A method, comprising: examining a first data packet transmitted from a first network equipment to a second network equipment, the first network equipment and the second network equipment being remotely located from each other and linked by at least one network; determining a data flow of the first data packet; determining a data flow type of the data flow; when the data flow type is a first type, allowing the first data packet to be transmitted to the second network equipment without performing a flow management process; and when the data flow type is a second type, selecting the first data packet for the flow management process, wherein the flow management process comprises: determining a delivery throughput of the data flow over a data flow path , the data flow path having a plurality of network nodes and being a shared connection between the second network equipment and the first network equipment, the delivery throughput relating to a data transfer rate to the second network equipment from the first network equipment over the data flow path; detecting network congestion on the data flow path by comparing the determined delivery throughput to an expected peak data throughput capacity for a data packet transmitted to the second network equipment from the first network equipment ; and pacing transmission of a plurality of data packets by the first network equipment to the second network equipment when network congestion is detected on the data flow path . examining a first data packet transmitted from a first network equipment to a second network equipment, the first network equipment and the second network equipment being remotely located from each other and linked by at least one network; determining a data flow of the first data packet; determining a data flow type of the data flow; when the data flow type is a first type, allowing the first data packet to be transmitted to the second network equipment without performing a flow management process; and when the data flow type is a second type, selecting the first data packet for the flow management process, wherein the flow management process comprises: determining a delivery throughput of the data flow over a data flow path , the data flow path having a plurality of network nodes and being a shared connection between the second network equipment and the first network equipment, the delivery throughput relating to a data transfer rate to the second network equipment from the first network equipment over the data flow path; detecting network congestion on the data flow path by comparing the determined delivery throughput to an expected peak data throughput capacity for a data packet transmitted to the second network equipment from the first network equipment ; and pacing transmission of a plurality of data packets by the first network equipment to the second network equipment when network congestion is detected on the data flow path . determining a delivery throughput of the data flow over a data flow path , the data flow path having a plurality of network nodes and being a shared connection between the second network equipment and the first network equipment, the delivery throughput relating to a data transfer rate to the second network equipment from the first network equipment over the data flow path; detecting network congestion on the data flow path by comparing the determined delivery throughput to an expected peak data throughput capacity for a data packet transmitted to the second network equipment from the first network equipment ; and pacing transmission of a plurality of data packets by the first network equipment to the second network equipment when network congestion is detected on the data flow path . <EOS>