Pattern 71 / CONTROL

Token Bucket

Use this when Allowing bursts while enforcing an average rate.

Pressure: Allowing bursts while enforcing an average rate
Mechanism: Refill tokens over time; each request spends a token or waits/fails
Toll: Burst size and refill rate must match real capacity

Diagram for Token Bucket — Architecture plate71

Executive brief

Token Bucket fits when Allowing bursts while enforcing an average rate. Mechanism: Refill tokens over time; each request spends a token or waits/fails. Use it for API quotas, client throttling, per-tenant limits. The toll: Burst size and refill rate must match real capacity.

Use when

Api quotas, client throttling, per-tenant limits.

Example

Use token bucket when api quotas, client throttling, per-tenant limits..

Review framing

Describe the pressure first, then the mechanism, then the cost. That keeps the design grounded.

Same pressure family

Traffic Control

72Leaky Bucket 73Adaptive Concurrency Limit 74Backpressure