A network in which one embodiment of the present invention may be practiced may include first and second network nodes coupled together via a network communications link, and first and second sets of mass storage devices associated with the first and second network nodes, respectively. The first and second network nodes may comprise first and second input/output (I/O) processors, respectively. The first I/O processor may cause, in response to a first request, both the execution of a first data storage-related operation associated with the first set of mass storage devices and the issuance of a second request from the first network node to the second network node via the link to cause the second I/O processor to perform, in response to the second request, a second data storage-related operation associated with the second set of mass storage devices.