There are two ways to purchase bandwidth in a Merkato system.
The first method is called the Reservation market and uses a reservation agent. The second method is called the Spot market and uses a spot agent.
To get bandwidth from the spot market, you configure your Merkato agent to bid on your behalf in a continuous bandwidth auction. To get bandwidth in the reservation market, use your Merkato agent to ask for a fixed-price quote, based on the quantity and duration you specify.
(For a complete description of each method, see Merkato Buyer’s User Manual, “Spot Market and Reservation Market Agents.”)