Source Collector Classification and Definitions

Understanding Source Collector Terminology

This article explains the terminology used to describe Varibill Source Collectors.

Source Collectors can differ in how they retrieve data, the type of data retrieved, and how that data is processed within Varibill. To help users understand these differences, collectors are described using a set of classification attributes.

These attributes describe different aspects of how a collector retrieves and classifies data. A single collector may retrieve multiple data types, and the billing behaviour of the data is determined at the product level, not by the collector alone.

Collector Classification Attributes

The primary attributes used to describe Source Collectors are:

• Rating Model
  
• Collection Behaviour
  • Point in Time
  • Historically Capable

Rating Model

The Rating Model describes whether the data retrieved by the collector includes monetary values.

Rated

Rated data already contains monetary values such as costs, prices, or charges.

Examples:

• Usage data with pricing applied
  
• Financial transactions

In rated collectors, Varibill typically ingests data that already includes pre-assigned monetary values. This enables the direct application of markup percentages, eliminating the need to reference price lists for billing calculations.

Unrated

Unrated data contains quantities or allocations without monetary values.

Examples:

• User licence allocations
  
• Asset counts
  
• Subscription quantities
  
• Consumption units without pricing

In unrated collectors, Varibill typically ingests only quantity (usage) data without any pre-assigned monetary values. Users must then apply pricing rules or rate plans to calculate the billable amounts.

Hybrid

Hybrid data includes a combination of rated and unrated elements within the same dataset. Hybrid refers to the structure of the incoming data only. It does not determine how the product is billed.

Collection Behaviour

Collection Behaviour describes how a Source Collector retrieves and structures data during execution.

It defines how data is collected from the source system, not how it is billed or processed within Varibill.

Collection Mode describes how data is retrieved during each execution. Collection Modes includes:

Point-in-Time

Point-in-Time collectors retrieve the current state of the source system at the time the collector runs.

Each execution reflects the data as it exists at that moment. Over time, repeated scheduled executions build a historical view within Varibill, but each individual run only retrieves the present state.

Examples:

• Active users
  
• Licence assignments
  
• Configuration states

Historically Capable

Historically Capable describes whether past data can be retrieved directly from the source system.

A historically capable collector can retrieve historical or date-range-based data from the source system.

Examples:

• Usage transaction records (e.g. call detail records, API usage logs)
  
• Billing or consumption data retrieved for a specific date range
  
• Metered usage data (e.g. storage, bandwidth, compute usage over time)

Billing Principles (Product Level Configuration)

Billing behaviour is determined at the product configuration level and not by the Source Collector itself.

Billing principles define how billing values are calculated or applied within Varibill.

Billing Principles

Common billing principles include:

• Average – billed based on calculated average over a period
  
• Cumulative – billed based on total consumption over time
  
• Delta – billed on the change between measurements
  
• Discrete (Per Unit) – billed per unit or per instance
  
• End-of-Cycle – billed at a defined billing cycle point
  
• Maximum – billed based on the highest measured value within a period

Important: Rated vs Unrated Data

Billing principles apply primarily to unrated data, where pricing and calculation logic are configured within Varibill.

• Unrated Data: Raw usage or quantities retrieved from a source system; requires pricing and billing logic to be applied within Varibill
  
• Rated Data: Data that already includes monetary values (e.g. costs, charges, or pricing) provided by the source system

Key Behaviour

A single Source Collector may retrieve data that supports multiple billing principles, depending on how products are configured.

This means:

1. The collector retrieves data
2. The product determines how that data is billed