1. A method for a client computer communicatively coupled to a server computer to adjust a polling interval at which the client polls the server, comprising the following computer-implemented steps: providing a server rule set associated with a service level, providing to the client a client rule set maintained by the client and associated with the service level, determining, based upon the client rule set, a polling interval for a request type, providing by the client a message comprising a service level identifier associated with the client and with the request type, polling the server with the message in accordance with the polling interval, receiving the message by the server, providing a response by the server comprising a state of the server, receiving by the client the response from the server, and adjusting the polling interval based at least upon the client rule set and the state of the server.