SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR PERFORMING A DATA PROTECTION OPERATION

• US 20090328229A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fashchik, Ran, Gordon, Eyal
• Granted Patent: US 10,725,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2056 by mirroring

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for performing a data protection operation is provided. The method includes receiving a write instruction that is associated with a writable entity, the write instruction includes a writable entity identifier, and data protection metadata indicative of a relevancy of at least one data protection operation to be applied in relation to the write instruction, and participating in an execution of a relevant data protection operation, if such a relevant data protection operation exists.

Claims

1. A method for performing a data protection operation, the method comprising:

receiving a write instruction that is associated with a writable entity;

wherein the write instruction comprises;

a writable entity identifier; and

data protection metadata indicative of a relevancy of at least one data protection operation to be applied in relation to the write instruction; and

participating in an execution of a relevant data protection operation, if such a relevant data protection operation exists.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the write instruction comprises relevancy metadata indicative of a relevancy of the data protection metadata to at least one other write instruction that is associated with the writable entity.

3. The method according to claim 1 comprising:

receiving a first write instruction that comprises a default indication and data protection metadata;

receiving a second write instruction that lacks data protection metadata;

wherein the first and second write instructions are associated with the writable entity; and

determining a relevancy of at least one data protection operation to be applied in relation to the second write operation in response to the data protection metadata of the first write instruction.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the data protection metadata is indicative of a relevancy of at least one copy service operation.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the data protection metadata is indicative of a relevancy of at least one copy service operation selected out of a group consisting of:

change recording;

in-order asynchronous remote copying;

out-of-order asynchronous remote copying; and

synchronous remote copying.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the data protection metadata comprises a bitmap;

wherein different bits of the bitmap are indicative of a relevancy of data protection operations of different types.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the data protection metadata is indicative of at least one continuous data protection operation.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the data protection metadata is indicative of a relevancy of at least one copy service operation.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the writable entity is an application object.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the writable entity is a memory space.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

receive a write instruction that is associated with a writable entity;

wherein the write instruction comprises;

a writable entity identifier; and

data protection metadata indicative of a relevancy of at least one data protection operation to be applied in relation to the write instruction; and

participate in an execution of a relevant data protection operation, if such a relevant data protection operation exists.

12. The computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the write instruction comprises relevancy metadata indicative of a relevancy of the data protection metadata to at least one other write instruction that is associated with the writable entity.

13. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

receive a first write instruction that comprises a default indication and data protection metadata;

receive a second write instruction that lacks data protection metadata;

wherein the first and second write instructions are associated with the writable entity; and

determine a relevancy of at least one data protection operation to be applied in relation to the second write operation in response to the data protection metadata of the first write instruction.

14. The computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the data protection metadata is indicative of a relevancy of at least one copy service operation.

15. The computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the data protection metadata is indicative of a relevancy of at least one copy service operation selected out of a group consisting of:

change recording;

in-order asynchronous remote copying;

out-of-order asynchronous remote copying; and

synchronous remote copying.

16. The computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the data protection metadata comprises a bitmap;

wherein different bits of the bitmap are indicative of a relevancy of data protection operations of different types.

17. The computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the data protection metadata is indicative of at least one continuous data protection operation.

18. The computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the data protection metadata is indicative of a relevancy of at least one copy service operation.

19. The computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the writable entity is an application object.

20. The computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the writable entity is a memory space.

21. A storage system comprising:

a first memory unit that is adapted to store a write instruction that is associated with a writable entity;

wherein the write instruction comprises;

a writable entity identifier; and

data protection metadata indicative of a relevancy of at least one data protection operation to be applied in relation to the write instruction; and

a controller, coupled to the memory unit, and adapted to participate in an execution of a relevant data protection operation, if such a relevant data protection operation exists.

22. The storage system according to claim 21 wherein the write instruction comprises relevancy metadata indicative of a relevancy of the data protection metadata to at least one other write instruction that is associated with the writable entity.

23. The storage system according to claim 21 wherein the memory unit is adapted to store a first write instruction that comprises a default indication and data protection metadata and to a second write instruction that lacks data protection metadata;

wherein the first and second write instructions are associated with the writable entity; and

wherein the controller is adapted to determine a relevancy of at least one data protection operation to be applied in relation to the second write operation in response to the data protection metadata of the first write instruction.

24. The storage system according to claim 21 wherein the data protection metadata is indicative of at least one continuous data protection operation.

25. The storage system according to claim 24 wherein the data protection metadata is indicative of a relevancy of at least one copy service operation.