Apparatus, system, and method for synchronizing an asynchronous mirror volume using a synchronous mirror volume

• US 20050251633A1
• Filed: 05/04/2004
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Micka, William Frank, Spear, Gail Andrea, Werner, Sam Clark
• Granted Patent: US 7,225,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2058 using more than 2 mirrored copies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2074 Asynchronous techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2076 Synchronous techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2082 Data synchronisation

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method for synchronizing an asynchronous mirror volume using a synchronous mirror volume by tracking change information when data is written to a primary volume and not yet written to an asynchronous mirror, and storing the change information on both the primary storage system and the synchronous mirror system. In the event the primary storage system becomes unavailable, the asynchronous mirror is synchronized by copying data identified by the change information stored in the synchronous mirror system and using the synchronous mirror as the copy data source.

Claims

1. An apparatus for synchronizing an asynchronous mirror volume using a synchronous mirror volume, the apparatus comprising:

a monitor module configured to track write change information for asynchronous mirroring based on write requests received by a primary volume, the primary volume mirrored by a synchronous mirror volume and an asynchronous mirror volume;

a storage module configured to store the write change information on a location remote from the primary volume; and

a synchronization module configured to synchronize the asynchronous mirror volume with the synchronous mirror volume using the write change information on the remote location in response to the primary volume becoming unavailable.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the write change information comprises:

a first data structure configured to record locations of data extents on the primary volume changed by the write requests; and

a second data structure configured to record locations of changed data extents on the primary volume during a synchronization that have yet to be acknowledged as stored on the asynchronous mirror volume.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein synchronizing the asynchronous mirror volume comprises copying data identified in the first data structure and data identified in the second data structure from the synchronous mirror volume to the asynchronous mirror volume.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the data extent is a track of a data storage device.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the first data structure and second data structure comprise a track bitmap array.

6. A system for synchronizing an asynchronous mirror volume using a synchronous mirror volume, the system comprising:

a primary host configured to read and write data;

a primary storage system in communication with the primary host, the primary storage system having a primary volume;

a second storage system configured to synchronously mirror data on the primary storage system using a synchronous mirror volume;

a third storage system configured to asynchronously mirror data on the primary storage system by way of a data mover and an asynchronous mirror volume;

a monitor module configured to track write change information for asynchronous mirroring on the primary storage system based on write requests received by the primary storage system;

a storage module configured to store the same write change information on the second storage system; and

a synchronization module configured to synchronize the third storage system with the second storage system using the write change information on the second storage system in response to the primary storage system becoming unavailable.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the write change information comprises:

a first data structure configured to record locations of data extents of the primary volume changed by the write requests; and

a second data structure configured to record locations of changed data extents of the primary volume during a synchronization that have yet to be acknowledged as stored on the asynchronous mirror volume.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein synchronizing the third storage system with the second storage system comprises copying data identified in the first data structure and data identified in the second data structure from the synchronous mirror volume to the asynchronous mirror volume.

9. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable code configured to carry out a method for synchronizing an asynchronous mirror volume using a synchronous mirror volume, the method comprising:

tracking write change information for asynchronous mirroring based on write requests received by a primary volume, the primary volume mirrored by a synchronous mirror volume and an asynchronous mirror volume;

storing the write change information in a location remote from the primary volume; and

synchronizing the asynchronous mirror volume with the synchronous mirror volume using the write change information from the remote location in response to the primary volume becoming unavailable.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising converting the synchronous mirror volume to a new primary volume and mirroring the new primary volume using the asynchronous mirror volume.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein synchronizing the asynchronous mirror volume is performed without operator intervention.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the write change information comprises:

a first data structure configured to record locations of data extents of the primary volume changed by the write requests; and

a second data structure configured to record locations of changed data extents of the primary volume during a synchronization that have yet to be acknowledged as stored on the asynchronous mirror volume.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein synchronizing the asynchronous mirror volume comprises copying data identified in the first data structure and data identified in the second data structure from the synchronous mirror volume to the asynchronous mirror volume.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising maintaining the first data structure and second data structure at both the primary volume and the remote location.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein each ofthe first data structure and second data structure comprises a track bitmap array.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising converting the synchronous mirror volume to a new primary volume and mirroring the new primary volume using the asynchronous mirror volume.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein synchronizing the asynchronous mirror volume is performed without operator intervention.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the write change information comprises:

a first data structure configured to record locations of data extents of the primary volume changed by the write requests; and

a second data structure configured to record locations of changed data extents of the primary volume during a synchronization that have yet to be acknowledged as stored on the asynchronous mirror volume.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein synchronizing the asynchronous mirror volume comprises copying data identified in the first data structure and data identified in the second data structure from the synchronous mirror volume to the asynchronous mirror volume.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising maintaining the first data structure and second data structure at both the primary volume and the remote location.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the first data structure and second data structure comprise a track bitmap array.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the write change information comprises:

a first data structure configured to record locations of data extents of the primary volume changed by the write requests; and

a second data structure configured to record locations of changed data extents of the primary volume during a synchronization that have yet to be acknowledged as stored on the asynchronous mirror volume.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein synchronizing the asynchronous mirror volume comprises copying data identified in the first data structure and data identified in the second data structure from the synchronous mirror volume to the asynchronous mirror volume.

16. A method for synchronizing an asynchronous mirror volume using a synchronous mirror volume, the method comprising:

tracking write change information for asynchronous mirroring based on write requests received by a primary volume, the primary volume mirrored by a synchronous mirror volume and an asynchronous mirror volume;

storing the write change information on a location remote from the primary volume; and

synchronizing the asynchronous mirror volume with the synchronous mirror volume using the write change information from the remote location in response to the primary volume becoming unavailable.

23. An apparatus for synchronizing an asynchronous mirror volume using a synchronous mirror volume, the apparatus comprising:

means for tracking write change information for asynchronous mirroring based on write requests received by a primary volume, the primary volume mirrored by a synchronous mirror volume and an asynchronous mirror volume;

means for storing the write change information on a location remote from the primary volume; and

means for synchronizing the asynchronous mirror volume with the synchronous mirror volume using the write change information from the remote location in response to the primary volume becoming unavailable.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the data extent is a track of a data storage device.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein each of the first data structure and second data structure comprise a track bitmap array.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the write change information comprises:

a changed track array comprising array elements corresponding to tracks of the primary volume, the array elements configured to denote a track of the primary volume that differs from a corresponding track of the XRC secondary volume; and

a copy track array comprising array elements corresponding to tracks of the primary volume, the array elements configured to denote a track of data from the primary volume sent to the XRC secondary volume but not acknowledged as recorded on the XRC secondary volume.

28. An apparatus for synchronizing an Extended Remote Copy (XRC) secondary volume with a Peer-to-Peer Remote Copy (PPRC) secondary volume in response to a primary volume becoming unavailable, the apparatus comprising:

a monitor module configured to track write change information for asynchronous mirroring based on write requests received by a primary volume, the primary volume mirrored by a PPRC secondary volume and an XRC secondary volume;

a storage module configured to store the write change information on a location remote from the primary volume; and

a synchronization module configured to synchronize the XRC secondary volume with the PPRC secondary volume using the write change information on the remote location in response to the primary volume becoming unavailable.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein synchronizing the XRC secondary volume comprises copying each track of the PPRC secondary volume identified by an array element in the active track array and each track identified by an array element in the recovery track array from the PPRC secondary volume to the XRC secondary volume.