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

Claim 3

The system 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.

Claim 4

The system of claim 1 , 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, wherein the means for detecting the update data to one storage location and transmitting the detected update data to the second storage system is performed only after the storage location to which the update data is directed is indicated as established.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 , wherein each storage location comprises a track and wherein update data comprises a record set within one track.

Claim 8

The system of claim 5 , further comprising: means for generating a monitor data structure after the suspension indicating all storage locations in the first storage system that did not receive updates during the suspension, wherein the update data to storage locations in the first storage system received after the suspension is only transferred to the second storage system if the updated storage location is indicated in the monitor data structure.

Claim 9

The system of claim 6 , further comprising: means for including indication in the monitor data structure of storage locations in the first storage system indicated in the update data structure that are accessed to perform the step of copying the data therein to the second storage system after ending the suspension; and transferring update data received after ending the suspension to the storage location in the first storage system indicated in the update data structure to the second storage system after indication for the storage location is included in the monitor data structure.

Claim 10

The system of claim 5 , wherein each storage location comprises a track and wherein update data comprises a record set within one track.

Claim 15

The method of claim 10 , 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.

Claim 16

The method of claim 10 , 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, 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.

Claim 17

The method of claim 10 , wherein each storage location comprises a track and wherein update data comprises a record set within one track.

Claim 20

The method of claim 14 , further performing after ending the suspension: generating a monitor data structure indicating all storage locations in the first storage system that did not receive updates during the suspension, wherein the update data to storage locations in the first storage system received after the suspension is only transferred to the second storage system if the updated storage location is indicated in the monitor data structure.

Claim 21

The method of claim 15 , further performing after ending the suspension: including indication in the monitor data structure of storage locations in the first storage system indicated in the update data structure that are accessed to perform the step of copying the data therein to the second storage system; and transferring update data received after the suspension to the storage location in the first storage system indicated in the update data structure to the second storage system after indication for the storage location is included in the monitor data structure.

Claim 22

The method of claim 14 , wherein each storage location comprises a track and wherein update data comprises a record set within one track.

Claim 25

An article of manufacture including code implemented in a first and second controllers associated with a first and second storage systems, respectively, wherein the code controls the first controller and the second controller to copy data from the first storage system to the second storage system by causing: copying data from the storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system by copying data in consecutive storage locations from a lowest storage location address to a highest storage location address in the first storage system to consecutive storage locations in the second storage system from a lowest storage location address to a highest storage location address; determining, with the second controller, a last storage location address in the second storage system receiving the data consecutively copied from the storage locations in the first storage system; detecting, with the first controller, 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, with the first controller, the update data to the first storage system; transmitting, with the first controller, the detected update data to the second storage system; and applying, with the second controller, the update data to the second storage system in a manner that maintains consistency between data copied from the storage locations and update data by: (i) determining whether received update data is to a target storage location address in the second storage system that is less than the determined last storage location address; (ii) writing the received update data to the target storage location if the target storage location address is less than the determined last storage location address; and (iii) delaying the writing of the received update data while data from further storage locations in the first storage system is copied to the second storage system until the determined last storage location address is greater than the last storage location address.

Claim 26

An article of manufacture including code implemented in a first and second controllers associated with a first and second storage systems, respectively, wherein the code controls the first controller and the second controller to copy data from the first storage system to the second storage system by causing: copying data from the storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system by copying data in consecutive storage locations from a lowest storage location address to a highest storage location address in the first storage system to consecutive storage locations in the second storage system from a lowest storage location address to a highest storage location address; determining, with the second controller, a last storage location address in the second storage system receiving the data consecutively copied from the storage locations in the first storage system; detecting, with the first controller, 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, with the first controller, the update data to the first storage system; transmitting, with the first controller, the detected update data to the second storage system; and applying, with the second controller, the update data to the second storage system in a manner that maintains consistency between data copied from the storage locations and update data by: (i) determining whether received update data is to a target storage location address in the second storage system that is less than the determined last storage location address; (ii) writing the received update data to the target storage location if the target storage location address is less than the determined last storage location address; and (iii) delaying the writing of the received update data while data from further storage locations in the first storage system is copied to the second storage system until the determined last storage location address is greater than the last storage location address.

Claim 27

The article of manufacture of claim 19 , wherein the first controller copies data 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.

Claim 28

The article of manufacture of claim 19 , further comprising; after copying data from one storage location in the first storage system to the second storage system, indicating, with the first controller, the storage location in the first storage system as established, wherein the step of detecting, with the first controller, 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.

Claim 29

The article of manufacture of claim 19 , wherein each storage location comprises a track and wherein update data comprises a record set within one track.

Claim 30

An article of manufacture including code implemented in a first and second controllers associated with a first and second storage systems, respectively, wherein the code controls the first controller and the second controller to copy data from the first storage system to the second storage system by causing: copying, with the first controller, update data to the first storage system to the second storage system; suspending, with the first controller, the copying of update data from the first storage system to the second storage system; indicating, with the first controller, in an update data structure all storage locations in the first storage system that received updates during the suspension of the copying; and after ending the suspension: (i) copying, with the first controller, data from storage locations in the first storage system indicated in the update data structure to the second storage system; (ii) transferring, with the first controller, update data received after the suspension to storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system; and (iii) applying, with the second controller, the update data received after the suspension to the second storage system in a manner that maintains consistency between data copied from the storage locations indicated in the update data structure and update data received after the suspension by: (a) determining, with the second controller, whether a timestamp associated with the update data received after the suspension is less than a timestamp associated with data copied from storage locations indicated in the update data structure that are stored in the second storage system; (b) writing, with the second controller, the update data received after the suspension to the second storage system if the timestamp associated with the update data received after the suspension is determined to be less than the timestamp associated with the data copied from the storage locations in the first storage system indicated in the update data structure; and (c) delaying, with the second controller, writing the update data received after the suspension to the second storage system if the timestamp associated with the update data received after the suspension is determined to be greater than the timestamp associated with the data copied from the storage locations indicated in the update data structure.

Claim 31

An article of manufacture including code implemented in a first and second controllers associated with a first and second storage systems, respectively, wherein the code controls the first controller and the second controller to copy data from the first storage system to the second storage system by causing: copying, with the first controller, update data to the first storage system to the second storage system; suspending, with the first controller, the copying of update data from the first storage system to the second storage system; indicating, with the first controller, in an update data structure all storage locations in the first storage system that received updates during the suspension of the copying; and after ending the suspension: (i) copying, with the first controller, data from storage locations in the first storage system indicated in the update data structure to the second storage system; (ii) transferring, with the first controller, update data received after the suspension to storage locations in the first storage system to the second storage system; and (iii) applying, with the second controller, the update data received after the suspension to the second storage system in a manner that maintains consistency between data copied from the storage locations indicated in the update data structure and update data received after the suspension by: (a) determining, with the second controller, whether a timestamp associated with the update data received after the suspension is less than a timestamp associated with data copied from storage locations indicated in the update data structure that are stored in the second storage system; (b) writing, with the second controller, the update data received after the suspension to the second storage system if the timestamp associated with the update data received after the suspension is determined to be less than the timestamp associated with the data copied from the storage locations in the first storage system indicated in the update data structure; and (c) delaying, with the second controller, writing the update data received after the suspension to the second storage system if the timestamp associated with the update data received after the suspension is determined to be greater than the timestamp associated with the data copied from the storage locations indicated in the update data structure.

Claim 32

The article of manufacture of claim 23 , further comprising: generating after the ending the suspension, with the first controller, a monitor data structure indicating all storage locations in the first storage system that did not receive updates during the suspension, wherein the update data to storage locations in the first storage system received after the suspension is only transferred to the second storage system if the updated storage location is indicated in the monitor data structure.

Claim 33

The article of manufacture of claim 24 , further comprising: indicating, with the first controller, in the monitor data structure storage locations in the first storage system indicated in the update data structure that are accessed to perform the step of copying the data therein to the second storage system; and transferring, with the first controller, update data received after the suspension to the storage location in the first storage system indicated in the update data structure to the second storage system after indication for the storage location is included in the monitor data structure.

Claim 34

The article of manufacture of claim 23 , wherein each storage location comprises a track and wherein update data comprises a record set within one track.

Claim 35

An article of manufacture including code implemented in a first and second controllers associated with a first and second storage systems, respectively, wherein the code controls the first controller and the second controller to copy data from the first storage system to the second storage system by causing: copying, with the first controller, update data to the first storage system to the second storage system; suspending, with the first controller, the copying of update data from the first storage system to the second storage system; indicating, with the first controller, in an update data structure all storage locations in the first storage system that received updates during the suspension of the copying; and after ending the suspension: (i) copying, with the first controller, data from storage locations in the first storage system indicated in the update data structure to the second storage system; (ii) grouping, with the first controller, update data received after the suspension to transfer to the second storage system; (iii) determining, with the first controller, a first timestamp at a time of grouping the update data received after the suspension; (iv) associating, with the first controller, the determined first timestamp with the update data received after the suspension; (v) determining, with the first controller, a second timestamp at a time when gathering the data from the storage locations indicated in the update data structure to copy to the second storage system; (vi) associating, with the first controller, the determined second timestamp with the data from the storage locations in the first storage system to copy to the second storage system; and (vii) applying, with the second controller, 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.

Claim 36

An article of manufacture including code implemented in a first and second controllers associated with a first and second storage systems, respectively, wherein the code controls the first controller and the second controller to copy data from the first storage system to the second storage system by causing: copying, with the first controller, update data to the first storage system to the second storage system; suspending, with the first controller, the copying of update data from the first storage system to the second storage system; indicating, with the first controller, in an update data structure all storage locations in the first storage system that received updates during the suspension of the copying; and after ending the suspension: (i) copying, with the first controller, data from storage locations in the first storage system indicated in the update data structure to the second storage system; (ii) grouping, with the first controller, update data received after the suspension to transfer to the second storage system; (iii) determining, with the first controller, a first timestamp at a time of grouping the update data received after the suspension; (iv) associating, with the first controller, the determined first timestamp with the update data received after the suspension; (v) determining, with the first controller, a second timestamp at a time when gathering the data from the storage locations indicated in the update data structure to copy to the second storage system; (vi) associating, with the first controller, the determined second timestamp with the data from the storage locations in the first storage system to copy to the second storage system; and (vii) applying, with the second controller, 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.