Method and system of providing periodic replication

• US 7,191,299 B1
• Filed: 05/12/2003
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Veritas Operating Corporation (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Xu, Ming, Colgrove, John A., Karr, Ronald S., Tawri, Deepak, Krishnamurthy, Raghu, Karmarkar, Kedar M., Godbole, Saurabh R., Kekre, Anand K., Gupta, Vikas K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough; Hyung
• Assistant Examiner(s): Song; Jasmine
• Application Number:
  US10/436,354
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2074 Asynchronous techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A method and system of providing periodic replication is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method is provided which comprises creating a storage object corresponding to a data volume, wherein the storage object comprises a point-in-time copy of the data volume and a data volume map; and replicating the data volume utilizing the storage object.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

creating a storage object corresponding to a storage volume, wherein said storage object comprises a point-in-time copy of said storage volume and a storage volume map; and

replicating said storage volume utilizing said storage object, wherein

said creating a storage object comprises creating a first storage object corresponding to a first storage volume,

said first storage object comprises a first point-in-time copy of said first storage volume and a first storage volume map,

said replicating said storage volume comprises copying data from said first point-in-time copy of said first storage volume to a second storage volume, and

said copying data from said first point-in-time copy comprises, synchronizing said first point-in-time copy of said first storage volume and said second storage volume.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said replicating said storage volume comprises, periodically replicating said storage volume.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating a storage object comprises,

creating a storage object corresponding to said storage volume, wherein said storage object comprises a virtual point-in-time copy of said storage volume.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a first set of one or more modified regions of said first storage volume using said first storage volume map.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said creating a storage object further comprises,

creating a second storage object corresponding to said first storage volume in response to said copying.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said creating a second storage object comprises,

refreshing said first point-in-time copy of said first storage volume;

and

creating a second storage object corresponding to said first storage volume in response to said refreshing, wherein said second storage object comprises said first point-in-time copy of said first storage volume and a second storage volume map.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising,

identifying a second set of one or more modified regions of said first storage volume using said second storage volume map.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said copying data from said first point-in-time copy comprises,

copying data corresponding to said first set of one or more modified regions of said first storage volume from said first point-in-time copy of said first storage volume to said second storage volume using said first storage volume map.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein said creating a second storage object comprises,

creating a second storage object corresponding to said first storage volume wherein said second storage object comprises a second point-in-time copy of said first storage volume and a second storage volume map.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising,

identifying a second set of one or more modified regions of said first storage volume using said second storage volume map.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said copying data from said first point-in-time copy comprises,

copying data corresponding to said first set of one or more modified regions of said first storage volume from said second point-in-time copy of said first storage volume to said second storage volume using said first storage volume map.

12. A method comprising:

creating a storage object corresponding to a storage volume, wherein said storage object comprises a point-in-time copy of said storage volume and a storage volume map; and

replicating said storage volume utilizing said storage object, wherein

said creating a storage object comprises creating a first storage object corresponding to a first storage volume,

said first storage object comprises a first point-in-time copy of said first storage volume and a first storage volume map,

said replicating said storage volume comprises copying data from said first point-in-time copy of said first storage volume to a second storage volume, and

said copying data from said first point-in-time copy comprises,

copying data from said first point-in-time copy of said storage volume to a point-in-time copy of said second storage volume, and

restoring said second storage volume using said point-in-time copy of said second storage volume.

13. A method comprising:

creating a storage object corresponding to a storage volume, wherein said storage object comprises a point-in-time copy of said storage volume and a storage volume map;

replicating said storage volume utilizing said storage object; and

identifying a first set of one or more modified regions of said first storage volume using said first storage volume map, wherein

said creating a storage object comprises creating a first storage object corresponding to a first storage volume,

said first storage object comprises a first point-in-time copy of said first storage volume and a first storage volume map,

said replicating said storage volume comprises copying data from said first point-in-time copy of said first storage volume to a second storage volume, and

said identifying a first set of one or more modified regions comprises, storing an extent, wherein said extent comprises a reference to a modified region of said first set of one or more modified regions and a length.

14. A computer program product comprising:

a first set of instructions, executable on a computer system, configured to create a storage object corresponding to a data volume, wherein said storage object comprises a point-in-time copy of said data volume and a data volume map;

a second set of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to periodically replicate said data volume utilizing said storage object; and

computer readable media, wherein said computer program product is encoded in said computer readable media wherein

said first set of instructions comprises

a first subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to create a first storage object corresponding to a first storage volume, wherein said first storage object comprises a first point-in-time copy of said first storage volume and a first storage volume map, and

said second set of instructions comprises

a second subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to copy data from said first point-in-time copy of said first storage volume to a second storage volume, wherein

said second subset of instructions are configured to

synchronize said first point-in-time copy of said first storage volume and said second storage volume.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein said second subset of instructions are further configured to

copy data from said first point-in-time copy of said storage volume to a point-in-time copy of said second storage volume, and

restore said second storage volume using said point-in-time copy of said second storage volume.

16. A computer program product comprising:

a first set of instructions, executable on a computer system, configured to create a storage object corresponding to a storage volume, wherein said storage object comprises a point-in-time copy of said storage volume and a storage volume map;

a second set of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to periodically replicate said storage volume utilizing said storage object;

computer readable media, wherein said computer program product is encoded in said computer readable media, and

a third set of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to identify a first set of one or more modified regions of said storage volume using said storage volume map, comprising

a first subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to store an extent, wherein said extent comprises a reference to a modified region of said first set of one or more modified regions and a length.

17. An apparatus comprising:

means for creating a storage object corresponding to a storage volume, wherein said storage object comprises a point-in-time copy of said storage volume and a storage volume map; and

means for periodically replicating said storage volume utilizing said storage object, wherein

said creating a storage object comprises creating a first storage object corresponding to a first storage volume,

said first storage object comprises a first point-in-time copy of said first storage volume and a first storage volume map,

said replicating said storage volume comprises copying data from said first point-in-time copy of said first storage volume to a second storage volume, and

said copying data from said first point-in-time copy comprises, synchronizing said first point-in-time copy of said first storage volume and said second storage volume.