Patent ID: 8560787

Claim:
A system for performing a backup of a source storage volume to a target storage volume comprising: a hardware backup storage device having a size; and a storage volume controller in communication with the hardware backup storage device, wherein the storage volume controller is configured to: initiate a flashcopy of the source storage volume to the target storage volume, the target storage volume including an allocated space having a size that coincides with the size of the hardware backup storage device, store the content of the source storage volume on the target storage volume in a space efficient manner, monitor the space requirement of the stored content on the target storage volume, terminate the flashcopy of the source storage volume to the target storage volume when the space requirement of the stored content on the target storage volume reaches the size of the allocated space in the target storage volume, copy the stored content on the target storage volume to the hardware backup storage device, initiate a new flashcopy of the source storage volume when the space requirement of the stored content on the target storage volume reaches the size of the allocated space in the target storage volume by inserting an other target storage volume in between the source storage volume and the target storage volume and allowing additional data to be written to the other target storage volume without affecting the target storage volume, the source storage volume being linked to a new hardware backup storage device having a size, and the other target storage volume having an other allocated space having a size that coincides with the size of the new hardware backup storage device; archive the stored content from the hardware backup storage device; and delete both the flashcopy and the stored content on the hardware backup storage device after the stored content has been archived.