System and method for management of data replication

• US 7,290,017 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2001
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Yun, Wang, Yao, Kendler, David
• Primary Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US09/957,219
• Time in Patent Office: 2,231 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 707100-102, 707/103.R, 707/1, 707/6, 707/204, 707/3, 707/10, 704/271, 709/105
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2058 using more than 2 mirrored copies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2069 Management of state, configuration or failover
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2071 using a plurality of controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2082 Data synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

This invention is a system and method for managing replication of data in a data storage environment by grouping logical devices. The system is enabled for configuring, monitoring, and controlling replication processes in accordance with a replication policy that is particularly useful when combined with grouping of logical devices used in replication. The invention is useful for replicating essentially an entire copy of a production-level database such that the copy may be used essentially as the production-level database itself.

Claims

1. A method for managing data replication for data stored in a data storage environment, the method comprising the computer-executed steps of:

providing a graphical user interface in communication with a first data replication management (DRM) agent which is in communication with a first data storage system, wherein the graphical user interface is configured for managing replication on the first data storage system by allowing a user to use the graphical user interface to a) communicate with the DRM agent, b) group logical volumes that are part of the first data storage system and which store at least some data for replication, and c) use replication policies that involve groupings of the logical volumes;

wherein at least one of the logical volumes functions as a mirror, wherein the logical volumes involved in the data replication are grouped by the user using the graphical user interface into increasing levels of granularity ordered by (i) a lower level of order that is logical device groups, (ii) a next higher level of order above logical device groups that is replication groups and which includes logical device groups, (iii) a next higher level of order above replication groups that is host groups and which includes replication groups, and (iv) a next higher level of order above host groups that is application groups and which includes host groups.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is useable to further direct the first DRM agent to manage replication that may occur on a second data storage system that is located remotely to the first data storage system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the graphical user interface is useable to further direct the first DRM agent to manage replication on a third data storage system that is located remotely to the first and second data storage system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the replication policy includes a control policy for controlling replication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the replication policy includes a schedule policy for scheduling replication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the replication policy includes an application policy for replicating data associated with specified application software.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the replication policy includes a session policy for managing a session of replication.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one replication policy is assigned to each of the groupings of the logical volumes involved in the data replication.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical device groups are further grouped into remote device (RD) groups and a replication policy is assigned for each RD group.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the replication policy includes a control policy for controlling replication, a schedule policy for scheduling replication, an application policy for replicating data associated with specified application software, and a session policy for managing a session of replication.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the DRM agent is configured to communicate in accordance with an internet protocol.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-interface is a graphical user interface that is configured to communicate in accordance with an internet protocol.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-interface is Java-based.

14. The method of claim 1, including providing a DRM server in communication with the first DRM agent.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein there is a second DRM agent in communication with a second data storage system that is located remotely to the first data storage system and the graphical user interface is useable to further direct either the DRM server or the first or the second DRM agent to manage replication on a second data storage system that is located remotely to the first data storage system, and wherein there is a second DRM agent.

16. The method of claim 1, and further including one or more Checkpoint Device Set Groups containing one or more Checkpoint Device Sets which are logical devices containing mirrored copies of logical devices contained in a Checkpoint Device Set, and each Checkpoint Device Set Group is associated with either a Device, Replication, Host, or Application Group.

17. A networked computer system for managing data replication of a database in a data storage environment, the networked computer system comprising:

a first data storage system;

a first data replication management (DRM) agent in communication with the first data storage system;

a second data replication management (DRM) agent in communication with the first DRM agent;

a second data storage system in communication with the second DRM agent;

wherein the first and second DRM agent are configured to provide a graphical user interface and the graphical user interface is configured for managing replication on the first data storage system by allowing a user to use the graphical user interface to a) communicate with the DRM agent, b) group logical volumes that are part of the first data storage system and which store at least some data for replication, and c) use replication policies that involve groupings of the logical volumes;

wherein at least one of the logical volumes functions as a mirror, wherein the logical volumes involved in the data replication are grouped by the user using the graphical user interface into increasing levels of granularity ordered by (i) a lower level of order that is logical device groups, (ii) a next higher level of order above logical device groups that is replication groups and which includes logical device groups, (iii) a next higher level of order above replication groups that is host groups and which includes replication groups, and (iv) a next higher level of order above host groups that is application groups and which includes host groups.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first and second DRM agent are configured to communicate in accordance with an internet protocol.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the internet protocol is adhered to by using Java-based code.

20. The system of claim 17, including providing a DRM server in communication with the first DRM agent.

21. A program product for managing data replication in a data storage environment, the program product being in communication with a data replication (DRM) agent which is in communication with a first and second data storage system, the program product including computer-executable logic contained on a computer-readable medium and which is configured for causing the following computer-executed step to occur on the first and second DRM agent:

provide a graphical user interface in communication with the data replication management (DRM) agent which is in communication with the first data storage system, wherein the graphical user interface is configured for managing replication on the first data storage system by allowing a user to use the graphical user interface to a) communicate with the DRM agent, b) group logical volumes that are part of the first data storage system and which store at least some data for replication, and c) use replication policies that involve groupings of the logical volumes;

wherein at least one of the logical volumes functions as a mirror, wherein the logical volumes involved in the data replication are grouped by the user using the graphical user interface into increasing levels of granularity ordered by (i) a lower level of order that is logical device groups, (ii) a next higher level of order above logical device groups that is replication groups and which includes logical device groups, (iii) a next higher level of order above replication groups that is host groups and which includes replication groups, and (iv) a next higher level of order above host groups that is application groups and which includes host groups.