A method and system for controlling processing by a data server. An example method includes a computing system receiving from a client entity a request for information, and, responsive to receiving from the client entity the request, the computing system (i) determining, based on the client entity from which the computing system received the request, a processing time limit for the data server to apply in processing a query for the information and (ii) generating and sending to the data server the query, including in the query an indication of the determined processing time limit. The data server could thus receive and process the query and impose the specified processing time limit on the processing of the received query.