Load characterization of a time-and volume-sensitive accounting meter

Abstract

We analyze the performance of a usage metering scheme for transaction-oriented network services. Exact and approximate analytical solutions are presented characterizing the processing, storage, and transmission bandwidth required by accounting meters as a function of the number of users in the system, usage characteristics, and the meters' tunable parameters. The results can be used to help network operators and architects property dimension network resources needed to collect and process accounting data.