Patent ID: 7962709
Filing Date: 2011-06-14
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for handling data to be copied in a computer network, the method comprising: monitoring operations sent to a file system by an application executing on a source system; generating at least one consistency marker that indicates a first time on the source system, wherein the consistency marker further indicates to a destination system that the destination system take a snapshot of the data in the destination system; identifying from the operations a plurality of data modification operations, wherein execution of one or more of the data modification operations modify data stored on a first storage device; buffering a first copy of the plurality of data modification operations; forwarding the first copy to the destination system to create a second copy of the plurality of data modification operations on the destination system; forwarding the at least one consistency marker to the destination system; executing at least a portion of the first copy of the plurality of data modification operations on the source computer while separately executing at least a first portion of the second copy of the plurality of data modification operations in a first process to replicate data to at least a first volume associated with the destination system; executing at least a second portion of the second copy of the plurality of data modification operations in a second process to replicate data to at least a second volume associated with the destination system so as to replicate on a second storage device a duplicate of the data stored on the first storage device; and while executing the first or second process, in response to destination system detecting the consistency marker, performing at a second time, occurring after the first time, at least a first snapshot of the replicated data on the first volume associated with the destination system and at a third time, occurring after the first time, at least a second snapshot of the replicated data on the second volume associated with the destination system; sending communications from the destination system to the source system that the destination system has performed the first and second snapshots of the replicated data on the destination system and associating the first and second snapshots with the first time of the consistency marker on the source system; and using the first and second snapshots from the destination system as a snapshot of data on the source system associated with the first time of the consistency marker.