In a network having a computing system interfacing with a storage system via a switch, an average transmit wait count value is compared with a first threshold value. The average transmit wait count value is updated when a switch port has a frame available for transmission but is unable to transmit the frame if a port of the storage system is unable to receive the frame or if another switch port is unable to receive the frame. A congestion message is generated for notifying a management module of congestion at the switch port when the average transmit wait count value reaches the first threshold value. Depending upon the characteristics of the congestion, a notification is sent to the computing system to either only reduce a rate of write operations to reduce congestion, or to reduce both the rate of write operations and a rate of read operations.