System and Method for Inquiry Caching in a Storage Area Network

A system and method for servicing inquiry commands, wherein inquiry data is stored in a memory and if an inquiry command for a target device is received while the target device is busy processing another command, the stored inquiry data is returned in response to the command. In one embodiment, a router contains a memory for storing static inquiry data corresponding to each of a plurality of sequential devices connected thereto. The first time a host sends an inquiry command to one of the sequential devices, the router routes the command to the target device and stores the data returned by the device. Subsequent inquiry commands are serviced by passing the command through to the target device if it is not busy, or returning inquiry data from the router's memory if the target device is busy processing another command.