Patent ID: 7587513

Claim:
A method for storing flow entries in a network data repository comprising a plurality of flow record folders, each flow entry comprising a plurality of keys and at least one measure, the keys comprising a location and a time stamp, the method comprising computer-implemented steps of: storing a first flow record in a first flow record folder, wherein the first flow record folder comprises a first location index and at least one circular buffer of record tables, and wherein storing the first flow record in the first flow record folder comprises: responsive to the first location index and the location of a first flow entry, determining a first circular buffer of the first flow record folder; responsive to a first time unit associated with the time stamp of the first flow entry, determining a first record table of the first circular buffer; and storing the first flow record in the first record table, the first flow record comprising the time stamp of the first flow entry and the at least one measure of the first flow entry; aggregating the first flow entry and a second flow entry to produce a combined measure, wherein aggregating the first flow entry and a second flow entry comprises: determining if the location of the first flow entry is the same as the location of the second flow entry; responsive to determining that the location of the first flow entry is the same as the location of the second flow entry, combining the at least one measure of the first flow entry and the at least one measure of the second flow entry into the combined measure; and determining a second time unit associated with the time stamp of the first flow entry and a time stamp of the second flow entry, the second time unit being different from the first time unit, and the second time unit including the first time unit; and storing a second flow record in a second flow record folder, wherein the second flow record folder comprises a second location index and at least another circular buffer of record tables, and wherein storing the second flow record in the second flow record folder comprises: responsive to the second location index and the location of the first flow entry, determining a second circular buffer of the second flow record folder; responsive to the second time unit, determining a second record table of the second circular buffer; and storing the second flow record in the second record table, the second flow record comprising the combined measure.