Copy-on-read process in disaster recovery

• US 10,162,720 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2017
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wilkinson, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bryan, Jason B
• Application Number:
  US15/801,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20180081773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2064 while ensuring consistency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2074 Asynchronous techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2082 Data synchronisation

Abstract

Systems and program products are configured to perform a method for copy-on-read in disaster recovery (DR). The method includes: making a DR storage volume available at a DR system for read access before all data from a corresponding primary storage volume has been copied to the DR storage volume; maintaining a record of regions of the DR storage volume; and responsive to receiving a read request for data at the DR system: looking up the record of regions of the DR storage volume to determine available data for the read request; reading any available data from the DR storage volume; for any data unavailable at the DR storage volume, obtaining the unavailable data from the corresponding primary storage volume; updating the DR storage volume with obtained data; supplying obtained data to the read request; and updating the record of regions of the DR storage volume for regions of obtained data.

Claims

1. A method for copy-on-read process in disaster recovery, comprising:

making a disaster recovery storage volume available at a disaster recovery system for read access before all data from a corresponding primary storage volume has been copied to the disaster recovery storage volume;

maintaining a record of regions of the disaster recovery storage volume, wherein a given region of the disaster recovery storage volume is marked if a copy of data is available on the disaster recovery storage volume;

maintaining a record of regions of the corresponding primary storage volume, wherein a given region of the corresponding primary storage volume is marked when original data of the given region is sent to a disaster recovery system; and

performing an initial synchronization process, the initial synchronization process including;

determining, using the record of regions of the corresponding primary storage volume, that new writes to the marked region of the corresponding primary storage volume should be immediately replicated to the disaster recovery system; and

in response to receiving a read request for data at the disaster recovery system;

looking up the record of regions of the disaster recovery storage volume to determine available data for the read request;

reading any available data from the disaster recovery storage volume;

for any data unavailable at the disaster recovery storage volume, obtaining the unavailable data from the corresponding primary storage volume;

updating the disaster recovery storage volume with the obtained data;

supplying the obtained data to the read request; and

updating the record of regions of the disaster recovery storage volume for the regions of the obtained data;

wherein the corresponding primary storage volume is located at a primary site; and

wherein the disaster recovery storage volume is located at a disaster recovery site remote from the primary site.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a region in the record of regions corresponds in size to a minimum write granularity of attached host systems.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein looking up the record of regions of the disaster recovery storage volume further comprises:

looking up one or more markings in the record of regions of the disaster recovery storage volume, the markings corresponding to one or more logical block addresses in a range of the read request; and

reading any available data from the disaster recovery storage volume for one or more available logical block addresses.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining any unavailable data from the corresponding primary storage volume comprises obtaining a range of data comprising an integer number of regions corresponding to a range of the read request.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein supplying the obtained data to the read request comprises satisfying the read request from copied data in system memory.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the record of regions of the disaster recovery storage volume is a bitmap with each bit corresponding to a region of the disaster recovery storage volume.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising:

determining if one or more overlapping read requests are received at the disaster recovery system; and

in response to determining one or more overlapping read requests were received at the disaster recovery system, selectively obtaining only one copy of data from a primary system for the one or more overlapping read requests.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising:

determining if there is an interruption during obtaining data from the corresponding primary storage volume; and

in response to determining there was an interruption during obtaining data from the corresponding primary storage volume, either resubmitting a copy of the read request immediately or failing the read request.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising:

prioritizing one or more uncopied regions to be obtained from the corresponding primary storage volume.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising:

determining one or more additional regions to be obtained from the corresponding primary storage volume, wherein the one or more additional regions follow the data specified in the read request.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the one or more additional regions to be obtained from the corresponding primary storage volume are determined based on one or more factors selected from:

a number of copy request objects;

a number of regions currently being requested; and

a time taken to perform a copy request operation.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising:

determining if one or more overlapping read requests are received at the disaster recovery system; and

in response to determining one or more overlapping read requests were received at the disaster recovery system, selectively obtaining only one copy of data from a primary system for the one or more overlapping read requests;

wherein obtaining any unavailable data from the corresponding primary storage volume comprises obtaining a range of data comprising an integer number of regions corresponding to a range of the read request; and

wherein the record of regions of the disaster recovery storage volume is a bitmap with each bit corresponding to a region of the disaster recovery storage volume.

13. A system for copy-on-read process in disaster recovery, comprising:

a disaster recovery storage volume comprising a computer readable storage medium available at a disaster recovery system for read access before all data from a corresponding primary storage volume has been copied to the disaster recovery storage volume;

a record of regions of the disaster recovery storage volume, wherein a given region of the disaster recovery storage volume is marked if a copy of data is available on the disaster recovery storage volume;

a record of regions of the corresponding primary storage volume, wherein a given region of the corresponding primary storage volume is marked when original data of the given region is sent to a disaster recovery system;

a primary replication component configured to perform a replication process including determining, using the record of regions of the corresponding primary storage volume, that new writes to the marked region of the corresponding primary storage volume should be immediately replicated to the disaster recovery system; and

a disaster recovery replication component configured to receive a read request for data at the disaster recovery system, the disaster recovery replication component further comprising;

a disaster recovery record look up component configured to look up the record of regions of the disaster recovery storage volume to determine available data for the read request;

a disaster recovery read component configured to read any available data from the disaster recovery storage volume; and

a primary copy component further comprising;

a primary message component configured to obtain any unavailable data from the corresponding primary storage volume;

a disaster recovery write component configured to update the disaster recovery storage volume with the obtained data;

a host reply component configured to supply the obtained data to the read request; and

a record mark-up component configured to update the record of regions of the disaster recovery storage volume for the regions of the obtained data;

wherein the primary storage volume is located at a primary site; and

wherein the disaster recovery storage volume is located at a disaster recovery site remote from the primary site.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the host reply component satisfies the read request from copied data in system memory.

15. The system as recited in claim 13, comprising an overlapping read component configured to:

determine if overlapping read requests are received at the disaster recovery system; and

in response to determining one or more overlapping read requests were received at the disaster recovery system, selectively obtain only one copy of data from the corresponding primary storage volume for the overlapping read requests.

16. The system as recited in claim 13, comprising a prioritizing component configured to prioritize uncopied regions obtained from the corresponding primary storage volume.

17. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the disaster recovery record look up component is further configured to:

look up a marking in the record or regions of the disaster recovery storage volume for one or more logical block addresses in a range of the read request; and

read any available data from the disaster recovery storage volume for one or more available logical block addresses.

18. A computer program product for copy-on-read process in disaster recovery, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable/executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

making, by the computer, a disaster recovery storage volume available at a disaster recovery system for read access before all data from a corresponding primary storage volume has been copied to the disaster recovery storage volume;

maintaining, by the computer, a record of regions of the disaster recovery storage volume, wherein a given region of the disaster recovery storage volume is marked if a copy of data is available on the disaster recovery storage volume;

maintaining, by the computer, a record of regions of the corresponding primary storage volume, wherein a given region of the disaster recovery storage volume is marked when original data of the given region is sent to a disaster recovery system;

performing an initial synchronization process, the initial synchronization process including;

determining, by the computer, and using the record of regions of the corresponding primary storage volume, that new writes to the marked region of the corresponding primary storage volume should be immediately replicated to the disaster recovery system; and

in response to receiving a read request for data at the disaster recovery system;

looking up the record of regions to determine available data for the read request;

reading any available data from the disaster recovery storage volume;

obtaining any unavailable data from the corresponding primary storage volume;

updating the disaster recovery storage volume with the obtained data;

supplying the obtained data to the read request; and

updating the record of regions of the disaster recovery storage volume for the regions of the obtained data;

wherein the primary storage volume is located at a primary site; and

wherein the disaster recovery storage volume is located at a disaster recovery site remote from the primary site.

19. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein the program instructions configured to look up the record of regions comprises program instructions configured to:

look up one or more markings in the record of regions of the disaster recovery storage volume, the one or more markings corresponding to one or more logical block addresses in a range of the read request; and

read any available data from the disaster recovery storage volume for one or more available logical block addresses.