A method and apparatus for optimizing a distributed polling system in a network comprising a plurality of nodes. The method includes identifying bandwidth constraints on polling traffic for each of the plurality of nodes. Selecting, from a plurality of unpolled nodes within the plurality of nodes, at least one poller node according to a maximum number of unpolled nodes assignable to each of the at least one poller node without violating bandwidth constraints, and respectively assigning the unpolled nodes as pollee nodes to the at least one poller node. The apparatus includes a central manager and a plurality of pollee nodes coupled to at least one poller node via at least one routing path. At least one aggregating node is coupled to the at least one poller nodes, where the aggregating node is further coupled to the central manager.