Host system for mass storage business continuance volumes

• US 6,631,477 B1
• Filed: 03/13/1998
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: LeCrone, Douglas, Pocock, Bruce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chu, Gabriel L
• Application Number:
  US09/039,020
• Time in Patent Office: 2,034 Days
• Field of Search: 714/5, 714/6, 714/7, 714/20, 714/42, 711/161, 711/162
• US Class Current: 714/5.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1466 to make the backup process non-disruptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2056 by mirroring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2058 using more than 2 mirrored copies

Abstract

A mass storage business continuance time maker function host system that allows one or more MVS mainframe hosts to have the time to: establish business continuation volumes to mirror the standard mass storage volumes; synchronize business continuation volumes with the standard volumes so that their contents are identical; split off a business continuation volume from its standard volume counterpart to make the business continuation volume available for other purposes; and enable a business continuation volume to be used to restore the contents of a standard volume—all without halting or disrupting the business applications using standard volumes. These and related services are provided in a transparent manner to a host mainframe by manipulating MVS format volume labels, volume tables of contents and indexes, catalog entries, data set names and similar mechanisms on mass storage devices connected to host mainframes using the MVS operating system.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing business continuance operations from a host computer having a mass storage subsystem with business continuance features and at least two volumes, comprising a time maker function command processor executing in said host computer for parsing and implementing business continuance commands in order to transmit signals to and receive signals from said mass storage subsystem to activate said business continuance features without disrupting business application processing, wherein said business continuance commands comprise syntax to allow user to identify standard volumes and business continuance volumes on said mass storage subsystem, and further comprise an establish command for causing said mass storage subsystem to join a specified standard volume and a specified business continuance volume into a business continuance pair by copying the contents of said standard volume onto said business continuance volume.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said business continuance commands further comprise a split command for causing said mass storage subsystem to separate said business continuance pair and flag writes to said standard volume and said business continuance volume which occur after said split.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said business continuance commands further comprise a re-establish command for causing said mass storage subsystem to rejoin a standard volume and a business continuance volume which had once been a business continuance pair into a business continuance pair again, by copying to said business continuance volume said writes to said standard volume which had been flagged after said split and copying from said standard volume any data which had been changed by said writes to said business continuance volume which had been flagged after said split.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said business continuance commands further comprise a restore command for causing said mass storage subsystem to copy the contents of a business continuance volume of a business continuance pair to a standard volume.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said business continuance commands further comprise an incremental restore command for causing said mass storage subsystem to copy to said standard volume said writes to said business continuance volume which have been flagged since said business continuance volume was split from said business continuance pair.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said split command includes an optional volume serial number change parameter whereby the volume serial number of said business continuance volume can be changed after said split occurs.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said business continuance commands include volume conditioning statements to place business continuance volumes in condition for other uses and wherein said volume conditioning statements include a catalog statement for identifying a catalog to use for cataloging a data set on a volume.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said business continuance commands further include a userexit option for specifying the name of a user designated program to receive control when a business continuance command completes.

9. A method for managing business continuance operations from a host computer having a mass storage subsystem with business continuance features and at least two volumes, comprising the step of executing in said host computer a time maker function command processor for parsing and implementing business continuance commands in order to transmit signals to and receive signals from said mass storage subsystem to activate said business continuance features without disrupting business application processing, wherein said step of parsing and implementing business continuance commands comprises the step of parsing syntax to allow a user to identify standard volumes and business continuance volumes on said mass storage subsystem and further comprises the step of implementing an establish command for causing said mass storage subsystem to join a specified standard volume and a specified business continuance volume into a business continuance pair by copying the contents of said standard volume onto said business continuance volume.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of parsing and implementing business continuance commands further comprises the step of implementing a split command for causing said mass storage subsystem to separate said business continuance pair and flag writes to both volumes which occur after said split.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of parsing and implementing business continuance commands further comprises the step of implementing a re-establish command for causing said mass storage subsystem to rejoin a standard volume and a business continuance volume which had once been a business continuance pair into a business continuance pair again, by copying to said business continuance volume said writes to said standard volume which had been flagged after said split and copying from said standard volume any data which had been changed by said writes to said business continuance volume which had been flagged after said split.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of parsing and implementing business continuance commands further comprises the step of implementing a restore command for causing said mass storage subsystem to copy the contents of a business continuance volume of a business continuance pair to a standard volume.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of parsing and implementing business continuance commands further comprises the step of implementing an incremental restore command for causing said mass storage subsystem to copy to said standard volume only the contents of said business continuance volume which have changed since said business continuance volume was split from said business continuance pair.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of implementing said split command includes the step of implementing an optional volume serial number change parameter whereby the volume serial number of said business continuance volume can be changed after said split occurs.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of parsing and implementing business continuance commands includes the step of implementing volume conditioning statements to place business continuance volumes in condition for other uses and wherein said step of implementing volume conditioning statements includes the step of implementing a catalog statement for identifying a catalog to use for cataloging a data set on a volume.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of implementing business continuance commands further includes the step of implementing a userexit option for specifying the name of a user designated program to receive control when a business continuance command completes.