Submitting Usage Data for Non-Existent Accounts - m3ter Documentation

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Although we recommend setting up Accounts prior to submitting usage data measurements for them, we appreciate this may not always be possible. To avoid rejecting usage data measurements in instances where the measurement is submitted but an Account does not yet exist, the m3ter system will auto-create an Account for you. You can test this functionality:

• You’ll still need details of the Meter and the Data Fields you want to submit usage data measurements for.
• You can enter a Code for an Account, even if no Account with that Code exists in your Organization.

In these cases, when you submit a usage data measurement to the m3ter Ingest API a new skeleton Account is auto-created:

• Code. The Account Code used for the data measurement submission is assigned to the auto-created Account.

• Name. The name assigned to the auto-created Account is the result of concatenating the Code used with “-autocreated”:

• For example, if you enter TempAcct as the Account Code, the Name assigned to the auto-created Account will be: TempAcct-autocreated.

• E-mail address. An e-mail address is assigned to the Account using a random hash prefix to create a temporary address.

• For example: -autocreated@example.com

The usage data measurement is accepted and ingested as data belonging to the new auto-created Account. At a later date, you can then open the details of the new Account and edit the Code, Name, and e-mail address.To submit usage data for a non-existent Account:

1. Select Metering. The Meters page opens.
2. In the Product drop-down, select the Product the Meter is linked to. The Meters configured for the selected Product are listed.

• Note that if you want to submit test data for a Global Meter instead, don’t select a Product and only the Global Meters in your Organization are listed.

3. In the list, locate the Meter whose Data Fields you want to submit test usage data for the non-existent Account.
4. Select the hotlink text of this Meter. The Meter details page opens. On the Submit usage data panel you can submit usage data measurements for the Meter and for a non-existent Account.

• Note that the default data submission format is Simple. In this format, you can go ahead and enter any Meter Data Fields Values. However, you cannot use this default Simple format to enter the Code you want use for the non-existent Account and you must switch to the Advanced and use a JSON editor format.

5. Switch to select the Advanced JSON editor format:

• A measurement UID is entered automatically.
• A Timestamp date/time is entered for the current date and time. If required, you can adjust this and enter a date/time value that is in the past for your submission - see the Submitting Usage Data Adjustments Using Timestamp topic for more details.
• Enter a Value for each of the Meter Data Fields as required for the usage data submission. In the example shown below, the selected Meter has a single MEASURE numeric Data Field. As noted above, you can also enter the Data Field values first using the Simple format.
• Enter a Code string for the non-existent Account for which you want to submit usage data for charging the Account.

6. Select Submit usage. If the submission succeeds:

• You’ll see a { "result" : "accepted"} message under Log.

• A Log item is shown for the measurement submission which reproduces the JSON:

• Note that:

  • The usage data measurement UID - "uid" - has been automatically refreshed with a new unique value to allow a second submission for the same Meter and Account.
  • The timestamp - "ts" - is not refreshed and you can edit this as required for further submissions.

Warning! Repeated Test Submissions using the same UID: If you submit using the same measurement "uid", the Ingest API will accept the measurement, and then during enrichment the system will deduplicate the measurements and notify you of the duplicate.

7. If you want to check that a new Account for the submitted usage data has been auto-created, select Accounts. A new Account should be listed for your Organization and named according to the Account auto-creation process - in the current example TestAcct-autocreated:

You can now edit the details of the auto-created Account as required.

Tip: Using Submit Measurement Ingest API Call? You can also use the Submit Measurements API call to to the Ingest API to make a usage data measurement submission for a non-existent Account.