Patent ID: 8108337
Filing Date: 2012-01-31
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for controlling a replication of data to create a consistency group between a first site and a second site, comprising: receiving host writes at a first primary site storage system at the primary site; sending the host writes from the first primary site storage system to a first secondary site storage system at the secondary site; quiescing host write operations at the first primary site storage system in response to a quiesce command from a first primary site replication manager; receiving, by the first primary site storage system, a run command with a marker from the first primary site replication manager, wherein the marker indicates a cycle number to control the cycles of the first primary site storage system and the first secondary site storage system and is sent to the secondary site to control a second primary site storage system and a second secondary site storage system at the secondary site; resuming host write operations at the first primary site storage system in response to the run command; sending the marker from the first primary site storage system to the first secondary site storage system; sending the run command and the marker to a second primary site replication manager, wherein the first and second primary site replication managers implement different replication methods to maintain consistency within the first primary and secondary site storage systems and the second primary and secondary site storage systems, respectively, and wherein the first and second primary site replication managers use different replication methods to maintain consistency between the primary and secondary sites; applying the host writes to the first and second secondary site storage systems; sending a complete notice to the first primary site storage system from the first secondary site storage system after completing the applying of the host writes at the first secondary site storage system; and sending a commit acknowledgment message to the first primary site replication manager indicating whether conformation was received from the first secondary site storage system that the host writes were applied.