Patent ID: 8131957

Claim:
A method to replicate data performed by a splitter executing in a storage controller managing access to primary volumes, comprising: receiving an initialization command to communicate with a replication engine over a network, wherein the replication engine and the storage controller including the splitter communicate over the network, and wherein the replication engine and the splitter communicate by packaging commands and data in a standard storage communication protocol package for transmission over the network; receiving a replication command for one primary volume to split data for the primary volume to the replication engine; indicating in primary volume metadata, in response to the replication command, the primary volume as subject to replication and the replication engine to which the data in the primary volume is split; receiving a write request to write data to a target primary volume of the primary volumes that is indicated in the primary volume metadata for the target primary volume as subject to the replication; writing the data in the write request to the target primary volume; and sending the data in the write request to the replication engine indicated in the primary volume metadata for the target primary volume in the standard storage communication protocol package indicating a copy services function, wherein the replication engine executes the copy services function associated with the target primary volume, as indicated in the storage communication protocol package, to write the data to a replication engine volume, wherein the replication engine and the replication engine volume communicate from different locations over a network.