Traffic monitor using leaky bucket with variable fill

A device for monitoring network activity comprising:

• a sampler, wherein
• the sampler is configured to produce a sampled signal characteristic by virtue of being configured to sample a signal characteristic;
• a comparator, wherein
• the comparator is configured to compare the sampled signal characteristic and a record characteristic, and
• the record characteristic is stored in a table of record characteristics;
• and a controller, wherein
• the controller is configured to
• increase an activity value, if the comparator indicates that the sampled characteristic and the record characteristic match, and
• decrease the activity value, if the comparator indicates that the sampled characteristic and the record characteristic do not match, and
• the activity value corresponds to the record characteristic.

A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium and instructions, wherein the instructions are encoded in the computer-readable storage medium, the instructions are configured to be executed by a processor of a computer system, and the instructions are configured to implement a method comprising:

• sampling a signal characteristic to produce a sampled signal characteristic;
• comparing the sampled signal characteristic and a record characteristic, wherein the record characteristic is stored in a table of record characteristics;
• and
• if the comparing indicates that the sampled characteristic and the record characteristic match,
• increasing an activity value, and
• if the comparing indicates that the sampled characteristic and the record characteristic do not match,
• decreasing the activity value, wherein
• the activity value corresponds to the record characteristic.

A method comprising:

• sampling at a sampler a signal characteristic to produce a sampled signal characteristic;
• comparing at a comparator the sampled signal characteristic and a record characteristic, wherein the record characteristic is stored in a table of record characteristics;
• and
• if the comparing indicates that the sampled characteristic and the record characteristic match, increasing an activity value, and
• if the comparing indicates that the sampled characteristic and the record characteristic do not match, decreasing the activity value, wherein
• the activity value corresponds to the record characteristic.