US 8,799,211 B1Granted

Cascaded replication system with remote site resynchronization after intermediate site failure

AssigneeSymantec Operating Corporation

InventorsAngshuman Bezbaruah, Anand A. Kekre, Ankur P. Panchbudhe

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Abstract

Various methods and systems for performing cascaded replication are disclosed. For example, one method involves receiving an acknowledgment at a primary replication site from an intermediate replication site. The acknowledgment identifies whether a change has been applied to a remote replication site. The method also involves updating a journal, in response to the acknowledgment. The journal identifies whether the change is currently being replicated. The method can also involve detecting that the intermediate replication site is inaccessible. In response, the method synchronizes a copy of application data at the remote replication site by applying one or more changes identified in the journal to the copy of the application data at the remote replication site.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A computer implemented method comprising:

detecting a change at a primary replication site, wherein the primary replication site comprises a storage device;
updating a journal in response to detecting the change at the primary replication site, wherein the journal is stored in the storage device, and wherein the updating the journal in response to the detecting causes the journal to indicate that the change is currently being replicated;
replicating the change to an intermediate replication site, wherein the replicating is performed by the primary replication site;
receiving an acknowledgment at the primary replication site from the intermediate replication site, wherein
the acknowledgment identifies whether the change has been successfully replicated from the intermediate replication site to a remote replication site, wherein replication of the change comprises application of the change to the remote site;
and
updating the journal, in response to the acknowledgment, wherein the updating the journal in response to the acknowledgement causes the journal to indicate that the change is no longer being replicated.

4 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions executable to:

detect a change at a primary replication site, wherein the primary replication site comprises a storage device;
update a journal in response to detecting the change at the primary replication site, wherein the journal is stored in the storage device, and wherein the updating the journal in response to the detecting causes the journal to indicate that the change is currently being replicated;
replicate the change to an intermediate replication site, wherein the replicating is performed by the primary replication site;
detect an acknowledgment received at the primary replication site from the intermediate replication site, wherein
the acknowledgment identifies whether the change has been successfully replicated from the intermediate replication site to a remote replication site, wherein replication of the change comprises application of the change to the remote site;
and
update the journal, in response to the acknowledgment, wherein
the updating the journal in response to the acknowledgement causes the journal to indicate that the change is no longer being replicated.

5 more elements

A system comprising:

a processor;
and
a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores program instructions executable by the processor to:
detect a change at a primary replication site, wherein the primary replication site comprises a storage device;
update a journal in response to detecting the change at the primary replication site, wherein the journal is stored in the storage device, and wherein the updating the journal in response to the detecting causes the journal to indicate that the change is currently being replicated;
replicate the change to an intermediate replication site, wherein the replicating is performed by the primary replication site;
detect an acknowledgment received at the primary replication site from the intermediate replication site, wherein
the acknowledgment identifies whether the change has been successfully replicated from the intermediate replication site to a remote replication site, wherein replication of the change comprises application of the change to the remote site;
and
update the journal, in response to the acknowledgment, wherein
the updating the journal in response to the acknowledgement causes the journal to indicate that the change is no longer being replicated.

8 more elements

A system comprising:

means for detecting a change at a primary replication site, wherein the primary replication site comprises a storage device;
means for updating a journal in response to detecting the change at the primary replication site, wherein the journal is stored in the storage device, and wherein the updating the journal in response to the detecting causes the journal to indicate that the change is currently being replicated;
means for causing the primary replication site to replicate the change to an intermediate replication site;
means for receiving an acknowledgment at the primary replication site from the intermediate replication site, wherein
the acknowledgment identifies whether the change has been successfully replicated from the intermediate replication site to a remote replication site, wherein replication of the change comprises application of the change to the remote site;
and
means for updating the journal, in response to the acknowledgment, wherein
the updating the journal in response to the acknowledgement causes the journal to indicate that the change is no longer being replicated.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.