Patent ID: 8363552

Claim:
A method, comprising: determining a first number of calls, associated with a first rule, that were received by a first one of a plurality of nodes over a first period of time, wherein the first rule includes a maximum call processing rate; receiving information identifying a second number of calls, associated with the first rule, that were received by other ones of the plurality of nodes over the first period of time; determining that the maximum call processing rate associated with the first rule is greater than a threshold value; allocating, by the first node, a portion of the maximum call processing rate associated with the first rule to the first node, based on the first and second numbers of calls, wherein the portion of the maximum call processing rate identifies a number of calls per unit of time associated with the first rule that the first node is allowed to forward; determining, by the first node, that a second call rate associated with a second rule is less than the threshold value; and forwarding, by the first node, calls received by the first node that satisfy the second rule to a second device configured to determine whether to approve the forwarded calls.