Hierarchical statisically multiplexed counters and a method thereof

A method of updating a counter in a counter architecture that includes a hierarchy of levels of statistically multiplexed counters, the method comprising:

• determining whether a corresponding row of the counter in a current level of the hierarchy of levels overflows;
• based on the determination that the corresponding row in the current level does not overflow, processing each level below the current level by using a first routine and processing the current level by using a second routine;
• and
• based on the determination that the corresponding row in the current level does overflow, determining whether a corresponding row of the counter in a next level above overflows;
• based on the determination that the corresponding row of the counter in the next level above does not overflow, processing each level below the next level above by using the first routine and processing the next level above by using the second routine;
• and
• based on the determination that the corresponding row of the counter in the next level above does overflow,
• when the next level above is not the highest level in the hierarchy of levels, returning to the step of determining whether a corresponding row of the counter in a next level above overflows, and
• when the next level above is the highest level in the hierarchy of levels, processing the next level above and each level below the next level above by using the first routine and updating an overflow queue.

A method of updating a counter in a counter architecture that includes a hierarchy of levels of statistically multiplexed counters, the method comprising:

• determining a number of the hierarchy of levels having a corresponding row of the counter in the hierarchy of levels that overflows;
• determining a highest level of the number of the hierarchy of levels that is the highest in the hierarchy;
• and
• processing the highest level and each level of the hierarchy of levels below the highest level that using a first routine and processing a remainder of the hierarchy of the levels not a part of the number using a second routine.

A method of updating a counter in a counter architecture that includes a hierarchy of levels of statistically multiplexed counters, the method comprising:

• determining a number of the hierarchy of levels having a corresponding row of the counter in the hierarchy of levels that overflows;
• determining a highest level of the number of the hierarchy of levels that is the highest in the hierarchy;
• when the highest level is the highest level in the hierarchy of levels, updating an overflow queue;
• processing data in the overflow queue;
• identifying a wrap-around counter by the data in the overflow queue;
• reading a value stored of the identified counter in each level;
• and
• clearing the identified counter in each level.