Instant virtual copy to a primary mirroring portion of data

• US 20050268054A1
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Spear, Gail Andrea, Bartfai, Robert Francis, Werner, Sam Clark, Stanley, Warren K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,409,510 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2069 Management of state, configuration or failover
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2074 Asynchronous techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data

Abstract

Techniques are provided for performing a copy operation. An instant virtual copy operation is issued from a first portion of data to a primary mirroring portion of data, wherein the primary mirroring portion of data corresponds to a secondary mirroring portion of data, and wherein the primary mirroring portion of data and the secondary mirroring portion of data are in a mirroring relationship. The mirroring relationship is transitioned to a duplex pending state in response to determining that the mirroring relationship is in a full duplex state. When the mirroring relationship is in a duplex pending state, each block of data involved in the instant virtual copy operation is transferred from the primary mirroring portion of data to the secondary mirroring portion of data.

Claims

1. A method for performing a copy operation, comprising:

issuing an instant virtual copy operation from a first portion of data to a primary mirroring portion of data, wherein the primary mirroring portion of data corresponds to a secondary mirroring portion of data, and wherein the primary mirroring portion of data and the secondary mirroring portion of data are in a mirroring relationship;

transitioning the mirroring relationship to a duplex pending state in response to determining that the mirroring relationship is in a full duplex state; and

when the mirroring relationship is in a duplex pending state, transferring each block of data involved in the instant virtual copy operation from the primary mirroring portion of data to the secondary mirroring portion of data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the mirroring relationship is in the duplex pending state, starting a remote mirroring process to transfer each block of data involved in the instant virtual copy operation from the primary mirroring portion of data to the secondary mirroring portion of data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after transferring each block of data, transitioning the mirroring relationship to a full duplex state in response to determining that the mirroring relationship is synchronous.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the primary mirroring volume to the secondary mirroring volume relationship is in the full duplex state, the duplex pending state or in a suspended state.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting indicators corresponding to blocks of storage involved in the instant virtual copy operation from the first portion of data to the primary mirroring portion of data in an out of sync structure associated with the primary mirroring portion of data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein setting the indicators further comprises:

updating the out of sync structure based on indicators set in a target structure.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

when the mirroring relationship is in a duplex pending state, transferring each block of data based on the indicators set in the out of sync structure.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

when the mirroring relationship is in the suspended state,

receiving a resync command to resync the suspended portion of data; and

transferring each block of data involved in the instant virtual copy operation from the primary mirroring portion of data to the secondary mirroring portion of data based on the indicators set in the out of sync structure.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of data is in a mirroring relationship.

10. An article of manufacture for performing a copy operation, wherein the article of manufacture comprises a computer readable medium storing instructions, and wherein the article of manufacture is operable to:

issue an instant virtual copy operation from a first portion of data to a primary mirroring portion of data, wherein the primary mirroring portion of data corresponds to a secondary mirroring portion of data, and wherein the primary mirroring portion of data and the secondary mirroring portion of data are in a mirroring relationship;

transition the mirroring relationship to a duplex pending state in response to determining that the mirroring relationship is in a full duplex state; and

when the mirroring relationship is in a duplex pending state, transfer each block of data involved in the instant virtual copy operation from the primary mirroring portion of data to the secondary mirroring portion of data.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 10, wherein the article of manufacture is further operable to:

when the mirroring relationship is in the duplex pending state, start a remote mirroring process to transfer each block of data involved in the instant virtual copy operation from the primary mirroring portion of data to the secondary mirroring portion of data.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 10, wherein the article of manufacture is further operable to:

after transferring each block of data, transition the mirroring relationship to a full duplex state in response to determining that the mirroring relationship is synchronous.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 10, wherein the article of manufacture is further operable to:

determine whether the primary mirroring volume to the secondary mirroring volume relationship is in the full duplex state, the duplex pending state or in a suspended state.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 10, wherein the article of manufacture is further operable to:

set indicators corresponding to blocks of storage involved in the instant virtual copy operation from the first portion of data to the primary mirroring portion of data in an out of sync structure associated with the primary mirroring portion of data.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the article of manufacture is further operable to:

update the out of sync structure based on indicators set in a target structure.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the article of manufacture is further operable to:

when the mirroring relationship is in a duplex pending state, transfer each block of data based on the indicators set in the out of sync structure.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the article of manufacture is further operable to:

when the mirroring relationship is in the suspended state,

receive a resync command to resync the suspended portion of data; and

transfer each block of data involved in the instant virtual copy operation from the primary mirroring portion of data to the secondary mirroring portion of data based on the indicators set in the out of sync structure.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 10, wherein the first portion of data is in a mirroring relationship.

19. A system for performing a copy operation, comprising:

circuitry operable to;

issue an instant virtual copy operation from a first portion of data to a primary mirroring portion of data, wherein the primary mirroring portion of data corresponds to a secondary mirroring portion of data, and wherein the primary mirroring portion of data and the secondary mirroring portion of data are in a mirroring relationship;

transition the mirroring relationship to a duplex pending state in response to determining that the mirroring relationship is in a full duplex state; and

when the mirroring relationship is in a duplex pending state, transfer each block of data involved in the instant virtual copy operation from the primary mirroring portion of data to the secondary mirroring portion of data.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the circuitry is further operable to:

when the mirroring relationship is in the duplex pending state, start a remote mirroring process to transfer each block of data involved in the instant virtual copy operation from the primary mirroring portion of data to the secondary mirroring portion of data.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the circuitry is further operable to:

after transferring each block of data, transition the mirroring relationship to a full duplex state in response to determining that the mirroring relationship is synchronous.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the circuitry is further operable to:

determine whether the primary mirroring volume to the secondary mirroring volume relationship is in the full duplex state, the duplex pending state or in a suspended state.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the circuitry is further operable to:

set indicators corresponding to blocks of storage involved in the instant virtual copy operation from the first portion of data to the primary mirroring portion of data in an out of sync structure associated with the primary mirroring portion of data.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the circuitry for setting the indicators is further operable to:

update the out of sync structure based on indicators set in a target structure.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the circuitry is further operable to:

when the mirroring relationship is in a duplex pending state, transfer each block of data based on the indicators set in the out of sync structure.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the circuitry is further operable to:

when the mirroring relationship is in the suspended state,

receive a resync command to resync the suspended portion of data; and

transfer each block of data involved in the instant virtual copy operation from the primary mirroring portion of data to the secondary mirroring portion of data based on the indicators set in the out of sync structure.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the first portion of data is in a mirroring relationship.