Patent ID: 7873804

Claim:
An apparatus for facilitating disaster recovery of a first computer system, wherein first data residing on a first storage device associated with the first computer system is recoverable from second data residing on a second storage device associated with a second computer system and wherein the second storage device is operable to have an associated state of powered up or powered down, the apparatus comprising: a receiver receiving an update operation for updating the second storage device with the first data; a first processor determining if the second storage device is offline by querying a second processor with an identifier for the second storage device from the first data, the second processor in communication with the second storage device; when the first processor determines from the second processor that the second storage device is online: the second processor updates the second storage device with the first data; the receiver transmits an acknowledgement of the update operation; when the first processor determines from the second processor that the second storage device is offline: the first processor writes the first data to a third storage device; the receiver transmits the acknowledgement of the update operation; the first processor passes the identifier to the second processor; the second processor determines if the second storage device is offline using the identifier; the second processor brings the second storage device online if the second storage device is offline; the first processor passes the update operation to the second processor in response to the second storage device being brought online; and the second processor updates the second storage device with the first data.