Patent ID: 6868062

Claim:
A method comprising: monitoring a transmission of data packets through one of multiple ports of a server coupled to a traffic source; characterizing the monitored transmission of data packets in accordance with a token bucket model; generating a first parameter value characterizing fluctuations in a transmission rate of data through the port relative to a transmission rate for the monitored transmission of data packets, wherein the first parameter value is generated based on the monitoring of the transmission of data packet 5 , wherein the first parameter value characterizes a size of the fluctuations relative to an average transmission rate for the monitored transmission, and wherein said generating the first parameter value comprises determining a token bucket size for the monitored transmission of data packets; generating a second parameter value characterizing an average data transmission rate of data through the port for the monitored transmission, wherein said generating the second parameter value comprises determining a token bucket rate for the monitored transmission of data packets; and allocating data packets in said transmission from the traffic source to at least one other port for transmission based on the first parameter value and the second parameter value, wherein the allocating of data packets is accomplished within the server.