Patent ID: 7302536

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving, by a secondary storage, a data update including primary storage data stored in a primary storage area of a primary storage, wherein the data update is received by the secondary storage directly from the primary storage by means of a remote copy operation; storing the received primary storage data in a first secondary storage area; after the completion of the storing operation, determining if the storing has been successfully completed; storing a first status indicator indicating the status of the completed storing operation; after the determining, replicating data stored in the first secondary storage area into a second secondary storage area, if the storing operation has been successfully completed; storing a second status indicator indicating the status of the completed replication operation; receiving an attach command; and automatically determining, in response to the received attach command, a storage area to be attached to a host based on the first status indicator and the second status indicator, wherein the secondary storage is remote from the primary storage.