Methods, computing systems and computer program products implement embodiments of the present invention that include configuring distributed storage system resources for a distributed storage system. Examples of the storage system resources include a plurality of network segments, one or more network devices coupled to the network, and multiple nodes coupled to the network, the nodes including both frontend and backend nodes. Upon receiving, by a given frontend node in the distributed storage system, an input/output (I/O) request, one or more of the distributed storage system resources required to process the I/O request are identified, and a respective load that the I/O request will generate on each of the identified distributed storage system resources is calculated. The distributed storage system processes the I/O request upon detecting that the respective loads are less than respective available capacities of the identified distributed storage system resources.