System and method for managing local storage resources to reduce I/O demand in a storage area network

An intelligent switch for managing read requests in a storage network comprising:

• a plurality of host ports for communicating with a plurality of client nodes, each of the client nodes having a local storage network monitor module and each client node communicatively associated with a local storage resource;
• at least one storage port for communicating with at least one network storage resource;
• a read management module operable to:
• receive a read request for a selected memory block from a client node;
• compare the read request with a read management table;
• send a Unique ID associated with the selected memory block if the read management table indicates that the selected memory block is stored in a local storage resource;
• and
• assign a Unique ID to the selected memory block and store the Unique ID in the read management table if the selected memory block is not stored in a local storage resource.

A method for managing read requests in a storage network comprising:

• receiving a read request for a selected memory block from a client node at a read management module of an intelligent switch;
• comparing the read request with a read management table;
• sending a Unique ID associated with the selected memory block to a local storage network monitor of a requesting client node if the read management table indicates that the selected memory block is stored in a local storage resource;
• assigning a Unique ID to the selected memory block and storing the Unique ID in the read management table if the selected memory block is not stored in a local storage resource.