Abstract: Mirroring write operations from a local storage system to a remote storage system. Such mirroring comprises intercepting I/O transactions to a storage disk of the local storage system, identifying a series of write transactions to said storage disk from the intercepted I/O transactions, storing an exact copy of the series of write transactions within a series of files that are created on a file-system of the local storage system, and transmitting the series of files from the local storage system to the remote storage system to accommodate a reproduction at the remote storage system of the series of write transactions as issued to said storage disk of the local storage system.

Abstract: A system and method that mirrors data between two geographically separate locations. A preferred embodiment of the software includes three components: an AIM driver, an AIM service coordinator and an AIM manager. The AIM driver intercepts all disk I/Os to the local storage system and encapsulates the write transactions into a series of files. The AIM service coordinator transmits these files over any or all remote networks having remote storage systems connected to the local storage system and to which the data is to be mirrored. In a preferred embodiment, particular destinations for each write transaction may be user specified. These files, as they are received at the remote storage system, are placed into the file system of the remote storage system. The AIM service coordinator on the remote storage system detects the arrival of the files and accesses them.