In a network-connected distributed system including nodes through which digital data flow, one or more of the nodes adapted to process the digital data, a method for efficiently managing the transmission of units of digital data from node to node includes the steps of receiving, at one of the one or more nodes, units of digital data first transmitted by an originating node; queuing, for processing at other nodes, one or more units of the digital data; prioritizing the queued units of digital data for transmission to a next node based on prioritizing information; and updating the prioritizing information according to results of processing performed in and received from the one of the one or more nodes and/or other nodes in the system.