Patent ID: 8103625

Claim:
A method comprising: replicating data between a first volume and a second volume, wherein said replicating is performed in response to storage of said data, said replicating creates a replicated copy of said data, said replicating is bi-directional between said first volume and said second volume, said first volume is associated with a first node, said second volume is associated with a second node, and said replicating facilitates bi-directionally replicating said data between said first node and said second node; and providing access to said replicated copy of said data, wherein said access is provided concurrently with said replicating, said access is provided utilizing a remote access file system, said access is provided via a remote access file system client, said remote access file system client is local to a one of said first volume and said second volume, said providing comprises arbitrating said access, said arbitrating said access comprises arbitrating access to said data by establishing a resource lock for said data, said arbitrating is performed by a remote access file system server, and said remote access file system server is local to another of said first volume and said second volume.