1. A method for allocating the execution of a SQL query in a system comprising a database server and a storage system communicatively coupled to the database server via a communication network, comprising: establishing a ranking scheme comprising a plurality of rank values; assigning a first rank from the plurality of rank values to the SQL query; determining a threshold rank from the plurality of rank values; comparing the first rank to the threshold rank; if the first rank is greater than the threshold rank, communicating the SQL query to the database server for execution; and if the first rank is not greater than the threshold rank, communicating the SQL query to the storage system for execution.