Patent ID: 7610318

Claim:
A method for protecting consistency groups during a data storage backup operation, comprising: a) transferring data updates from a host device to a plurality of primary Peer-to-Peer Remote Copy (PPRC) volumes on a primary PPRC unit; b) upon the primary PPRC volumes forming a new consistency group, transferring the primary PPRC volumes to FlashCopy source volumes on a secondary PPRC unit; c) attempting to prepare a FlashCopy source volume for a FlashCopy operation to corresponding FlashCopy target volumes on which a prior consistency group is retained, the attempt including imposing a write-inhibit indicator on the FlashCopy source volume and generating an Establish-FlashCopy-revertable command; d) deciding whether the attempt to prepare the FlashCopy source volume is successful; e) reverting the FlashCopy operation if the preparation of the FlashCopy source volume is unsuccessful, whereby the prior consistency group is maintained in the FlashCopy target volumes; f) repeating steps c) through e) for each other FlashCopy source volume; and g) committing a FlashCopy operation of the consistency group from the FlashCopy source volumes to the corresponding FlashCopy target volumes if the preparation of all FlashCopy source volumes is successful, whereby the prior consistency group retained in the FlashCopy target volumes is replaced by the new consistency group.