Patent ID: 6922762

Claim:
A method of data copying from a primary clustering storage system to a secondary clustering storage system, wherein each of said primary clustering storage system and said secondary clustering storage system comprises plural storage units and connection lines coupling two storage units, each storage unit comprising a plurality of logical volumes and a port coupled to another clustering storage system, and each logical volume in a storage unit of a clustering storage system being accessible from a port of a different storage unit in the same clustering storage system via said connection lines, said method comprising: (a) specifying a candidate secondary logical volume from among said logical volumes in said secondary clustering storage system, so that copy data of a primary logical volume in said primary clustering storage system can be transmitted and stored to said candidate secondary logical volume; (b) specifying at least one candidate route through which copy data of said primary logical volume can be transmitted to said candidate secondary logical volume; (c) for each candidate route, obtaining an evaluation of a first path between a storage unit comprising said primary logical volume and a port in said primary clustering storage system on said candidate route; (d) for each candidate route, obtaining an evaluation of a second path between a storage unit comprising said candidate secondary logical volume and a port in said secondary clustering storage system on said candidate route; and (e) determining a route used for transmitting copy data from said primary logical volume to said candidate secondary logical volume according to said evaluation of a first path and said evaluation of a second path, wherein said evaluation of a first path is obtained based on information concerning said connection lines in said primary clustering storage system, which is stored in a storage unit in said primary clustering storage system, and said evaluation of a second path is obtained based on information concerning connection lines in said secondary clustering storage system, which is stored in a storage unit in said secondary clustering storage system.