A method for predicting available bandwidth for a candidate flow on a link in a distributed network includes obtaining information about a plurality of flows carried by the link, the information including a current bandwidth consumption for each of the flows carried by the link; identifying whether each of the flows carried by the link has a local constraint or a remote constraint; and computing the available bandwidth for the candidate flow based at least in part on the information about the flows carried by the link and the identification of whether each of the flows carried by the link has a local constraint or a remote constraint. The predicted available bandwidth can be used to predict bandwidth consumption for active flows. The predicted available bandwidths can be used in selecting file block placement options.