Patent ID: 7577868

Claim:
An extended distance data recovery system comprising: a first data storage device located at a first site, said first data storage device storing the data thereon; a second data storage device located at a second site, said second data storage device being communicatively connected with said first data storage device; a third data storage device located at a third site, said third data storage device being communicatively connected with said second data storage device; and a computer executable control process executable to direct synchronous replication of the data onto said second data storage device; said control process being further executable to direct asynchronous replication of the data from said second data storage device onto said third data storage device, wherein said control process directs the synchronous and asynchronous replication of the data such that the data is initially replicated onto said second data storage device and thereafter replicated from said second data storage device onto said third data storage device with operation of a user application at the first site involving the data being allowed to continue during the asynchronous replication of the data from said second data storage device to said third data storage device; at least two independent sets of one or more data storage devices located at said first site, said first data storage device being included in one of said sets, wherein a first one of said sets of one or more data storage devices has a first set of data stored thereon, and wherein a second one of said sets of one or more data storage devices has a second set of data stored thereon; a set of one or more data storage devices located at said third site, said third data storage device being included in said set of data storage devices located at said third site; and a set of one or more data storage devices located at a fourth site; wherein said control process is executable to direct synchronous replication of the first and second sets of data from said first and second sets of one or more data storage devices located at said first site onto said second data storage device located at said second site; and wherein said control process is further executable to direct asynchronous replication of the first set of data from said second data storage device located at said second site onto said set of one or more data storage devices located at said third site and asynchronous replication of the second set of data from said second data storage device located at said second site onto said set of one or more data storage devices located at said fourth site.