Patent ID: 7076620

Claim:
A data processing system, comprising: a first storage system including a first host and a first storage subsystem, wherein the first host has a first copy manager, the first copy manager being operable to manage a data replication operation, and the first storage subsystem is a disk array device including a first storage controller and first disk devices; a second storage system including a second host and a second storage subsystem, wherein the second host has a second copy manager, the second copy manager being operable to manage a data replication operation, and the second storage subsystem is a disk array device including a second storage controller and second disk devices; a first communication link coupling the first host and the second host to exchange management information between the first host and the second host to manage the data replication operation, the management information including first control information transmitted from the first host to the second host; and a data transfer path coupling the first storage subsystem and the second storage subsystem, which is configured to transfer data stored in the first storage subsystem to the second storage subsystem to replicate the data of the first storage subsystem in the second storage subsystem, the data transfer path being different from the first communication link, wherein the second host is configured to cause execution of the second copy manager to transfer the data from the first storage subsystem to the second storage subsystem and transfer a copy request by using the first control information received from the first host through the first communication link, wherein the second storage subsystem is configured to receive the copy request from the second host, and transmit a data transfer request to the first storage subsystem, and wherein the first storage subsystem is configured to transmit data stored in the first storage subsystem to the second storage subsystem via the data transfer path upon receiving the data transfer request from the second storage subsystem.