According to one embodiment, in response to a request to transfer a data set from a source system to a target system over a network, an adaptive performance control (APC) controller allocates a plurality of data streams for transferring the data set. The APC controller activates one or more data streams from the allocated data streams to transfer the data set from the source system to the target system. The APC controller monitors an overall throughput of the activated data streams assigned to transfer the data set from the source system to the target system. The APC controller dynamically adjusts a number of the activated data streams based on the monitored overall throughput of the activated data streams, such that a maximum overall throughput of the activated data streams is reached while maintaining a minimum number of the activated data streams.