International Business Machines Corporation

Gregory E McBride

David C Reed

Carol Santich Mellgren

Theresa Mary Brown

David Randall Blea

Richard Albert Welp

David Michael Shackelford

Nicolas Marc Clayton

Matthew John Ward

William J Rooney

Nikhil Khandelwal

Joshua J Crawford

Kenneth Wayne Boyd

Theodore Timothy Harris, Jr

Thomas W Bish

Nedlaya Yazzie Francisco

Miguel Angel Perez

Dash D Miller

John Jay Wolfgang

Warren Keith Stanley

Ronald Maynard Kern

Robert Nelson Crockett

Mark L Lipets

Amy N Blea

Kenneth Fairclough Day, Iii

Cuong Minh Le

Tabor R Powelson

Raul Eduardo Saba

Gail Andrea Spear

William Frank Micka

Robert Francis Bartfai

Robert Frederic Kern

Todd Benjamin Schlomer

Dale Francis Riedy, Jr

Damian Trujillo

Suguang Li

Anthony J Ciaravella

Alan George McClure

Errol Jay Calder

Matthew Sanchez

Scott Brady Compton

Kevin C Lin

Donald Reynold Blea

Dinesh C Verma

Dakshi Agrawal

Robert Bruce Nicholson

Kaladhar Voruganti

Robert Beverley Basham

Kang-Won Lee

Shachar Fienblit

Sandeep Gopisetty

David B Petersen

Brent William Yardley

Michael Robert Scott

Khalid Filali-Adib

Tarek Makansi

James Chien-Chiung Chen

James Mitchell Ratliff

Aaron S Palazzolo

David W Messina

Tri M Hoang

Michael S Gagner

Lokesh M Gupta

Matthew G Borlick

Brent Cameron Beardsley

Esteban Rios

Lisa Joan Gundy

John Earle Lindley

Tariq Hanif

John Thomas Flynn, Jr

David Fei

Nadim P Shehab

Eduard Aaron Diel

Stephen F Edel

Edgar Xavier Somoza

Pamela A Schull

Harry M Yudenfriend

Max D Smith

Roger Gregory Hathorn

Aviad Zlotnick

Jason Lee Peipelman

Jeffrey Mark Nick

Michael Edward Factor

Paul Anthony Jennas, Ii

John Richard Paveza

David Gregory Van Hise

Jerry Wayne Pence

Robert Wesley Shomler

Amiram Hayardeny

Claus William Mikkelsen

David Brent Schreiber

Douglas Michael Zobre

Stephen C West

Preston A Carpenter

Robert Vaughn Geiner

Larry Richard Perry

Mary Catherine Burton

Kenneth J Owin

Harold Glen Slone

Jimmie Lee Brundidge

Providing fine granularity read access to generational copies of safeguarded copy data. In some instances, a fine granularity read access to generational copies of safeguarded copy data includes the ability to use a generation ID to determine the exact generation copy that contains relevant enterprise related data that must be recovered and/or utilized. Additionally, the fine granularity read access is done in a manner that does not require a restore of the relevant enterprise related data to a recovery volume and that does not compromise other generation copies.

Fine granularity read access to generational safeguarded copy data

Ensuring that enterprise data that has potentially become corrupted is recoverable and usable by creating safeguarded copy volumes of the enterprise data. One important aspect of any corruption detection scheme is to determine when the data has become corrupted and locate the last known uncorrupted copy of the data as quickly as possible. Once this set of data is identified, the restoration process can begin with that data, and subsequent logged transactions can be reapplied if possible, which brings the data to the most recent and uncorrupted version.

Generational access to safeguarded copy source volumes

A method for converting from one asynchronous data replication technology to another is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, such a method includes utilizing a first asynchronous data replication technology to asynchronously replicate data from a primary volume to a secondary volume. The method initiates, at time T1, tracking of post-T1 changes to the primary volume and waits for all pre-T1 changes to the primary volume to be propagated to the secondary volume. When all pre-T1 changes have been propagated to the secondary volume, the method suspends operation of the first asynchronous data replication technology and replicates all post-T1 changes from the primary volume to the secondary volume. The method further sets up and initiates a second asynchronous data replication technology to asynchronously replicate data from the primary volume to the secondary volume. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed herein.

Efficient migration between asynchronous data replication technologies

In one aspect of metadata track entry sorting in accordance with the present description, recovery logic sorts a list of metadata entries as a function of a source data track identification of each metadata entry to provide a second, sorted list of metadata entries, and generates a recovery volume which includes data tracks which are a function of one or more data target tracks identified by the sorted list of metadata entries. Because the metadata entry contents of the sorted list have been sorted as a function of source track identification number, the particular time version of a particular source track may be identified more quickly and more efficiently. As a result, recovery from data loss may be achieved more quickly and more efficiently thereby providing a significant improvement in computer technology. Other features and aspects may be realized, depending upon the particular application.

Metadata track entry sorting in a data storage system

A computer-implemented method according to one approach includes identifying an inability to access a first storage volume during a first data replication session, creating a second data replication session including the first storage volume, and removing the first storage volume from the first data replication session.

Managing data replication sessions in response to an inability to access a storage volume

Withdrawal of a point-in-time snap copy relationship or a portion of such a relationship, is managed in a manner which can obviate disruption of consistency groups due to the withdrawal. If the withdrawal request is directed to a subrange of the original snap copy relationship, the snap copy relationship is split by creating one or more point-in-time snap copy relationships over one or more subranges of tracks of the snap copy source. A determination is made as to whether to delay execution of the withdrawal request to temporarily preserve data of the withdrawal range. Disruptions to completion of consistency groups may be avoided by selectively delaying the withdrawal of a snap copy relationship corresponding to the withdrawal subrange. In so far as the host is involved, a host may treat the withdrawal request as immediately granted without delay. Other aspects may be realized, depending upon the particular application.

Point-in-time snap copy withdrawal management

A method for modifying a configuration of a storage system. The method includes a computer processor querying a network-accessible computing system to obtain information associated with an executing application that utilizes a storage system for a process of data mirroring. The method further includes identifying a set of parameters associated with a copy program executing within a logical partition (LPAR) of the storage system based on the obtained information, where the set of parameters dictates a number of reader tasks utilized by the copy program, where the copy program is a program associated with the process for data mirroring from the network-accessible computing system to the storage system. The method further includes executing the dictated number of reader tasks for the process of mirroring data associated with the executing application, from the network-accessible computing system to the storage system.

Modifying aspects of a storage system associated with data mirroring

Provided is a method for correcting untrusted data and avoiding logical device swapping for at least one logical subsystem of at least one computer system. A processor may monitor a primary storage for one or more errors that indicate untrusted data on the primary storage. An error indicating that a data set on the primary storage is an untrusted data set may be identified. In response to the error being identified, a corresponding uncompromised version of the data set may be read from a secondary storage. The corresponding uncompromised version of the data set may be written over the untrusted data set on the primary storage.

Automatic data healing by I/O

Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for determining space to release in a target volume to which tracks from a source volume are mirrored. A copy of a source volume table for the source volume providing a state of the tracks in the source volume for a consistency group is received. Tracks received from the source volume are written to the target volume to form the consistency group of tracks in the source volume at the target volume. A determination is made of tracks available to release from the copy of the source volume table and space allocated to the determined tracks is replaced. A point-in-time copy is created of the target volume for the consistency group. Complete is returned to forming the consistency group in response to releasing the space and creating the point-in-time copy.

Determining space to release in a target volume to which tracks from a source volume are mirrored

A method for validating data in a copy repository is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes establishing a template that designates valid fields within a data set, as well as valid values and types of data within the fields. The method further establishes a timeframe over which to validate versions of the data set residing in a copy repository. Starting at a first end of the timeframe and proceeding to a second end, the method validates each version of the data set residing in the copy repository. To accomplish this, the method configures a computing system to a state that existed when the version was created in the copy repository. The method then opens the version on the computing system and validates the version against the template. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Data validation in copy repositories

Provided are techniques for performing a recovery copy command to restore a safeguarded copy backup to a production volume. In response to receiving a recovery copy command, a production target data structure is created. A read operation is received for data for a storage location. In response to determining that the data for the storage location is in a cache of a host and a generation number is greater than a recovery generation number, the data is read from the cache. In response to determining at least one of that the data for the storage location is not in the cache and that the generation number is not greater than the recovery generation number, the data is read from one of the production volume and a backup volume based on a value of an indicator for the storage location in the production target data structure.

Performing a recovery copy command to restore a safeguarded copy backup to a production volume

Provided are techniques for performing a recovery copy command using a recovery copy data structure for a backup volume lookup. In response to receiving a recovery copy command, a recovery copy data structure is created with indicators for storage locations and a recovery target data structure is created with indicators for storage locations. A read operation is received for a storage location in a cache. Based on a value of an indicator in the recovery copy data structure for the storage location and a value of an indicator in the recovery target data structure for the storage location, the data is staged from one of the production volume, the recovery volume, and a backup volume to the cache.

Performing a recovery copy command using a recovery copy data structure for a backup volume lookup

Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for updating change information for current copy relationships when establishing a new copy relationship having overlapping data with the current copy relationships. A first copy relationship indicates changed first source data to copy to first target data. An establish request is processed to create a second copy relationship to copy second source data in to second target data. A second copy relationship is generated, in response to the establish request, indicating data in the second source data to copy to the second target data. A determination is made of overlapping data units in the first source data also in the second target data. Indication is made in the first copy relationship to copy the overlapping data units. The first source data indicated in the first copy relationship is copied to the first target data, including data for the overlapping data units.

Updating change information for current copy relationships when establishing a new copy relationship having overlapping data with the current copy relationships

Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for copying data from multiple point-in-time copies to a log storage to use to roll-back a source storage managing point-in-time copies of a source storage. A plurality of point-in-time copies of a source storage at different point-in-times are established. In response to receiving writes to the source storage after establishing each of the point-in-time copies, point-in-time data in the source storage is copied, before being updated by the received writes, to a log storage, wherein the log storage stores point-in-time data for multiple of the point-in-time copies. The log storage is used to roll-back the source storage to a selected point-in-time of one of the point-in-time copies.

Copying data from multiple point-in-time copies to a log storage to use to roll-back a source storage

Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for determining tracks to release in a target volume mirroring tracks from a source volume. Tracks received from the source volume are written to the target volume to form a consistency group of tracks in the source volume at the target volume. A determination is made of tracks available to release from a volume table providing a state of the tracks in the target volume and space allocated to the determined tracks is released. A point-in-time copy of the target volume is crated and complete is returned to forming the consistency group in response to releasing the space and creating the point-in-time copy.

Determining tracks to release in a target volume mirrored from a source volume

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Vail, AZ, United States of America

Gregory E McBride