System for multiple data transfer operations

A computer system for transferring data, comprising:

• (a) at least one storage device including a plurality of storage locations;
• and
• (b) a computer system in communication with the storage devices, including a program and memory, wherein the program is capable of causing a processor to perform:
• (i) processing a first data transfer specifying data to transfer from at least one source storage location to at least one target storage location;
• (ii) indicating in a data structure stored in the memory the source storage locations from which data was transferred during processing of the first data transfer;
• (iii) processing a second data transfer specifying data to transfer from a plurality of source storage locations to a plurality of target storage locations;
• (iv) processing the data structure to determine the source storage locations included in the second data transfer that were not involved in the first data transfer;
• and
• (v) of the source and target locations specified in the second data transfer, only transferring data from the source storage locations that were not involved in the first data transfer to the target storage locations that did not receive data during the processing of the first data transfer as determined from the data structure.

An article of manufacture for use in programming a computer system to control a plurality of storage devices that store data, wherein the computer system is in data communication with the storage devices, the article of manufacture comprising at least one computer readable storage device including at least one computer program embedded therein that causes the computer system to perform:

• (a) processing a first data transfer specifying data to transfer data from at least one source storage location to at least one target storage location;
• (b) indicating in a data structure the source storage locations from which data was transferred during processing of the first data transfer;
• (c) processing a second data transfer specifying data to transfer data from a plurality of source storage locations to a plurality of target storage locations;
• (d) processing the data structure to determine the source storage locations included in the second data transfer that were not involved in the first data transfer;
• and
• (e) of the source and target locations specified in the second data transfer, only transferring data from the source storage locations that were not involved in the first data transfer to target storage locations that did not receive data during the processing of the first data transfer as determined from the data structure.

A memory for storing data accessible by at least one program being executed on a computer system, wherein the computer system is capable of controlling a plurality of storage devices, and wherein a first and second data transfers specify source and target locations subject to data transfer, comprising:

• (a) a first data structure stored in the memory including information indicating source storage locations from which data was transferred during processing of the first data transfer;
• (b) a second data structure in the memory indicating source storage locations included in the second data transfer that were not involved in the first data transfer, wherein the first data structure is processed to generate the second data structure;
• and
• (c) a third data structure in the memory indicating target storage locations included in the second data transfer that did not receive data during the processing of the first data transfer, wherein the first data structure is processed to generate the third data structure, and wherein of the source and target storage locations specified in the second data transfer, data is only transferred from the source storage locations indicated in the second data structure to the target storage locations indicated in the third data structure.