1. A method comprising: in a network storage server, creating mutual exclusion domains for execution of processes of the network storage server, the mutual exclusion domains including a first domain; creating a hierarchy of subdomains within the first domain, wherein at least some of the subdomains correspond to one or more types of processes, the hierarchy having a first set of subdomains that are permitted to execute processes in parallel with each other and a second set of subdomains that are precluded from executing processes in parallel with each other; and assigning, to the first set or the second set of subdomains, processes corresponding to the first domain for execution in the network storage server.