An index that indicates which level of a multi-rate shaper is being given its parameters. A multi-rate shaper has some number of rate levels. Frame Relay's dual rate specification refers to a 'committed' and an 'excess' rate; ATM's dual rate specification refers to a 'mean' and a 'peak' rate. This table is generalized to support an arbitrary number of rates. The committed or mean rate is level 1, the peak rate (if any) is the highest level rate configured, and if there are other rates they are distributed in monotonically increasing order between them.