Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for resource allocation in accordance with one embodiment of the present description, in which a resource allocation such as a buffer credit allocation for a port in a storage area network is initialized as a function of a measurement of a length of a communication link for the port of the storage area network. In one embodiment, the length measurement is a function of a minimum command response time of a command issued over the communication link. Other aspects of resource allocation in accordance with the present description are described.