Initial copy for remote copy

• US 7,139,826 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2001
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Watanabe, Naoki, Yamagami, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Khanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, NGHI V
• Application Number:
  US09/905,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20030014534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,957 Days
• Field of Search: 709/250, 709/238, 709/223, 709/232, 709/233, 709/226, 711/162
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2071 using a plurality of controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2082 Data synchronisation

Abstract

A method of performing an initial copy procedure in a remote copy system, the method including: configuring a network path between a first disk subsystem and a second disk subsystem to increase the speed of data transmission across the network path; configuring the remote copy system for a remote copy operation; performing an initial copy operation to copy data across the network path from the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem; and adjusting the network path to reduce the speed of data transmission across the network path. A remote copy system, including: a first disk subsystem located at a first site; and a second disk subsystem capable to be coupled to the first disk subsystem via a network path, with the network path capable to be configured to increase or decrease the speed of data transmission from the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem.

Claims

1. A method of performing an initial copy procedure in a remote copy system, the method comprising:

configuring a network path between a first disk subsystem and a second disk subsystem to increase the speed of data transmission across the network path for the initial copy procedure;

after the configuring the network path, configuring the remote copy system for a remote copy operation;

after the configuring the remote copy system, performing an initial remote copy operation to copy data across the network path from the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem, wherein the initial remote copy operation comprises copying of data initially stored in the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem; and

after the performing the initial remote copy operation, adjusting the network path to reduce the speed of data transmission across the network path, thereby reducing the speed of at least one subsequent remote copy operation between the first disk system and the second disk system, wherein the at least one subsequent remote copy operation comprises copying of data update from the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem and wherein configuring the network path comprises increasing a data transfer rate characteristic of the network path.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first disk subsystem is located in a master site.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first disk subsystem is located in a manufacturer site.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deploying the second disk subsystem to a remote site.

5. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions to;

configure a network path between a first disk subsystem and a second disk subsystem to increase the speed of data transmission across the network path for an initial remote copy operation;

after configuring the network path, configure the remote copy system for a remote copy operation;

after configuring the remote copy system, perform the initial remote copy operation to copy data across the network path from the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem, wherein the initial remote copy operation comprises copying of data initially stored in the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem; and

after performing the initial remote copy operation, adjust the network path to reduce the speed of data transmission across the network path and thereby reduce the speed of at least one subsequent remote copy operation between the first disk system and the second disk system, wherein the at least one subsequent remote copy operation comprises copying of data update from the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem and wherein configuring the network path comprises selecting multiple physical oaths in the network path to transmit data across the path.

6. A remote copy system, comprising:

a first disk subsystem located at a first site;

a second disk subsystem capable to be coupled to the first disk subsystem via a network path, with the network path capable to be configured to increase or decrease the speed of data transmission from the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem; and

means for configuring the network path to cause an initial remote copy operation between the first disk subsystem and the second disk subsystem to occur at an initial data transmission speed that is faster than a subsequent data transmission speed of at least one subsequent remote copy operation, the configuring the network path to cause an initial remote copy operation occurring before the subsequent remote copy operation, wherein the initial remote copy operation comprises copying of data initially stored in the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem and the at least one subsequent remote copy operation comprises copying of data update from the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem and wherein configuring the network oath comprises selecting multiple physical oaths in the network oath to transmit data across the path.

7. A method of performing an initial copy procedure in a remote copy system, the method comprising:

configuring a network path between a first disk subsystem and a second disk subsystem to increase the speed of data transmission across the network path for the initial copy procedure;

after the configuring the network path, configuring the remote copy system for a remote copy operation

after the configuring the remote copy system, performing an initial remote copy operation to copy data across the network path from the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem, wherein the initial remote copy operation comprises copying of data initially stored in the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem; and

after the performing the initial remote copy operation, adjusting the network path to reduce the speed of data transmission across the network path, thereby reducing the speed of at least one subsequent remote copy operation between the first disk system and the second disk system, wherein the at least one subsequent remote copy operation comprises copying of data update from the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem and wherein configuring the network path comprises selecting multiple physical paths in the network path to transmit data across the path.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first disk subsystem is located in a master site.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first disk subsystem is located in a manufacturer site.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

deploying the second disk subsystem to a remote site.

11. A method of performing an initial copy procedure in a remote copy system, the method comprising:

configuring a network path between a first disk subsystem and a second disk subsystem to increase the speed of data transmission across the network path for the initial copy procedure;

after the configuring the network path, configuring the remote copy system for a remote copy operation

after the configuring the remote copy system, performing an initial remote copy operation to copy data across the network path from the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem, wherein the initial remote copy operation comprises copying of data initially stored in the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem; and

after the performing the initial remote copy operation, adjusting the network path to reduce the speed of data transmission across the network path, thereby reducing the speed of at least one subsequent remote copy operation between the first disk system and the second disk system, wherein the at least one subsequent remote copy operation comprises copying of data update from the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem, wherein adjusting the network path comprises reducing the number of physical paths in the network path.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first disk subsystem is located in a master site.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the first disk subsystem is located in a manufacturer site.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

deploying the second disk subsystem to a remote site.

15. A method of performing an initial copy procedure in a remote copy system, the method comprising:

configuring a network path between a first disk subsystem and a second disk subsystem to increase the speed of data transmission across the network path for the initial copy procedure;

after the configuring the network path, configuring the remote copy system for a remote copy operation;

after the configuring the remote copy system, performing an initial remote copy operation to copy data across the network path from the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem, wherein the initial remote copy operation comprises copying of data initially stored in the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem; and

after the performing the initial remote copy operation, adjusting the network path to reduce the speed of data transmission across the network path, thereby reducing the speed of at least one subsequent remote copy operation between the first disk system and the second disk system, wherein the at least one subsequent remote copy operation comprises copying of data update from the first disk subsystem to the second disk subsystem, wherein adjusting the network path comprises decreasing the data transfer rate characteristic of the network path.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the first disk subsystem is located in a master site.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the first disk subsystem is located in a manufacturer site.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

deploying the second disk subsystem to a remote site.