# US 2014/0195756 A1 · Setting copy permissions for target data in a copy relationship

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- Number: US 2014/0195756 A1
- Document ID: US20140195756A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/071,621
- Filed: 2013-11-04
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-04
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Bruno R. Lahousse; Alan G. McClure; Terry O'Connor
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195756A1

## CPC

- G06F 11/1469: {Backup restoration techniques}
- G06F 3/0619: {in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors}
- G06F 3/065: {Replication mechanisms}
- G06F 3/067: {Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]}
- G06F 11/1435: {using file system or storage system metadata}
- G06F 11/1451: {by selection of backup contents}
- G06F 11/1461: {Backup scheduling policy}
- G06F 11/1464: {for networked environments}
- G06F 12/16: Protection against loss of memory contents {(contains no material, see G06F11/00)}
- G06F 11/2071: {using a plurality of controllers}
- G06F 2201/82: Solving problems relating to consistency
- G06F 2201/825: the problem or solution involving locking
- G06F 2201/84: Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Providing a computer program product, system, and method for setting copy permissions for target data in a copy relationship. Source data is copied from a first storage to a first data copy in a second storage. A request is received to copy requested data from the first data copy to a second data copy. The second copy operation is performed to copy the requested first data copy form the second storage to a second data copy in response to determining that the requested first data copy is not in the state that does not permit the copying. The request is denied in response to determining that the requested first data copy is in the state that does not permit copying.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-18. (canceled)

### Claim 19

A method for copying data from a first storage to a second storage, comprising:
performing a first copy operation to copy source data from the first storage to a first data copy in the second storage;
receiving a request to perform a second copy operation to copy requested data from the first data copy in the second storage to a second data copy, wherein the requested data comprises the first data copy of the first copy operation;
determining whether the requested first data copy is in a state that does not permit copying in response to receiving the request;
performing the second copy operation to copy the requested first data copy form the second storage to a second data copy in response to determining that the requested first data copy is not in the state that does not permit the copying; and
denying the request in response to determining that the requested first data copy is in the state that does not permit copying.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the determining that the requested first data copy is in the state that does not permit copying comprises:
determining whether the first data copy provides a valid recovery point for the source data, wherein the requested first data copy is in the state that does not permit copying in response to determining that the first data copy does not provide a valid recovery point.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the source data and the first data copy are in a consistency session, further comprising:
maintaining a session integrity lock for the consistency session, wherein the session integrity lock is set to indicate that the first data copy in the consistency session is in the state that does not permit copying when the data in the consistency session has entered a non-recoverable state, and wherein the determining whether the requested first data copy is in the state that does not permit copying comprises determining whether the session integrity lock indicates that the first data copy is in the state that does not permit copying.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, further comprising:
determining whether a synchronization or resynchronization operation is being performed or has completed for the consistency session;
setting the session integrity lock for the consistency session to the state that does not permit copying in response to determining that the synchronization or resynchronization operation is being performed for the consistency session; and
setting the session integrity lock for the consistency session to the state that permits copying in response to determining that the synchronization or resynchronization operation being performed for the consistency session has completed.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, further comprising:
maintaining a session copy lock for the session indicating whether copying is permitted for the first data copy in the consistency session;
receiving an obtain command with respect to the consistency session;
setting the session copy lock to indicate that copying is not permitted for the first data copy in the consistency session in response to receiving the obtain command;
receiving a release command with respect to the consistency session;
setting the session copy lock to indicate that copying is permitted for the first data copy in the consistency session in response to receiving the release command.

### Claim 24 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the first copy operation continuously transmits updated data that needs to be copied from the source data in the first storage to the first data copy in the second storage, and wherein the second copy operation comprises a point-in-time copy operation at the second storage.

### Claim 25 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the copying of the source data to the first data copy in the consistency session is managed by a first controller managing the first storage and a host coupled to a second controller managing the second storage, and wherein the second copy operation to copy the first data copy to the second data copy is managed by the second controller.

### Claim 26 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein there are a plurality of sessions established between the first and the second storage managed as a master session, wherein there is a master session integrity lock to provide overall consistency across all the sessions in the master session, wherein the determining whether the requested data is in the state that does not permit copying comprises determining whether the master session integrity lock indicates that the target data including the requested data is in the state that does not permit copying.

### Claim 27 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, further comprising:
determining whether the session copy lock for the consistency session indicates that copying is permitted in response to receiving the request, wherein the first data copy is determined to be in the state that does not permit copying in response to determining that the session integrity lock indicates the state that does not permit copying or determining that the session copy lock indicates that copying is not permitted.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein the obtain and release commands are sent by a user at a user interface, and wherein the first data copy is in the state that does not permit copying in response to determining that the first data copy is not at a valid recovery point, and wherein the session copy lock is capable of preventing the second copy operation when the requested data is at the valid recovery point.

### Claim 29 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the second copy operation copies the first data copy to the second data copy in a third storage.