Freeze a volume of a replication set and unfreeze the volume based on at least one of a snapshot permit message, a snapshot abort message, and expiration of a timeout

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• receiving, by a processor, an instruction to freeze a source volume, the source volume being part of a replication set with a destination volume;
• freezing, by the processor, the source volume;
• receiving, by the processor, a snapshot creation request for the source volume;
• taking, by the processor, a snapshot of the source volume;
• determining, by the processor, whether the destination volume is in-sync with the source volume;
• based on the determination as to whether the destination volume is in-sync with the source volume, sending, by the processor, one of a snapshot permit message and a snapshot abort message to a destination volume processor;
• and
• thawing, by the processor, the source volume responsive to at least one of:
• the sending the one of the snapshot permit message or the snapshot abort message;
• or
• expiration of a timeout corresponding to a maximum time period during which the source volume is to remain frozen.

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by a downstream volume processor are to cause the downstream volume processor to:

• receive an instruction to freeze a downstream volume from a management entity;
• freeze the downstream volume based on receipt of the instruction to freeze the downstream volume;
• start a timer having an expiration time from a time at which the downstream volume is frozen;
• receive an instruction to create a snapshot of the downstream volume from the management entity;
• receive one of a snapshot permit message or a snapshot abort message from an upstream volume processor;
• determine whether the instruction to create the snapshot, the snapshot permit message, or the snapshot abort message was received following the timer reaching the expiration time;
• and
• based on any of the instruction to create the snapshot, the snapshot permit message, or the snapshot abort message being received following the timer reaching the expiration time, abort creation of the snapshot.