DirectAdmin Storage Bandwidth Calculation

Understanding DirectAdmin Bandwidth and Storage Limits

DirectAdmin storage manages specific bandwidth and disk space limits for your account. It is important to note that these limits are calculated strictly within DirectAdmin, meaning not all server activity is tallied against your monthly bandwidth quota.

What DirectAdmin Counts

The following activities are deducted from your monthly bandwidth limit:

• Webserver Usage (LiteSpeed/Apache): Any data sent out via a request on the User’s domain. This includes logging for /~username traffic.
• FTP Usage: All file uploads and downloads are logged (including activity on port 21/23).
• DirectAdmin System Activity: Everything related to the DA interface is counted, including file manager usage and FTP downloads/uploads generated by backup processes.

What DirectAdmin Does Not Count

The following activities are not deducted from your bandwidth limit:

• Script-Based Transfers: Data transfers initiated from within scripts, such as uploads or downloads performed by code (e.g., cURL requests or cron jobs running scripts).
• SSH Commands: Data transferred via SSH commands, such as wget or rsync over SSH.
• DNS Services: Traffic related to the named (Bind) DNS service.
• Low-Level Network Traffic: General network chatter, pings, and other ICMP traffic.

---

When Does Bandwidth Reset?

DirectAdmin resets bandwidth usage automatically on the first day of every month. This reset generally occurs at 4:20 AM.

For the technically inclined, this is handled by the dataskq (Data Task Queue) processor. A cron job located in /etc/crontab triggers the following command:

echo 'action=reset&value=all' >> /usr/local/directadmin/data/task.queue

The process flows as follows:

1. Cron Job: A scheduled task runs on the 1st of the month.
2. Task Queue: The system adds a “reset” command to DirectAdmin’s queue.
3. Dataskq: The processor picks up the command and executes the bandwidth reset for all accounts.

Important: Billing Date vs. Bandwidth Reset

It is crucial to understand that the system bandwidth reset date is not always the same as your billing date.

• Bandwidth Reset: Always happens on the 1st of the month.
• Billing Renewal: Happens on the anniversary of your sign-up date (unless you request otherwise).

Real-World Example

Scenario: You sign up for hosting on the 23rd of the month.

• Jan 23rd: You sign up.
• Feb 1st: DirectAdmin resets your bandwidth usage to 0.
• Feb 23rd: Your invoice is generated/paid. Bandwidth does NOT reset today.
• March 1st: DirectAdmin resets your bandwidth usage to 0 again.

Note: Users may request that their billing date be aligned to the 1st of the month to match the bandwidth cycle.

For further documentation, please visit the official DirectAdmin Disk Usage and Bandwidth guide.