EFFICIENT FLASHCOPY BACKUP AND MOUNT, CLONE, OR RESTORE COLLISION AVOIDANCE USING DYNAMIC VOLUME ALLOCATION WITH REUSE

• US 20150286429A1
• Filed: 04/02/2014
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DAIN, Joseph W., KISHI, Gregory T., SHASHA, Osnat, ZAREMBA, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 9,817,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup

Abstract

For efficient Flashcopy backup and mount, clone, or restore collision avoidance with reuse using dynamic volume allocation, performing at least one attempt to reuse an existing FlashCopy target volume that is not currently being used for at least one of a mount task, a clone task, and a restore task at the same time for a FlashCopy backup. If the at least one attempt to reuse the existing FlashCopy target volume fails, dynamically allocate a new Flashcopy target volume for the Flashcopy backup.

Claims

1. A method for efficient Flashcopy backup and mount, clone, or restore collision avoidance using dynamic volume allocation with reuse by a processor device in a computing environment, the method comprising:

performing at least one attempt to reuse an existing FlashCopy target volume that is not currently being used for at least one of a mount task, a clone task, and a restore task at the same time for a FlashCopy backup;

wherein, if the at least one attempt to reuse the existing FlashCopy target volume fails;

dynamically allocating a new Flashcopy target volume for the Flashcopy backup.

2. The method of claim 1, further including determining whether the existing FlashCopy target volume are currently being used as a source for at least one of the mount task, the clone task, and the restore task.

3. The method of claim 2, further including dynamically allocating the new target volume or reusing the existing FlashCopy target volume whether or not a repository exists.

4. The method of claim 3, further including performing the at least one attempt to reuse the existing FlashCopy target volume in a Flashcopy chain of target volumes after the target volumes in the Flashcopy chain have been ingested into a repository.

5. The method of claim 4, further including creating a Flashcopy Map (fcmap).

6. The method of claim 5, further including creating the consistency group of FlashCopy backup target volumes.

7. The method of claim 1, further including performing the at least one attempt during a predefined threshold prior to dynamically allocating the new target volume.

8. A system for efficient Flashcopy backup and mount, clone, or restore collision avoidance using dynamic volume allocation with reuse in a computing environment, the system comprising:

at least one processor device operable in the computing storage environment, wherein processor device;

performs at least one attempt to reuse an existing FlashCopy target volume that is not currently being used for at least one of a mount task, a clone task, and a restore task at the same time for a FlashCopy backup;

wherein, if the at least one attempt to reuse the existing FlashCopy target volume fails;

dynamically allocates a new Flashcopy target volume for the Flashcopy backup.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor device determines whether the existing FlashCopy target volume are currently being used as a source for at least one of the mount task, the clone task, and the restore task.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor device dynamically allocates the new target volume or reusing the existing FlashCopy target volume whether or not a repository exists.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor device performs the at least one attempt to reuse the existing FlashCopy target volume in a Flashcopy chain of target volumes after the target volumes in the Flashcopy chain have been ingested into a repository.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor device creates a Flashcopy Map (fcmap).

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor device creates a consistency group of FlashCopy backup target volumes.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor device performs the at least one attempt during a predefined threshold prior to dynamically allocating the new target volume.

15. A computer program product for efficient Flashcopy backup and mount, clone, or restore collision avoidance using dynamic volume allocation with reuse in a computing environment by a processor device, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion that performs at least one attempt to reuse an existing FlashCopy target volume that is not currently being used for at least one of a mount task, a clone task, and a restore task at the same time for a FlashCopy backup;

wherein, if the at least one attempt to reuse the existing FlashCopy target volume fails;

dynamically allocates a new Flashcopy target volume for the Flashcopy backup.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further including a second executable portion that determines whether the existing FlashCopy target volume are currently being used as a source for at least one of the mount task, the clone task, and the restore task.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further including a third executable portion that dynamically allocates the new target volume or reusing the existing FlashCopy target volume whether or not a repository exists.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further including a fourth executable portion that performs the at least one attempt to reuse the existing FlashCopy target volume in a Flashcopy chain of target volumes after the target volumes in the Flashcopy chain have been ingested into a repository.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further including a fifth executable portion that performs one of:

creating a Flashcopy Map (fcmap), and

creating a consistency group of FlashCopy backup target volumes.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further including a third executable portion that performs the at least one attempt during a predefined threshold prior to dynamically allocating the new target volume.