Abstract: A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and programmed apparatus that receives a request to replicate a volume from a source to a destination. The volume includes data and metadata including information descriptive of the data. The method includes determining a first set of blocks and a second set of blocks associated with the source, where the first set of blocks is associated with the metadata, and where the second set of blocks is associated with the data. The method includes initiating, based on the first set of blocks, replication of the volume from the source to the destination to generate a replicated volume at the destination. The replicated volume includes replicated metadata generated based on the replicated first set of blocks and includes absent allocated data corresponding to the data included in the volume storage at the source storage system.

Abstract: The disclosed techniques enable push-based piggybacking of a source-driven logical replication system. Logical replication of a data set (e.g., a snapshot) from a source node to a destination node can be achieved from a source-driven system while preserving the effects of storage efficiency operations (deduplication) applied at the source node. However, if missing data extents are detected at the destination, the destination has an extent pulling problem as the destination may not have knowledge of the physical layout on the source-side and/or mechanisms for requesting extents. The techniques overcome the extent pulling problem in a source-driven replication system by introducing specific protocols for obtaining missing extents within an existing replication environment by piggybacking data pushes from the source.

Abstract: Systems and methods which provide an absent allocation technique with respect to absent data of a data structure for which data migration in a time-displaced data migration operation has not completed are disclosed. Through use of absent allocated data block states of an absent allocation technique of embodiments, dependency between source and destination data stores may be broken. An absent allocated data block state of embodiments stored within the data structure provides a suggestive indication that data of a data block of a data structure is absent from the data structure. A corresponding absent allocated data block state of embodiments stored external to the data structure provides a determinative indication that the data of the data block of the data structure is absent from the data structure. The absent data block determinative indictor of embodiments is updated as data continues to be migrated.