Presented herein are methods, non-transitory computer readable media, and devices for integrating a workload management scheme for a file system buffer cache with a global recycle queue infrastructure. Methods for allocating a certain portion of the buffer cache without physically partitioning the buffer resources are disclosed which include: identifying a workload from a plurality of workloads; allocating the buffer cache in the data storage network for usage by the identified workload; tagging a buffer from within the buffer cache with a workload identifier and track each buffer; determining if the workload is exceeding its allocated buffer cache; and wherein determining the workload is exceeding its allocated percentage of buffer cache, enabling the workload's exceeded buffer to be available to scavenge; determining if the workload is exceeding a soft-limit on the allowable usage of the buffer cache, and wherein determining the workload is exceeding its soft-limit, degrading the prioritization of subsequent buffers, preventing the workload from thrashing out buffers of other workloads.