1. A method for operating a server having a maximum capacity for servicing requests, the method-comprising steps of: receiving a plurality of requests; classifying each request according to a value; determining a priority for handling the request according to the value, such that requests with higher values are assigned higher priorities; placing each request in one of multiple queues according to its priority value; and dropping the requests with the lowest priority when the plurality of requests are received at a rate that exceeds the maximum capacity.