Patent ID: 7415628

Claim:
A method for controlling peer-to-peer remote copy (PPRC) system operations initiated from one or more host devices that desire to store data contents written to a first storage system to a second storage system over a communications link, said method comprising: a) receiving copy services commands from said one or more host devices; b) determining whether a received command pertains to a copy service over a PPRC relationship established for a particular customer to perform storage operations effecting data written to a first storage server having source volumes and stored in a remote second storage system having target volumes; and, c) if it is determined that said PPRC relationship is already established for that customer, enabling execution of said copy services command involving data contents of source volumes and/or remote target volumes; and, d) if it is determined in step b) that said PPRC relationship is not already established, determining whether said received command is from a storage service provider over a web-based user interface, and enabling execution of said copy services command if it is; and, if said received command is not from a storage service provider, e) determining whether the copy service command effects any volume not already in a copy services relationship; and, one of f) enabling execution of said copy services command if it does not effect any volume not already in a copy services relationship or, g) preventing execution of said copy services command if it does effect any volume not already in a copy services relationship.