Method, system, and program for managing information on relationships between target volumes and source volumes when performing adding, withdrawing, and disaster recovery operations for the relationships
First Claim
1. A method for managing a relationship between one target volume and one source volume, comprising:
- (a) maintaining information in memory on an existing relationship between at least one source volume and at least one target volume, comprising;
(i) at least one element, wherein each element represents a range of sequential data units in the volume;
(ii) at least one relationship entry, wherein each relationship entry represents one relationship;
(iii) at least one element pointer associating one element with one relationship entry, wherein the data units represented by the element are part of the relationship represented by the relationship entry that the pointer associates with the element;
(b) adding a new relationship between at least one target volume and at least one source volume;
(c) adding a new relationship entry in the memory representing the new relationship; and
(d) adding one new element pointer in the memory for each element including data units included in the new relationship to associate the element with the new relationship entry, wherein the data units represented by the element are part of the new relationship.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Provided are a method, system, and program for managing a relationship between one target volume and one source volume. Information is maintained in memory on an existing relationship between at least one source volume and at least one target volume, comprising: (i) at least one element, wherein each element represents a range of sequential data units in the volume; (ii) at least one relationship entry, wherein each relationship entry represents one relationship; and (iii) at least one element pointer associating one element with one relationship entry, wherein the data units represented by the element are part of the relationship represented by the relationship entry that the pointer associates with the element. A new relationship between at least one target volume and at least one source volume is added. Further, added is a new relationship entry in the memory representing the new relationship and one new element pointer is added in the memory for each element including data units included in the new relationship to associate the element with the new relationship entry, wherein the data units represented by the element are part of the new relationship.
14 Citations
49 Claims
-
1. A method for managing a relationship between one target volume and one source volume, comprising:
-
(a) maintaining information in memory on an existing relationship between at least one source volume and at least one target volume, comprising; (i) at least one element, wherein each element represents a range of sequential data units in the volume; (ii) at least one relationship entry, wherein each relationship entry represents one relationship; (iii) at least one element pointer associating one element with one relationship entry, wherein the data units represented by the element are part of the relationship represented by the relationship entry that the pointer associates with the element; (b) adding a new relationship between at least one target volume and at least one source volume; (c) adding a new relationship entry in the memory representing the new relationship; and (d) adding one new element pointer in the memory for each element including data units included in the new relationship to associate the element with the new relationship entry, wherein the data units represented by the element are part of the new relationship. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 41, 42, 43)
-
-
7. A method for managing a relationship between one target volume and one source volume, comprising:
-
(a) maintaining information in memory on a relationship between at least one source volume and at least one target volume, comprising; (i) at least one element, wherein each element represents a range of sequential data units in the volume; (ii) at least one relationship entry, wherein each relationship entry represents one relationship; (iii) at least one element pointer associating one element with one relationship entry, wherein the data units represented by the element are part of the relationship represented by the relationship entry that the pointer associates with the element; (b) receiving a withdrawal request with respect to a subject relationship; and (c) deleting at least one pointer in memory associating one element with the relationship entry representing the subject relationship in response to the withdrawal request. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method for managing a relationship between one target volume and one source volume, comprising:
-
(a) maintaining information in memory on a relationship between at least one source volume and at least one target volume, comprising; (i) at least one element, wherein each element represents a range of sequential data units in the volume; (ii) at least one relationship entry, wherein each relationship entry represents one relationship; (iii) at least one element pointer associating one element with one relationship entry, wherein the data units represented by the element are part of the relationship represented by the relationship entry that the pointer associates with the element; and (b) initiating a recovery process to rebuild the information in memory on relationships between at least one source volume and at least one target volume, including source and target elements, source and target relationship entries, and source and target pointers associating source and target elements, respectively, with source and target relationships. - View Dependent Claims (16)
-
-
17. A system for managing a relationship between one target volume and one source volume, comprising:
-
(a) a memory including information on an existing relationship between at least one source volume and at least one target volume, comprising; (i) at least one element, wherein each element represents a range of sequential data units in the volume; (ii) at least one relationship entry, wherein each relationship entry represents one relationship; (iii) at least one element pointer associating one element with one relationship entry, wherein the data units represented by the element are part of the relationship represented by the relationship entry that the pointer associates with the element; (b) means for adding a new relationship between at least one target volume and at least one source volume; (c) means for adding a new relationship entry in the memory representing the new relationship; and (d) means for adding one new element pointer in the memory for each element including data units included in the new relationship to associate the element with the new relationship entry, wherein the data units represented by the element are part of the new relationship. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 44, 45, 46)
-
-
20. A system for managing a relationship between one target volume and one source volume, comprising:
-
(a) a memory including information on a relationship between at least one source volume and at least one target volume, comprising; (i) at least one element, wherein each element represents a range of sequential data units in the volume; (ii) at least one relationship entry, wherein each relationship entry represents one relationship; (iii) at least one element pointer associating one element with one relationship entry, wherein the data units represented by the element are part of the relationship represented by the relationship entry that the pointer associates with the element; (b) means for receiving a withdrawal request with respect to a subject relationship; and (c) means for deleting at least one pointer in memory associating one element with the relationship entry representing the subject relationship in response to the withdrawal request. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A system for managing a relationship between one target volume and one source volume, comprising:
-
(a) a memory including information on a relationship between at least one source volume and at least one target volume, comprising; (i) at least one element, wherein each element represents a range of sequential data units in the volume; (ii) at least one relationship entry, wherein each relationship entry represents one relationship; (iii) at least one element pointer associating one element with one relationship entry, wherein the data units represented by the element are part of the relationship represented by the relationship entry that the pointer associates with the element; and (b) means for initiating a recovery process to rebuild the information in memory on relationships between at least one source volume and at least one target volume, including source and target elements, source and target relationship entries, and source and target pointers associating source and target elements, respectively, with source and target relationships.
-
-
25. An article of manufacture for managing a relationship between one target volume and one source volume in memory, wherein the article of manufacture comprises a computer readable medium having code that is executed to cause operations to be performed, the operations comprising:
-
(a) maintaining information in memory on an existing relationship between at least one source volume and at least one target volume, comprising; (i) at least one element, wherein each element represents a range of sequential data units in the volume; (ii) at least one relationship entry, wherein each relationship entry represents one relationship; (iii) at least one element pointer associating one element with one relationship entry, wherein the data units represented by the element are part of the relationship represented by the relationship entry that the pointer associates with the element; (b) adding a new relationship between at least one target volume and at least one source volume; (c) adding a new relationship entry in the memory representing the new relationship; and (d) adding one new element pointer in the memory for each element including data units included in the new relationship to associate the element with the new relationship entry, wherein the data units represented by the element are part of the new relationship. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 47, 48, 49)
-
-
31. An article of manufacture for managing a relationship between one target volume and one source volume in memory, wherein the article of manufacture comprises a computer readable medium having code that is executed to cause operations to be performed, the operations comprising:
-
(a) maintaining information in memory on a relationship between at least one source volume and at least one target volume, comprising; (i) at least one element, wherein each element represents a range of sequential data units in the volume; (ii) at least one relationship entry, wherein each relationship entry represents one relationship; (iii) at least one element pointer associating one element with one relationship entry, wherein the data units represented by the element are part of the relationship represented by the relationship entry that the pointer associates with the element; (b) receiving a withdrawal request with respect to a subject relationship; and (c) deleting at least one pointer in memory associating one element with the relationship entry representing the subject relationship in response to the withdrawal request. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
-
-
39. An article of manufacture for managing a relationship between one target volume and one source volume in memory, wherein the article of manufacture comprises a computer readable medium having code that is executed to cause operations to be performed, the operations comprising:
-
(a) maintaining information in memory on a relationship between at least one source volume and at least one target volume, comprising; (i) at least one element, wherein each element represents a range of sequential data units in the volume; (ii) at least one relationship entry, wherein each relationship entry represents one relationship; (iii) at least one element pointer associating one element with one relationship entry, wherein the data units represented by the element are part of the relationship represented by the relationship entry that the pointer associates with the element; and (b) initiating a recovery process to rebuild the information in memory on relationships between at least one source volume and at least one target volume, including source and target elements, source and target relationship entries, and source and target pointers associating source and target elements, respectively, with source and target relationships. - View Dependent Claims (40)
-
Specification