Token bucket management apparatus and method of managing a token bucket

An integrated circuit for token bucket management comprising:

• a rate processor unit comprising an input for receiving profile data associated with a classified data stream, and
• an arithmetic unit arranged to maintain a bucket status value for a token bucket associated with the classified data stream wherein
• the arithmetic unit is a fixed point arithmetic unit that is further arranged to maintain the bucket status value in accordance with a fixed point representation of non-integer numbers having a first degree of accuracy, and to
• calculate a fixed point non-integer increment value in accordance with a fixed point representation of non-integer numbers having a second degree of accuracy,
• manipulate the calculated fixed point non-integer increment value so as to bring the second degree of accuracy into agreement with the first degree of accuracy, and
• increment the bucket status value by the manipulated fixed point non-integer increment value.

A method of token bucket management, the method comprising:

• receiving by an arithmetic unit of a computing device profile data associated with a classified data stream;
• maintaining by the arithmetic unit a bucket status value for a token bucket associated with the classified data stream;
• wherein
• the bucket status value is maintained in accordance with a fixed point representation of non-integer numbers having a first degree of accuracy;
• and further comprising:
• calculating by the arithmetic unit a fixed point non-integer increment value in accordance with a fixed point representation of non-integer numbers having a second degree of accuracy;
• manipulating by the arithmetic unit the calculated fixed point non-integer increment value so as to bring the second degree of accuracy into agreement with the first degree of accuracy;
• and
• incrementing by the arithmetic unit the bucket status value by the manipulated fixed point non-integer increment value.