Data Limit Policies Overview

You can use Data Limit policies to limit the total amount of inbound data that can be sent by a trading partner in one day. By doing this, you can save important resources that could be consumed if there are no restrictions.

Data Limit policies use a data counter to track the amount of data sent by the users or IP addresses for which a data limit policy is applicable. This data counter tracks the amount (bytes) of data transferred by all users or IP addressees associated with a policy. A separate data counter is associated with every combination of a policy and an instance/protocol. Review the following scenarios so you understand when the data counter is reset to zero (0):
Data Limit Policy Update Scenario Is the data counter reset?
You update an IP address list (Policy Mode). No
You update the User list (Policy Mode). No

You update the policy from instance to protocol (Level at which this policy is applied).

Yes, the data counter is reset to zero on the day you update the policy.

You update the policy from protocol to instance (Level at which this policy is applied).

Yes, the data counter is reset to zero on the day you update the policy.

You update the policy from a user based policy to an IP address based policy.

Yes, the data counter is reset to zero on the day you update the policy.

You update the policy from a IP address based policy to an User based policy.

Yes, the data counter is reset to zero on the day you update the policy

For example, if the data limit is 100MB per day, if there are 10 IPs in the range or 10 users are selected in the policy, all of them together can only send 100MB per day. What this means is if one (or a few) of the IPs or users defined in the policy uses up the 100 MB limit on a day, the rest cannot transfer any files until the next day.

You can customize a data limit policy by setting:
  • IP addresses or users.

  • Maximum amount of inbound data that should be allowed for any IP in this range (in kilobytes per day).

  • Whether the policy applies to all instances of the adapter (protocol level) or only to adapter instances that you choose (instance level).

  • Which protocol the policy applies to: FTP or SFTP.

  • If multiple data limiting polices have been applied, then the policy with the lowest data limit is what takes precedence.

When planning data limit policies, consider the following:

  • A day is a 24-hour time period. The day starts when the first document is received. Time is 00:00 hours.

  • For protocol level policies, all instances of the protocol (SFTP/FTP) are affected.

  • When the inbound data limit is crossed, the Server adapter sends an error message to the connecting client that the inbound data limit has been crossed. Whether this message is displayed to the user or not depends on the client being used. For SFTP, the client may or may not display the exact message sent by the server. Most FTP clients display the error message, because the FTP protocol is very clear about display of server messages to the user.

Define a Data Limit Policy

To create a new data limit policy:

  1. From the Administration Menu, select Deployment > Adapter Utilities > Policy Configuration.
  2. Next to New Policy, click Go!
  3. Select Data Limit Policy and click Next.
  4. Enter the Policy Name.
  5. Enter Description.
  6. Select the Policy Mode: IP Address or Range or User Based.
  7. Enter the Inbound Data Limit that should be allowed for any IP in this range (in kilobytes).
  8. Select the Protocol: FTP or SFTP
  9. Select the Level at which this policy is applied: Protocol or Instance.
  10. Click Next.
  11. The next screen displayed depends on the Policy Mode you selected.
    • If you selected User Based, select the users affected by this policy and click Next.
    • If you selected IP Address or Range, enter the IP address or range and click Next.
  12. Review the policy configuration.
  13. Click Finish to create the policy.

Disable a Data Limit Policy

To disable a data limit policy:

  1. From the Administration Menu, select Deployment > Adapter Utilities > Policy Configuration.

  2. In the List panel, in By Policy Type, select Data Limit Policy and click Go! A list of the data limit policies are displayed.

  3. Clear the Enabled checkbox for the policy you want to disable.

Enable a Data Limit Policy

Before you edit a data limit policy, review the following scenarios so you understand when the data counter is reset to zero (0):

Data Limit Policy Update Scenario Is the data counter reset?
You update an IP address list (Policy Mode). No
You update the User list (Policy Mode). No

You update the policy from instance to protocol (Level at which this policy is applied).

Yes, the data counter is reset to zero on the day you update the policy.

You update the policy from protocol to instance (Level at which this policy is applied).

Yes, the data counter is reset to zero on the day you update the policy.

You update the policy from a user based policy to an IP address based policy.

Yes, the data counter is reset to zero on the day you update the policy.

You update the policy from a IP address based policy to an User based policy.

Yes, the data counter is reset to zero on the day you update the policy

To edit a data limit policy:

  1. From the Administration Menu, select Deployment > Adapter Utilities > Policy Configuration.

  2. In the List panel, in By Policy Type, select Data Limit Policy and click Go! A list of the data limit policies are displayed.

  3. Check Enabled for the policy you want to enable.

Edit a Data Limit Policy

To edit a data limit policy:

  1. From the Administration Menu, select Deployment > Adapter Utilities > Policy Configuration.

  2. In the List panel, in By Policy Type, select Data Limit Policy and click Go! A list of the data limit policies are displayed.

  3. Select Edit for the data limit policy you want to enable.
  4. Review and update as required.
  5. Review the updates.
  6. Click Finish to update the policy.

Delete a Data Limit Policy

Before you can delete a data limit policy, you must disable it.

To delete a data limit policy:

  1. From the Administration Menu, select Deployment > Adapter Utilities > Policy Configuration.

  2. In the List panel, in By Policy Type, select Data Limit Policy and click Go! A list of the data limit policies are displayed.

  3. If the policy you want to delete is enabled, clear the Enabled checkbox.
  4. Select Delete for the policy you want to delete.
  5. Review and confirm that you want to delete the policy, as the action can not be reversed.
  6. Click Delete.