Limits provide simple load management by limiting the number of tasks submitted by a specific ecflow_server. This provides very simple load management.

suite test
 limit l1 2
 family f5
     inlimit l1
     task t1
     task t2
     task t3
     task t4
     task t5
     task t6
     task t7
     task t8
     task t9
 endfamily
endsuite

In the 5 series this has been extended to Family's.

When a family is limited, the child tasks are unconstrained. In this case only one family can run at  a time. All the tasks in the family can start at once

suite test
 limit fam 2 
 family f1
     inlimit -n fam
     task t1
     task t2
 endfamily
 family f2
     inlimit -n fam
     task t1
     task t2
 endfamily
 family f3
     inlimit -n fam
     task t1
     task t2
 endfamily
endsuite

In this case, we want family limits, but also want to constrain the tasks, such that one task in the active family can run.

suite test
 limit fam 2 
 limit T
 inlimit T
 family f1
     inlimit -n fam
     task t1
     task t2
 endfamily
 family f2
     inlimit -n fam
     task t1
     task t2
 endfamily
 family f3
     inlimit -n fam
     task t1
     task t2
 endfamily
endsuite