Maintaining multiple target copies

A computer system for maintaining instant virtual copies, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a storage device connected to the processor, wherein the storage device has stored thereon a program, and wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions of the program to perform operations, wherein the operations comprise:
• receiving, using a processor of a computer, a request to perform an instant virtual copy operation to create an instant virtual copy from a first volume to a new volume;
• determining that the first volume has not been modified since a last instant virtual copy operation has been performed;
• determining whether an intermediate volume and an intermediate map have already been created;
• in response to determining that the intermediate volume and the intermediate map have not already been created,
• creating the intermediate volume and the intermediate map;
• making the intermediate volume dependent on the first volume in a dependency chain based on the intermediate map;
• and
• making the new volume dependent on the intermediate volume in the dependency chain.

A computer program product for maintaining instant virtual copies, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising:
• computer readable program code, when executed by a processor of a computer, is configured to perform:
• receiving, using a processor of a computer, a request to perform an instant virtual copy operation to create an instant virtual copy from a first volume to a new volume;
• determining that the first volume has not been modified since a last instant virtual copy operation has been performed;
• determining whether an intermediate volume and an intermediate map have already been created;
• in response to determining that the intermediate volume and the intermediate map have not already been created,
• creating the intermediate volume and the intermediate map;
• making the intermediate volume dependent on the first volume in a dependency chain based on the intermediate map;
• and
• making the new volume dependent on the intermediate volume in the dependency chain.