The present invention provides a method and apparatus for managing
distributed statistical data retrieval in a network device. Periodically,
statistical data is gathered by processes on one or more remote cards in
a network device and transferred to a central process. The statistical
data may comprise, for example, management/historical data including
accounting, performance, security and fault logging data (or some portion
thereof). In one embodiment, the central process may notify each process
as to when gathered statistical data may be reported. This allows the
central process to throttle the amount of data sent to the central
process in accordance with any existing backlog of data to be processed
by the central process.