# Token Bucket and Leaky Bucket Confusion

Question

What happens in Token Bucket exactly and what happens in Leaky Bucket somebody please explain ?

Comments

http://nptel.ac.in/courses/106105080/pdf/M7L5.pdf

Answer 1

Leaky bucket:
Parameters: rate
1. Smooth out traffic by passing packets only when there is a token. Does not permit burstiness.
2. Discards packets for which no tokens are available (no concept of queue)
3. Application: Traffic shaping or traffic policing.

Token bucket:
Params: rate, burstiness.
1. Token bucket smooths traffic too but permits burstiness - which is equivalent to the number of tokens accumulated in the bucket.
2. Discards tokens when bucket is full, but never discards packets (infinite queue).
3. Application: Network traffic shaping or rate limiting.

Refrence:https://www.slideshare.net/vimal25792/leaky-bucket-tocken-buckettraffic-shaping