10% of peak values, and compares the result with the VRL.
Two scenarios may occur:
a. Usage is equal to or below the VRL
No action is taken.
b. Usage exceeds the VRL
- First month: A warning email is sent to the technical contacts.
- Second month: If the overuse continues, MIX adjusts the VRL to the next higher capacity tier available in the price list, which may also correspond to the port’s maximum capacity. A settlement invoice is issued to cover the difference between the original fee and the new VRL fee, retroactively applied from the first month of overuse until the end of the quarter.
If usage returns within limits during the second month, the process resets.
Note
The new VRL will effectively be the final contractual cut for your peering service and will follow the agreements made in the existing contract.
Monitoring algorithm
MIX uses dedicated tools to monitor traffic on the peering LAN.
- Sampling: Data is collected every 5 minutes from each peering interface and stored in a database.
- Monthly analysis: On the first day of each month, the 90th percentile of inbound and outbound traffic from the previous month is calculated. The higher of the two values is used as the reference for VRL comparison.
If a customer uses multiple active interfaces on the peering LAN, the calculation is based on the aggregate traffic of the individual ports or LAGs of ports.