Abstract: A computer program product, system, and method for generating coded fragments comprises generating a plurality of thin differential virtual machine disks (VMDKs) associated with a VMDK; receiving, during a first time period starting after the first point in time, one or more first I/Os to be written from a virtual machine (VM) to the VMDK; writing the first I/Os to a first one of the thin differential VMDKs; receiving, during a second time period starting after the first time period, one or more second I/Os to be written from the VM to the VMDK; writing the second I/Os to a second one of the thin differential VMDKs; and generating a second snapshot of the VMDK for a second point in time after the second time period by applying data written to the first and second thin differential VMDKs to a first snapshot of the VMDK for a first point in time.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes performing a failover in a journal-based replication system and performing a failback in the journal-based replication system without loss to journaling. In another aspect, an article includes a non-transitory machine-readable medium that stores executable instructions. The instructions cause a machine to perform a failover in a journal-based replication system and perform a failback in the journal-based replication system without loss to journaling. In a further aspect, an apparatus includes circuitry configured to perform a failover in a journal-based replication system and perform a failback in the journal-based replication system without loss to journaling.

Abstract: In traditional journal based replication environments, the journal is lost on failover. However, example embodiments of the present invention overcome this and other deficiencies by preserving a journal in a symmetric continuous data protection environment. Therefore, example embodiments of the present invention provide a method, an apparatus, and a computer program production for preserving a journal in a symmetric continuous data protection environment. The method comprises maintaining a journal in a journal-based replication environment comprising a production volume at a production site and a replication volume at a replication site and, after detecting a failover event, symmetrically preserving the journal after failover.