Definition of a burstable circuit

Wed Aug 22 19:39:15 UTC 2001

Jon Stanley said: 

> Without getting into a religious debate, I need some consensus for a
problem
> that I am having regarding the definition of a burstable circuit.

> In my view of the world, a burstable circuit is defined as one where the
customer 
> can send us as much data as they would like (for example, an entire DS3's
worth 
> on a consistent basis), and we would bill them for usage above the
contracted amount 
> via some method (we use 90th percentile reporting)

> In someone else's view inside the company, the customer should be
prohibited 
> from sending above the contracted rate for any extended period of time by
policing 
> at the ATM layer.  Both views are viable, but I believe (nearly
religously) 
> that the former view is correct.

At Ebone, 'burstable' is equivalent to your first definition.  The
assumption 
is that more bandwidth is available, and can be used by the customer, but at
a 
premium rate.  Of course, the premium rate is charged to discourage
customers 
from continuously overstepping their committed bandwidth numbers.  It
effects 
a similar control over network utilisation as your colleague's definition,
but 
it also affords the customer more flexibility and generates additional
revenues.   

The latter definition would be something that I would more closely associate
with 
frame relay services.  I.e., rates above the CIR are available but not
guaranteed.  
To artificially rate-limit a customer's bandwidth is a disservice to them,
even if 
it does make provisioning slightly more deterministic.

- C