Patent ID: 7318133

Claim:
A method for operating a storage system, the method comprising: providing a primary storage device and a secondary storage device in different locations from each other, the primary storage device being associated with a primary host device, the secondary storage device being associated with a secondary host device; copying data from a first storage volume to a second storage volume using an internal mirror operation, the first and second storage volumes being provided within the primary storage device, wherein the second storage volume is synchronized to the first storage volume, a write access being suspended for the first storage volume while the second storage volume is being synchronized to the first storage volume; copying the data from the second storage volume to a third storage volume using a remote copy operation, the third storage volume being provided in the secondary storage device, wherein the third storage volume is synchronized to the second storage volume after being split from the first storage volume; copying the data from the third storage volume to a fourth storage volume using an internal mirror operation, the fourth storage volume being provided within the secondary storage device, wherein the fourth storage volume is synchronized to the third storage volume after being split from the second storage volume; while the data is being copied from the third storage volume to the fourth storage volume, executing a database application on the secondary host, the executing comprising accessing a fifth storage volume that is provided in the secondary storage device; splitting the third storage volume and the fourth storage volume after the third and fourth storage volumes have been synchronized; establishing a link between the third storage volume and the fifth storage volume to synchronize the third and fifth storage volumes; and while the third and fifth storage volumes are being synchronized, executing the database application on the secondary host, the executing comprising accessing the fourth storage volume, wherein the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth storage volumes are different volumes from each other.