Method for evaluating a number of discriminated digital data units and for estimating the response time

A method for evaluating the number (X{n}) of digital data units discriminated as a consequence of a parameter control (2) at an interface (5') of a digital network and for estimating a response time at a location of the evaluation (5") in the network, characterized by the following steps:

• initiating a starting temporal distance (L12) upon the arrival of a first non-discriminated digital data unit (12), said temporal distance based upon the arrival time (t) of said first non-discriminated digital data unit (12) at the evaluation location (5") and a starting time (z);
• permanently monitoring the completeness of the arriving non-discriminated data units by means of an identification number (k) carried by each data unit, and permanently updating the temporal distance between the arrival time (t) of each data unit and said starting time (z);
• upon detecting an omission by the monitoring step, storing the last updated temporal distance (L14) as the lower bound (L{n}) of the response time, storing the temporal distance (L18) of the most recently received non-discriminated digital data unit (18) as an upper bound (U{n}) of the response time, determining the number of missing identification numbers, and storing the number of missing identification numbers as the number (X{n}) of discriminated digital data units.