Controlling network throughput using application-level throttling

A computer system, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• a data store that stores computer executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform steps,
• comprising:
• identifying, as a congested network link between a first computing system and a cloud service provider in a wide area network, a network link carrying network traffic that is at a threshold traffic level;
• identifying, for each given application of a plurality of applications hosted by the cloud service provider that use the congested network link, an application-specific usage level that identifies how much congestion the given application is contributing to the network traffic on the congested network link;
• identifying at least one application, of the plurality of applications, as a contributing application that is accountable for a threshold amount of the network traffic on the congested network link based on the application-specific usage level identified for each given application of the plurality of applications;
• generating an application-specific throttle control signal controlling the contributing application to implement a first application-specific throttling operation to reduce network traffic attributable to the contributing application;
• determining whether the congested network link is still carrying the threshold traffic level of network traffic;
• and
• selectively performing one of:
• controlling the contributing application to stop implementing the first application-specific throttling operation based on determining the congested network link is not still carrying the threshold traffic level of network traffic, or
• controlling the contributing application to implement a second application-specific throttling operation to reduce network traffic attributable to the contributing application based on determining that the congested network link is still carrying the threshold traffic level of network traffic.