System and method for monitoring a stream of events

A system for processing data in an asynchronous transfer mode network, comprising:

• circuitry for receiving a request from a network user to allow a potential event to occur;
• circuitry for generating timing signal pulses;
• circuitry responsive to said generating circuitry for incrementing a reference level for use in determining whether to allow said potential event to occur;
• circuitry responsive to said receiving circuitry for retrieving event rate information associated with said network user from a memory circuit;
• circuitry responsive to said incrementing circuitry and said retrieving circuitry for determining if previous events have been allowed at such a rate for the user that there is an available backlog to allow said potential event to occur;
• and
• circuitry responsive to said incrementing circuitry and said retrieving circuitry for selectively updating said event rate information for said network user using the reference level and said event rate information retrieved from said memory circuit such that the rate at which events occur for a particular user does not exceed a predetermined rate.

A method for processing data, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a request from a network user to allow a potential event to occur;
• generating timing signal pulses;
• incrementing a reference level in response to the timing signal pulses for use in determining whether to allow the potential event to occur;
• retrieving event rate information associated with the network user from a memory circuit;
• determining if previous events have been allowed at such a rate for the network user that there is an available backlog to allow the potential event to occur;
• and
• selectively updating the event rate information for the network user using the reference level and the event rate information retrieved from the memory circuit such that the rate at which events occur for the network user does not exceed a predetermined rate.

A method for processing data in an asynchronous transfer mode network, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a request from a network user to allow a potential event to occur;
• generating timing signal pulses;
• incrementing a reference level in response to the timing signal pulses for use in determining whether to allow the potential event to occur;
• storing the reference level in a register;
• retrieving event rate information associated with the network user from a memory circuit;
• storing the event rate information in a plurality of registers;
• determining if previous events have been allowed at such a rate for the network user that there is an available backlog to allow the potential event to occur;
• and
• selectively updating the event rate information for the selected user using the reference level and the event rate information retrieved from the memory circuit such that the rate at which events occur for the network user does not exceed a predetermined rate.