Patent ID: 11966294
Assignee: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 16:
17. A method comprising:
implementing a first storage node of a plurality of storage nodes of a distributed storage system;
maintaining a source replication journal in the first storage node, the source replication journal storing user data and metadata for each of at least a subset of a plurality of input-output operations targeting at least portions of one or more logical storage volumes subject to asynchronous replication from the first storage node to at least a second storage node of the plurality of storage nodes, the second storage node maintaining a destination replication journal for the asynchronous replication, the source replication journal comprising a first entry that includes metadata but no user data for a first one of the input-output operations targeting a given address and a second entry that includes both user data and metadata for a second one of the input-output operations also targeting the given address;
associating a group of multiple ones of the input-output operations, each such input-output operation in the group having been received by the first storage node within a designated time interval, with a corresponding barrier identifier that is determined based at least in part on an ordering of the input-output operations within the group, the barrier identifier thereby identifying the group of multiple input-output operations each received within the designated time interval, wherein the group comprises at least the first input-output operation for which the first entry of the source replication journal includes the metadata and no user data, the second input-output operation for which the second entry of the source replication journal includes both user data and metadata, and one or more additional input-output operations received by the first storage node between receipt of the first input-output operation and receipt of the second input-output operation; and
sending the barrier identifier, and a corresponding portion of the source replication journal including at least the first entry and the second entry, from the first storage node to the second storage node as part of the asynchronous replication;, wherein the second storage node utilizes the barrier identifier received from the first storage node to control application of changes to respective replicated versions of the one or more logical storage volumes; and
wherein the method is performed by at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory.