Patent ID: 8024294

Claim:
A method for performing a storage operation using a replication copy, the method comprising: receiving from a management module executing on at least one processor an instruction to perform a storage operation on a first set of data stored on a first storage volume; receiving a storage policy indicating that the storage operation should be performed, wherein rather than performing the storage operation on the first set of data stored on the first storage volume, the storage operation is performed on a replication copy of the first set of data if when a plurality of storage selection criteria is satisfied, wherein the plurality of storage selection criteria comprises at least one of a network pathway availability and a security requirement of the replication copy, wherein each of the plurality of storage selection criteria is assigned a corresponding priority weighting factor, the replication copy being stored on a second storage volume; determining if the replication copy is available by consulting a schedule of storage operations involving the replication copy; calculating an overall metric based on the priority weighting factors assigned to the network pathway availability and the security requirement of the replication copy; and performing the storage operation on data of the replication copy on the second storage volume rather than the first set of data on the first storage volume, when the replication copy is available and when the overall metric is within a determined priority level.