System and method for ensuring subscriber fairness using outlier detection

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention relating to a subscriber fairness solution are disclosed. The subscriber fairness solution contemplates a variety of improved techniques for using a flow-based statistical collection mechanism to monitor subscriber usage across various attributes (e.g., subscriber byte count, flow count, etc.) and maintain subscriber usage information for different time frames. In embodiments, the subscriber fairness solution includes a detection phase and a mitigation phase. In the detection phase, 'outliers,' or subscribers who are using more than their fair share of network resources, are identified. In the mitigation phase, appropriate action is taken to resolve the constraints on the network resources, caused by these outliers. The subscriber fairness solution may be embodied in hardware, software, or a composite approach of both hardware and software.