US 2006/0080362 A1 · Data Synchronization Over a Computer Network

Abstract

A method for copying data and a data storage system including a primary data storage system and a remote data storage system stores data and copies data between the primary and remote systems with enhanced performance. The primary data storage system includes a primary data storage volume, and primary snapshots comprising data stored at the primary volume since a previous primary snapshot. The remote system includes a remote volume comprising a pointer to one or more remote snapshots, the remote snapshots corresponding to the primary snapshots. In the event of a failure at the primary system, the remote volume is made into a new primary volume and data from the remote snapshots is used for read and write operations in place of the primary volume. When the primary volume recovers from the failure, the new primary volume may be resynchronized with the primary volume.

Claims63

Dependent claims

A system for use in providing data storage and data copies over a computer network, comprising:

a storage server system comprising one or more data storage servers that each comprise a data storage device and a network interface, each of said data storage servers operable to communicate over said network interface with at least one application client that will require data storage and at least one other data storage server;
and
a data management system comprising at least one data management server operable to (a) define at least a first and a second cluster each comprising one or more data storage servers, (b) define at least one primary volume of data storage distributed over at least two of said storage servers within one of said clusters, said primary volume storing data from the application client, (c) define at least one remote volume of data storage distributed over one or more of said storage servers within one of said clusters;
(d) create snapshots of said primary volume;
and (e) copy data from said snapshots over the computer network to said remote volume.

2 more elements

A method for copying data from a primary data storage volume to a remote data storage volume in a distributed data storage system, comprising:

defining a first primary volume of data storage distributed over at least two data storage servers within a first cluster of data storage servers;
generating a first primary snapshot of said first primary volume, said first primary snapshot providing a view of data stored at said first primary volume at the time said first primary snapshot is generated;
creating a first remote volume distributed over one or more data storage servers within a cluster of data storage servers;
linking said first remote volume to said first primary volume;
and
copying data from said first primary snapshot to a first remote snapshot associated with said first remote volume.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Data Synchronization Over a Computer Network

Life of this patent

Data Synchronization Over a Computer Network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims63