Abstract: Provided are a system and article of manufacture for mirroring data. A mirror policy indicating volumes in a first storage system is processed to mirror to volumes in a second storage system and volumes in the second storage system to mirror to volumes in a third storage system. The third storage system is at a first geographical location remote with respect to a second geographical location including the first and second storage systems. A command is transmitted to cause the copying of updates to the volumes in the first storage system to corresponding volumes in the second storage system indicated in the mirror policy. Upon an occurrence of an event, the causing the suspension of the copying of updates to the volumes in the first storage system indicated in the mirroring policy to the volumes in the second storage system.

Abstract: Provided is a system and article of manufacture for mirroring data. A mirror policy indicating volumes in a first storage system is processed to mirror to volumes in a second storage system and volumes in the second storage system to mirror to volumes in a third storage system. The third storage system is at a first geographical location remote with respect to a second geographical location including the first and second storage systems. A command is transmitted to cause the copying of updates to the volumes in the first storage system to corresponding volumes in the second storage system indicated in the mirror policy. Upon an occurrence of an event, the causing the suspension of the copying of updates to the volumes in the first storage system indicated in the mirroring policy to the volumes in the second storage system.

Abstract: Provided are an article of manufacture, method, and system for using multiple sidefiles to buffer writes to primary storage volumes to transfer to corresponding secondary storage volumes in a mirror relationship. Information is provided on a mirror relationship for primary storage volumes and corresponding secondary storage volumes, wherein writes to the primary storage volumes are transferred to the secondary storage volumes according to the mirror relationship. A plurality of sidefiles are associated with the primary storage volumes in the mirror relationship. A write is received to one of the primary storage volumes in the mirror relationship. One of the sidefiles associated with the primary storage volume for which the write is received is selected and the write is buffered in the selected sidefile. Writes to the primary storage volumes buffered in the sidefiles are transferred to the corresponding secondary storage volumes.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for copying storage. Data sent from a first storage unit is synchronously copied at a second storage unit. The copied data is sent asynchronously from the second storage unit to a third storage unit.

Abstract: Provided are a system and article of manufacture for copying storage. Copy operations are performed on source storage units to copy to target storage units, wherein the copy operations create a consistent copy of the source storage units in the target storage units. While performing a copy operation to copy from one source storage unit to one target storage unit, a write operation is restricted from being performed on the one source storage unit, until the copy operations have been performed on the source storage units.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling peer-to-peer remote copy (PPRC) operations initiated from one or more host devices that desire to store data contents written to a first storage system to a second storage system over a communications link. The system enables receipt and generation of copy services commands from host devices and the determination of whether a received command pertains to a copy service over an established PPRC relationship for that particular customer to enable that customer to perform storage operations effecting data written to a first storage server having source volumes and stored in a remote second storage system having target volumes. The copy services command effecting data contents of source volumes and/or remote target volumes will be enabled if it is determined that said PPRC relationship is already established for that customer; and, prevented if the received copy services command does effect any volume not already in a copy services relationship.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture wherein a command is received for writing data to a first storage location. A determination is made that previously written data is stored in the first storage location. The previously written data is copied to a second storage location, in response to determining that the previously written data is stored in the first storage location. The data is written to the first storage location, in response to copying the previously written data to the second storage location.

Abstract: Database updates are transmitted from a primary site to a remote site. The technique includes: destaging modified data to a first volume at the primary site for a current database update, performing a first point in time virtual copy of the modified data on the first volume to a second volume at the primary site, synchronizing the second volume with a third volume, at the remote site, by transmitting the modified data of the second volume to the third volume, and performing a second point in time virtual copy of the modified data on the third volume to a fourth volume, at the remote site. Database updates at the primary site are thus decoupled from the transmission of the database updates to the remote site, so the first volume remains accessible to a host at the primary site, and the fourth volume remains accessible to a host at the remote site.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for forming a consistency group of data. Information is provided on a consistency group relationship indicating a plurality of slave controllers and, for each indicated slave controller, a slave storage unit managed by the slave controller. A command is transmitted to each slave controller in the consistency group relationship to cause each slave controller to transmit data in the slave storage unit to a remote storage in a manner that forms the consistency group. A determination is made as to whether all the slave controllers successfully transmitted the data in the slave storage units that is part of the consistency group to the remote storage.

Abstract: A data storage system writes data supplied from a host to data storage in accordance with write I/O of an owning application. A workload manager directs the processing of the supplied data in accordance with the write I/O of the owning application, provides service workload identification describing the write I/O, a storage subsystem control adds the service workload identification to record set information for the data, and a journal management system stores the record set information in a journal. The journaled information, for example, may be employed for performing forensic analysis of data corruption events or to perform security audits, etc.

Abstract: A data storage system writes data supplied from a host to data storage in accordance with write I/O of an owning application. A workload manager directs the processing of the supplied data in accordance with the write I/O of the owning application, provides service workload identification describing the write I/O, a storage subsystem control adds the service workload identification to record set information for the data, and a journal management system stores the record set information in a journal. The journaled information, for example, may be employed for performing forensic analysis of data corruption events or to perform security audits, etc.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for remote copying of updates to primary and secondary storage locations subject to a copy relationship. A first copy relationship is established between first and second storage locations in a first storage system and second storage system, respectively, wherein updates to the first storage locations are copied to the second storage locations. A second copy relationship is established between the first storage locations in the first copy relationship and third storage locations in a third storage system, wherein updates to the first storage locations are indicated in a first bitmap. A suspended third copy relationship is established between the second storage locations in the first copy relationship and the third storage locations, wherein updates to the second storage locations are indicated in a second bitmap.

Abstract: Provided are a system and an article of manufacture, wherein a primary storage control unit receives an information unit from a remote host over a fibre channel connection. The primary storage control unit adjusts an information unit pacing parameter included in a response sent from the primary storage control unit to the remote host, wherein the information unit pacing parameter indicates the number of information units that the remote host is allowed to send to the primary storage control unit without waiting for any additional response from the primary storage control unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method, system, and program for managing metadata in cache. A first policy is used to determine when to remove data from a primary cache, and a second policy is used to determine when to remove data from a metadata cache.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, wherein a primary control unit sends a selected time to a plurality of secondary control units. Clocks are periodically synchronized at the primary control unit and the secondary control units with a time server. The primary control unit and the plurality of secondary control units consistently update secondary storage subsystems coupled to the plurality of secondary control units at the selected time.

Abstract: Provided are an article of manufacture, method, and system for using multiple sidefiles to buffer writes to primary storage volumes to transfer to corresponding secondary storage volumes in a mirror relationship. Information is provided on a mirror relationship for primary storage volumes and corresponding secondary storage volumes, wherein writes to the primary storage volumes are transferred to the secondary storage volumes according to the mirror relationship. A plurality of sidefiles are associated with the primary storage volumes in the mirror relationship. A write is received to one of the primary storage volumes in the mirror relationship. One of the sidefiles associated with the primary storage volume for which the write is received is selected and the write is buffered in the selected sidefile. Writes to the primary storage volumes buffered in the sidefiles are transferred to the corresponding secondary storage volumes.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for maintaining consistency when mirroring data using different copy technologies. Update groups having updates to primary storage locations are formed using a first copy technology. The updates in the update groups are copied to secondary storage locations. Update groups having updates to primary storage locations are formed using a second copy technology, wherein the updates in the update groups are copied to secondary storage locations. Indication is made in a data structure of a time of an update in response to including the update in one of the update groups formed using the first copy technology. Indication is also made in the data structure of a time of the update group formed using the second copy technology.

Abstract: Provided are a system and article of manufacture for copying storage. Copy operations are performed on source storage units to copy to target storage units, wherein the copy operations create a consistent copy of the source storage units in the target storage units. While performing a copy operation to copy from one source storage unit to one target storage unit, a write operation is restricted from being performed on the one source storage unit, until the copy operations have been performed on the source storage units.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for accessing a resource. Requests are generated to access a resource in a first access mode and a second access mode. The requests are processed to access the resource in the second mode before processing at least one request to access the resource in the first access mode. The processing of the requests to access the resource in the first access mode is delayed for a time period after processing all the requests to access the resource in the second access mode in order to wait to receive a subsequent request to access the resource in the second access mode.

Abstract: Provided are a system and an article of manufacture, wherein a primary storage control unit receives an information unit from a remote host over a fibre channel connection. The primary storage control unit adjusts an information unit pacing parameter included in a response sent from the primary storage control unit to the remote host, wherein the information unit pacing parameter indicates the number of information units that the remote host is allowed to send to the primary storage control unit without waiting for any additional response from the primary storage control unit.