1. A storage controller comprising: a memory containing machine readable medium comprising machine executable code having stored thereon instructions for performing a method of managing application performance; a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute the machine executable code to: receive storage requests from a plurality of first applications via a network interface; manage QoS settings for the storage controller and the first applications; and in response to receiving an accelerate command associated with a second application from the first applications, increase a first share of a storage resource allocated to the second application, decrease unlocked second shares of the storage resource of the first applications, and lock the first share, wherein the storage resource includes a request queue or a first cache.