International Business Machines Corporation

Robert Wesley Shomler

William Frank Micka

Claus William Mikkelsen

Robert Frederic Kern

Warren Keith Stanley

Robert Nelson Crockett

Paul Hodges

Linda Marie Duyanovich

May Ngun Wone

Michael T Benhase

Gregory E McBride

Brent Cameron Beardsley

David Michael Shackelford

Susan Kay Candelaria

Jaishankar Moothedath Menon

Michael Howard Hartung

James T Brady

Ronald Maynard Kern

John Earle Lindley

James Lincoln Iskiyan

Richard K Treiber

Michael Aloysius Paulsen

Joel H Cord

James Elkins McIlvain

Paul L Leung

Bruce M Henry

A method for assuring consistency between a primary volume and a remote secondary volume wherein a host CPU manages track-to-track transfers using loosely-coupled, storage control unit mediated, data paths. The method includes initial volume synchronization in which concurrent updates to primary tracks are serialized by the copy progression at the secondary volume according to address. The method further includes volume resynchronization in the event of extrinsic error, fault, or the like in which the status of primary tracks updated during a volume suspension interval utilize bit maps to determine status of tracks unmodified during the suspension interval, and updated tracks and timestamps in addition to addresses. The bit maps and timestamps preserve the most recent version copy order of the tracks on the secondary volume.

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

A method for assuring consistency between a primary volume and a remote secondary volume wherein a host CPU manages track-to-track transfers using loosely-coupled, storage control unit mediated data paths. The method includes initial volume synchronization in which concurrent updates to primary tracks are serialized by the copy progression at the secondary volume according to address. The method further includes volume resynchronization in the event of extrinsic error, fault, or the like in which bit maps and timestamps are used to determine the status of primary tracks either lost while in flight to the secondary volume or updated during a volume suspension interval. The bit maps and timestamps preserve the most recent version copy order of the tracks on the secondary volume. CONCURRENT UPDATING

A method and system for a scalable I/O system are presented. The scalable I/O system includes a server, at least one client, and at least one storage device. The server interfaces with the at least one client and at least one storage device. The at least one storage device and at least one client also interface for data transfer. The server initiates data transfer from the storage device on behalf of an open client. The server further sets up a disconnect state in the at least one storage device to be reconnected for transfer to a non-server interface. The server further passes information to the open client that is requesting data transfer, which allows the open client to determine dimensions of data transfer, number of storage devices that require accessing for the data transfer, and the relationship of the data transfer of each storage device to the original data request sent to the server.

Scalable I/O system for the efficient transfer of storage device data by a non-server reconnection

A system and method are provided for coordinating command for updating and reconstructing data in an array of storage devices connected to a computer system when multiple initiators issue commands. Sets of data blocks and corresponding parity blocks are arranged on a plurality of storage devices, such that a data block can be reconstructed using a set of data blocks and at least one parity block. When a new data block is written to the disk drive, a corresponding old parity block is write updated with an updated parity block. When reconstructing an unavailable data block an initiator issues a read command to each storage device having a data block or a parity block used for reconstructing the unavailable data block. Each read command is enqueued on a command queue for each storage device in a priority order coordinating each read command with any write update command for the same block so that a new data block and an old parity block are not read as part of the same parity stripe and vice versa.

System and method for reconstructing data in a storage array system

Non-disruptive data migration moves are performed form a source DASD to target DASD in a data subsystem. Both source and target DASDs comprise a cache and a nonvolatile store (NVS). Relative to the host, the target DASD generally operates as a source, managing requests for access to source DASD data by issuing I/O requests to the source DASD. First, the target DASD initiates a background data transfer, where data is copied from the source DASD to the target DASD preparing the target DASD to replace the source DASD. The data transfer includes copying data items directly from the source DASD's cache to that of the target DASD's cache, as well as copying data items from the source DASD's NVS to the target DASD's NVS. During background data transfer, the host can still perform data access operations, such as reads and writes, using the target DASD. Namely, for data already copied from the source DASD to the target DASD, the host reads this data from the target DASD. Host requests to read data not yet copied to the source DASD causes staging of the data from the source DASD to the target DASD. For host write requests, the data to be written to the target DASD, if no source data is needed to complete the write. To satisfy host write requests requiring data not yet copied from the source DASD, the data is copied from the source DASD to the target DASD.

Target DASD controlled data migration move

A remote data shadowing system provides storage based, real time disaster recovery capability. Record updates at a primary site cause write I/O operations in a storage subsystem therein. The write I/O operations are time stamped and the time, sequence, and physical locations of the record updates are collected in a primary data mover. The primary data mover groups sets of the record updates and associated control information based upon a predetermined time interval, the primary data mover appending a prefix header to the record(updates thereby forming self describing record sets. The self describing record sets are transmitted to a remote secondary site wherein consistency groups are formed such that the record updates are ordered so that the record updates can be shadowed in an order consistent with the order the record updates cause write I/O operations at the primary site.

Forming consistency groups using self-describing record sets for remote

A disaster recovery system providing asynchronous remote data shadowing between a primary and a secondary site uses a pair of track arrays for each primary data storage device of a remote copy pair to monitor which record updates are in transit between the primary site and the secondary site. A host processor at the primary site of the disaster recovery system transfers a sequentially consistent order of copies of record updates to the secondary site for back-up purposes. The copied record updates are stored on the secondary data storage devices which form remote copy pairs with the primary data storage devices at the primary site. One track array, the active track array, is used to set elements according to which tracks on the primary data storage device receive record updates from the host processor at the primary site. The other track array, the recovery track array, designates which record updates comprise the copied record updates currently transferred from the primary site to the secondary site for data shadowing and is used for recovery should an error interrupt the transfer. The track arrays are toggled once the consistency group transfer completes, the recovery track array becoming the active track array and the active track array becoming the recovery track array.

Asynchronously shadowing record updates in a remote copy session using

A data storage system atomically suspends multiple duplex pairs across either a single storage subsystem or multiple storage subsystems. The duplex pairs are suspended such that the data on the secondary DASDs of the duplex pairs is maintained in a sequence consistent order. A host processor in the data storage system running an application generates records and record updates to be written to the primary DASDs of the duplex pairs. The storage controller directs copies of the records and record updates to the secondary DASDs of the duplex pairs. Sequence consistency is maintained on the secondary DASDs by quiescing the duplex pairs and then suspending the duplex pairs with change recording. Quiescing the duplex pairs allows any current write I/O in progress to complete to the primary DASD. The storage controller then locks out any subsequent write I/O from the host processor by raising a long busy signal to such subsequent write requests. Suspending the duplex pairs with change recording directs the storage controller to mark the physical address of the primary DASD which the application in the host processor updates between the time the duplex pair is suspended and then is reestablished.

Method and apparatus for suspending multiple duplex pairs during back up

A method and means for asynchronous remote data duplexing at a distant location from copies based at a primary site storage subsystem in which there are first and second pluralities of subsystems at primary and remote sites respectively. Each of the first plurality of subsystems is independently coupled to one or more of the second plurality of subsystems. Further, the first plurality of subsystems is interconnected, and the second plurality of subsystems is interconnected. The method utilizes checkpoint messages to maintain sequence integrity between the first and second plurality of subsystems without the use of a centralized communications service.

Asynchronous remote data copying using subsystem to subsystem

A computer-implemented method for translating from one DASD address to another DASD address initially stores a plurality of translation tables, one translation table for each first DASD coupled to a first processor. Each translation table includes at least a first data value for each cylinder in a first DASD which indicates whether or not the cylinder contains a start-of-extent address. If yes, the translation table has a corresponding translation entry which includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes at least the start-of-extent address in the cylinder and a length of the extent of addresses associated with the start-of-extent address. The second portion includes a start-of-extent address for an address span in a second DASD that corresponds to the first portion. The method further determines, in response to receipt of an address in the first DASD (and from an associated DASD translation table), whether a cylinder identifier in the received address is associated with a first data value in the translation table that indicates a presence of a start-of-extent value. If yes, the method finds a corresponding translation entry and from a second portion thereof, determines an address in the second DASD that corresponds to the received first DASD address.

Compact track address translation mapping system and method

The present invention relates to event synchronization in asynchronous remote data duplexing, the synchronization being non-disruptive to application execution at a host device and to data copying at a remote site. The event sequence is characterized by embedding labeled tokens of write operations including addresses and periodic checkpoint lists there establishing a total ordering. Event synchronization is achieved by embedding at the host a synchronization request having a higher sequence number than that of some prior predetermined event and generating a responsive synchronization reply from the remote site to the host. The present invention finds use in the communication and remote duplex recording of financial events such as the rare event transfer of large monetary sums in a population of transfers of small sums.

Method and apparatus for processing a synchronizing marker for an

A remote data shadowing system provides synchronous, storage based, real time disaster recovery wherein a secondary site is located remote from the primary site. An error recovery program at the primary site quiesces applications running thereat for performing error recovery procedures and signalling both primary and secondary locations that failed duplex has occurred. The error recovery program determines the cause of failed duplex, and if error recovery is successful, duplex mode is resumed. If the error recovery program is unable to perform error recovery successfully, then further write updates at the primary site are prohibited and an error message is communicated to operators at both the primary and secondary sites.

Remote data duplexing

A data copy validation technique compares primary data to a copy of that data by generating check codes of the data to be validated at both primary and secondary sites in a continuously running remote data shadowing system. The validation session runs concurrently with the data shadowing so as not to disrupt the data shadowing. Each data validation session is assigned a copy start time, for example, a time preceding a time of a consistency group, for defining when the check code for data at the primary should be compared to a check code of the data at the secondary. The check code of the data at the secondary site is taken at a time that is the equivalent logical point-in-time of that data at the primary site even though the respective data contents may be different in real time.

Remote copy secondary data copy validation-audit function

A system for asynchronously duplexing direct access storage device (DASD) data in a plurality of DASD subsystems has the advantage of decoupling the data duplexing operation from the DASD write I/O operation. This ensures the write does not incur unnecessary wait states in the subsystem. By establishing a sequence checkpoint at which time a set of information packets are grouped together and processed as a single sequence unit, this decoupling and independent operation takes place. Through this independence, data copying to a secondary location can take place without affecting the performance of the subsystems and also not affecting the corresponding integrity of the data that is being updated.

System for asynchronously duplexing remote data by sending DASD data

Primary and secondary data processing systems are coupled via a communication system. Data storage in both systems is provided by a log structured array (LSA) system that stores data in compressed form. Each time data are updated within LSA, the updated data are stored in a data storage location different from the original data. Selected data recorded in a primary data storage of the primary system is remote dual copied to the secondary system for congruent storage in a secondary data storage, such as for disaster recovery purposes. The primary systems creates a remote copying session. Within such remote copying session, a series of 'pending write update' sessions are ESTABLISHED. All data updated within each pending write update session is a consistency group of data. Within each pending write update session update data are retentively stored in both the primary and secondary systems (such as in a non-volatile cache). Addressability of such update data within a pending write update session is through separate pending write directories. The main (primary and secondary) directory for data is not updated such that all original (not updated) data are addressable. A COMMIT command terminates each pending write update session. Congruence of the sequence of updating in the primary system is maintained in the secondary system updating procedure.

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Morgan Hill, CA, United States of America

Robert Wesley Shomler