Apparatus and method for adaptive throttling of traffic across multiple network nodes

1. A method comprising:

obtaining traffic rate data from available peer network nodes that specifies a number of transactions accepted for processing by each of said peer network nodes during a time period;

computing a maximum permissible rate for a network node based on the traffic rate data from the peer network nodes, wherein the maximum permissible rate represents a maximum number of transactions permitted to pass into that network node for processing during a current period; and

employing the maximum permissible rate to govern a number of transactions admitted for processing by the network node in the current period,

wherein the maximum permissible rate is based on a total threshold value of admitted transactions for network nodes as a whole in a current period minus traffic rates allowed in a prior period for the peer network nodes.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the peer network nodes compute a maximum permissible rate to be applied for its own use.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the total threshold value is configurable.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein implementation of governing of the number of transactions admitted for processing by the network node is activated based on which users make a transaction request.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein implementation of governing of the number of transactions admitted for processing by the network node is activated based on which type of application makes a transaction request.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

inhibiting or allowing a transaction to be processed based on whether the maximum permissible rate for a current period has been satisfied for the network node.

7. A system comprising:

a peer communication module configured to obtain traffic rate data from available peer network nodes that specifies a number of transactions accepted for processing by each of said peer network nodes during a time period;

a threshold stats module configured to compute a maximum permissible rate for a network node based on the traffic rate data from the peer network nodes, wherein the maximum permissible rate represents a maximum number of transactions permitted to pass into that network node for processing during a current period; and

a gatekeeper module configured to employ the maximum permissible rate to govern a number of transactions admitted for processing by the network node in a current period,

wherein the maximum permissible rate is based on a total threshold value of admitted transactions for network nodes as a whole in a current period minus traffic rates allowed in a prior period for the peer network nodes.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the system is located at the network node.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the maximum permissible rate is based on a total threshold value of admitted transactions for network nodes as a whole in a current period and further based on traffic rates allowed in a prior period for the peer network nodes.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the total threshold value is configurable.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein implementation of governing of the number of transactions admitted for processing by the network node is activated based on which users make a transaction request.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein implementation of governing of the number of transactions admitted for processing by the network node is activated based on which type of application makes a transaction request.

13. The system of claim 7 , wherein the gatekeeper module is further configured to: inhibit or allow a transaction to be processed based on whether the maximum permissible rate for a current period has been satisfied for the network node.

14. The system of claim 7 , wherein each network node comprises a server and the network nodes together form a server farm.

15. A system comprising:

means for obtaining traffic rate data from available peer network nodes;

means for computing a maximum permissible rate for a network node based on the traffic rate data from the peer network nodes, wherein the maximum permissible rate represents a maximum number of transactions permitted to pass into that network node for processing during a current period; and

means for employing the maximum permissible rate to govern a number of transactions admitted for processing by the network node in the current period;

wherein the maximum permissible rate is based on a total threshold value of admitted transactions for the network nodes as a whole in a current period minus traffic rates allowed in an immediately previous period for the peer network nodes.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein each of the peer network nodes compute a maximum permissible rate to be applied for its own use.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein implementation of governing of the number of transactions admitted for processing by the network node is activated based on which users make a transaction request.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein implementation of governing of the number of transactions admitted for processing by the network node is activated based on which type of application makes a transaction request.

19. The system of claim 15 , further comprising;

means for inhibiting or allowing a transaction to be processed based on whether the maximum permissible rate for a current period has been satisfied for the network node.