Apparatus, system, and method for an improved synchronous mirror swap

An apparatus to activate a synchronous mirror as a primary storage volume, the apparatus comprising:

• a primary swap module configured to designate a second storage volume as a primary storage volume in response to detecting a failure at a first storage volume, wherein the first storage volume is designated as the primary storage volume, the second storage volume comprises a synchronous mirror copy of the first storage volume's data, and a third storage volume comprises an asynchronous mirror copy of the second storage volume's data prior to the failure;
• a C-A failback module configured to direct the third storage volume to store updates sent to the third storage volume from the second storage volume onto the first storage volume in response to the first storage volume becoming operational after the failure;
• a B-C termination module configured to terminate sending updates from the second storage volume to the third storage volume in response to the first storage volume becoming substantially consistent with the third storage volume;
• and
• a B-A-C storage module configured to synchronously store updates received by the second storage volume on the first storage volume and asynchronously store updates received by the first storage volume on the third storage volume in response to the B-C termination module terminating sending updates from the second storage volume to the third storage volume;
• wherein the primary swap module, C-A failback module, B-C termination module, and B-A-C storage module each comprises at least one of logic hardware and executable code, the executable code being stored on one or more computer readable media.

A system to activate a synchronous mirror as a primary storage volume, the system comprising:

• a first storage volume designated as a primary storage volume prior to a failure of the first storage volume;
• a second storage volume comprising a synchronous mirror copy of the first storage volume's data prior to the failure;
• a third storage volume comprising an asynchronous mirror copy of the second storage volume's data prior to the failure;
• a host configured to store updates to the first storage volume and the second storage volume, the host comprising:
• a primary swap module configured to designate the second storage volume as the primary storage volume in response to detecting the failure at the first storage volume;
• a C-A failback module configured to direct the third storage volume to store updates sent to the third storage volume from the second storage volume onto the first storage volume in response to the first storage volume becoming operational after the failure;
• a B-C termination module configured to terminate sending updates from the second storage volume to the third storage volume in response to the first storage volume becoming nearly consistent with the third storage volume;
• and
• a B-A-C storage module configured to synchronously store updates received by the second storage volume on the first storage volume and asynchronously store updates received by the first storage volume on the third storage volume in response to terminating sending updates from the second storage volume to the third storage volume.

A method for deploying software to activate a synchronous mirror as a primary storage volume, the method comprising:

• determining customer synchronous mirror and asynchronous mirror configuration and reliability requirements;
• and
• executing synchronous mirror activation computer code, the computer code configured to
• designate a second storage volume as a primary storage volume in response to detecting a failure at a first storage volume, wherein the first storage volume is designated as the primary storage volume, the second storage volume comprises a synchronous mirror copy of the first storage volume's data, and a third storage volume comprises an asynchronous mirror copy of the second storage volume's data prior to the failure;
• direct the third storage volume to store updates sent to the third storage volume from the second storage volume onto the first storage volume in response to the first storage volume becoming operational after the failure;
• terminate sending updates from the second storage volume to the third storage volume in response to the first storage volume becoming substantially consistent with the third storage volume;
• and
• synchronously store updates received by the second storage volume on the first storage volume and asynchronously store updates received by the first storage volume on the third storage volume in response to terminating sending updates from the second storage volume to the third storage volume after the first and third storage volumes are substantially consistent.

An apparatus to activate a synchronous mirror as a primary storage volume, the apparatus comprising:

• means for designating a second storage volume as a primary storage volume in response to detecting a failure at a first storage volume, wherein the first storage volume is designated as the primary storage volume, the second storage volume comprises a synchronous mirror copy of the first storage volume's data, and a third storage volume comprises an asynchronous mirror copy of the second storage volume's data prior to the failure;
• means for directing the third storage volume to store updates sent to the third storage volume from the second storage volume onto the first storage volume in response to the first storage volume becoming operational after the failure;
• means for terminating sending updates from the second storage volume to the third storage volume in response to the first storage volume becoming substantially consistent with the third storage volume;
• and
• means for synchronously storing updates received by the second storage volume on the first storage volume and asynchronously storing updates received by the first storage volume on the third storage volume in response to terminating sending updates from the second storage volume to the third storage volume after the first and third storage modules are substantially consistent.