Network attached storage system and corresponding method for request handling in a network attached storage system

The invention relates to a network attached storage system and a corresponding method for request handling in a network attached storage system. A network attached storage system (1A) includes a storage system (100A) connected to at least one external device (180) via an external network (190), wherein the storage system (100A) includes at least one storage media and at least one controller (110A) presenting storage capacity of the storage system (100A) to the at least one external device (180). Wherein the at least one external device (180) sends a request (172) to the storage system (100A), the at least one controller (110A) receives and serves the request (172) and sends a response (174) to the requesting external device (180) after serving the request (172); wherein the at least one controller (110A) includes a delay functionality (112A), which introduces a variable length delay to an execution process of the request (172) based on a current input/output load of the storage system (100A), a maximum allowed request response time, a request completion time, and a measured current request execution time.