Abstract: A method for creating a control record for use in future machine recovery of gaps in a complete series of journal data formed by a computing machine from a complete series of transactional data. Copy is formed of the series of journal data for transmission to a remote site. A plurality of data group records are formed. Each data group record identifies a different boundary of each of a plurality of data groups in the series of journal data. The presence is detected of a gap in the copy of the journal data for transmission. One of the data group records is created for a boundary of each gap.