Patent ID: 8122196

Claim:
A method for reducing latency associated with using a security appliance disposed between an initiator and a target, comprising: intercepting, at the security appliance, a first read request received from the initiator for first data securely stored on the target; forwarding the first read request from the security appliance to the target; issuing a predetermined number of read ahead requests from the security appliance for additional securely stored data on the target; receiving at the security appliance, from the target, the first data responsive to the forwarded first read request, restoring the first data at the security appliance and returning the restored first data to the initiator; receiving at the security appliance, from the target, the additional securely stored data responsive to the issued predetermined number of read ahead requests; restoring the additional securely stored data received at the security appliance in anticipation of the initiator issuing a second read request for the additional securely stored data; caching the restored additional securely stored data in a memory of the security appliance; intercepting, at the security appliance, the second read request received from the initiator; and servicing the second request at the security appliance using the restored additional securely stored data cached in the memory of the security appliance.