Synchronization and resynchronization of loosely-coupled copy operations between a primary and a remote secondary DASD volume under concurrent updating

• US 6,842,834 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2003
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stanley, Warren Keith, Shomler, Robert Wesley, Micka, William Frank, Crockett, Robert Nelson
• Primary Examiner(s): BATAILLE, PIERRE MICHE
• Application Number:
  US10/394,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20030177322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 711/112, 711/161, 711/162, 711/165, 711/114, 714/2, 714/6, 714/7, 709/248, 709/400
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/201 between storage system components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2064 while ensuring consistency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2082 Data synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2087 with a common controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2003/0697 device management, e.g. handlers, drivers, I/O schedulers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems

Abstract

A method for assuring consistency between a primary volume and a remote secondary volume wherein a host CPU manages track-to-track transfers using loosely-coupled, storage control unit mediated, data paths. The method includes initial volume synchronization in which concurrent updates to primary tracks are serialized by the copy progression at the secondary volume according to address. The method further includes volume resynchronization in the event of extrinsic error, fault, or the like in which the status of primary tracks updated during a volume suspension interval utilize bit maps to determine status of tracks unmodified during the suspension interval, and updated tracks and timestamps in addition to addresses. The bit maps and timestamps preserve the most recent version copy order of the tracks on the secondary volume.

Claims

1. A method for copying data from a first storage system to a second storage system, comprising:

copying data from storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system;

detecting update data to one storage location in the first storage system while copying data from storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system;

storing the update data to the first storage system;

transmitting the detected update data to the second storage system; and

applying the update data to the second storage system in a manner that maintains consistency between data copied from the storage locations and update data, wherein the update data is transmitted to the second storage system before all the data as been copied from the storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system, and wherein the update data is capable of being applied to the second storage system while copying data from the storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is copied from the storage locations during an initialization operation to copy data from storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system to synchronize storage locations in the first and second storage systems.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after copying data from one storage location in the first storage system to the second storage system, indicating the storage location in the first storage system as established.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of detecting the update data to one storage location and transmitting the detected update data to the second storage system occurs only after the storage location to which the update data is directed is indicated as established.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein data transmitted from the storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system comprises data stored at consecutive locations in the first storage system.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

after writing data copied from the storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system, maintaining information indicating a last address of last data written to the second storage system as part of the copying, wherein the update is only applied to the second storage system if the update data is to an address that is less than the last address.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the indicated last address is a highest address of data written to the second storage system as party of the copying operation, further comprising:

if a highest address of update data exceeds the last address, then delaying applying the update data until further data is copied from the first storage system to the second storage system as part of the copying data operation such that the highest address of the update data is less than the last address of data written to the second storage system as part of the copying operation.

8. A method for copying data from a first storage system to a second storage system, comprising:

copying update data to the first storage system to the second storage system;

suspending the copying of update data from the first storage system to the second storage system;

indicating in an update data structure all storage locations in the first storage system that received updates before and during the suspension of the copying; and

after ending the suspension;

(i) copying data from storage locations in the first storage system indicated in the update data structure to the second storage system;

(ii) transferring update data received after the suspension to storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system; and

(iii) applying the update data to the second storage system in a manner that maintains consistency between data copied from the storage locations that is indicated in the update data structure and update data received after the suspension.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein consistency is maintained by only applying update data to storage locations received after suspension after any update data to the storage locations indicated in the data structure is copied.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

after copying update data from the storage locations indicated in the update data structure to the second storage system, maintaining information indicating a last address of the storage location to which the update data indicated in the update data structure was copied, wherein the update received after the suspension is only applied to the second storage system if the update data received after the suspension is to an address that is less than the indicated last address.

11. A system for copying data, comprising:

a first storage system;

a second storage system;

means for copying data from storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system;

means for detecting update data to one storage location in the first storage system while copying data from storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system;

means for storing the update data to the first storage system;

means for transmitting the detected update data to the second storage system; and

means for applying the update data to the second storage system in a manner that maintains consistency between data copied from the storage locations and update data, wherein the update data is transmitted to the second storage system before all the data as been copied from the storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system, and wherein the update data is capable of being applied to the second storage system while copying data from the storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the data is copied from the storage locations during an initialization operation to copy data from storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system to synchronize storage locations in the first and second storage systems.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for indicating the storage location in the first storage system as established after copying data from one storage location in the first storage system to the second storage system.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for detecting the update data to one storage location and transmitting the detected update data to the second storage system performs the detecting of the update only after the storage location to which the update data is directed is indicated as established.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein data transmitted from the storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system comprises data stored at consecutive locations in the first storage system.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for maintaining information indicating a last address of last data written to the second storage system as part of the copying after writing data copied from the storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system, wherein the update is only applied to the second storage system if the update data is to an address that is less than the last address.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the indicated last address is a highest address of data written to the second storage system as party of the copying operation, further comprising:

means for delaying applying the update data until further data is copied from the first storage system to the second storage system as part of the copying data operation if a highest address of update data exceeds the last address, wherein the highest address of the update data is less than the last address of data written to the second storage system as part of the copying operation.

18. A system for copying data, comprising:

a first storage system;

a second storage system;

means for copying update data to the first storage system to the second storage system;

means for suspending the copying of update data from the first storage system to the second storage system;

means for indicating in an update data structure all storage locations in the first storage system that received updates before and during the suspension of the copying; and

means for performing after ending the suspension;

(i) copying data from storage locations in the first storage system indicated in the update data structure to the second storage system;

(ii) transferring update data received after the suspension to storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system; and

(iii) applying the update data to the second storage system in a manner that maintains consistency between data copied from the storage locations that is indicated in the update data structure and update data received after the suspension.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein consistency is maintained by only applying update data to storage locations received after suspension after any update data to the storage locations indicated in the data structure is copied.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for maintaining information indicating a last address of the storage location to which the update data indicated in the update data structure was copied after copying update data from the storage locations indicated in the update data structure to the second storage system, wherein the update received after the suspension is only applied to the second storage system if the update data received after the suspension is to an address that is less than the indicated last address.

21. An article of manufacture for copying data from a first storage system to a second storage system, wherein the article of manufacture causes operations to be performed, the operations comprising:

copying data from storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system;

detecting update data to one storage location in the first storage system while copying data from storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system;

storing the update data to the first storage system;

transmitting the detected update data to the second storage system; and

applying the update data to the second storage system in a manner that maintains consistency between data copied from the storage locations and update data, wherein the update data is transmitted to the second storage system before all the data as been copied from the storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system, and wherein the update data is capable of being applied to the second storage system while copying data from the storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the data is copied from the storage locations during an initialization operation to copy data from storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system to synchronize storage locations in the first and second storage systems.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 21, further comprising:

after copying data from one storage location in the first storage system to the second storage system, indicating the storage location in the first storage system as established.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the step of detecting the update data to one storage location and transmitting the detected update data to the second storage system occurs only after the storage location to which the update data is directed is indicated as established.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein data transmitted from the storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system comprises data stored at consecutive locations in the first storage system.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 25, further comprising:

after writing data copied from the storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system, maintaining information indicating a last address of last data written to the second storage system as part of the copying, wherein the update is only applied to the second storage system if the update data is to an address that is less than the last address.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the indicated last address is a highest address of data written to the second storage system as party of the copying operation, further comprising:

if a highest address of update data exceeds the last address, then delaying applying the update data until further data is copied from the first storage system to the second storage system as part of the copying data operation such that the highest address of the update data is less than the last address of data written to the second storage system as part of the copying operation.

28. An article of manufacture for copying data from a first storage system to a second storage system, wherein the article of manufacture causes operations to be performed, the operations comprising:

copying update data to the first storage system to the second storage system;

suspending the copying of update data from the first storage system to the second storage system;

indicating in an update data structure all storage locations in the first storage system that received updates before and during the suspension of the copying; and

after ending the suspension;

(i) copying data from storage locations in the first storage system indicated in the update data structure to the second storage system;

(ii) transferring update data received after the suspension to storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system; and

(iii) applying the update data to the second storage system in a manner that maintains consistency between data copied from the storage locations that is indicated in the update data structure and update data received after the suspension.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein consistency is maintained by only applying update data to storage locations received after suspension after any update data to the storage locations indicated in the data structure is copied.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 29, further comprising:

after copying update data from the storage locations indicated in the update data structure to the second storage system, maintaining information indicating a last address of the storage location to which the update data indicated in the update data structure was copied, wherein the update received after the suspension is only applied to the second storage system if the update data received after the suspension is to an address that is less than the indicated last address.