Replicating selected snapshots from one storage array to another, with minimal data transmission

A system for replicating a snapshot of a production volume at a production site storage array to a snapshot of a replication volume at a replication site storage array, the system comprising:

• one or more processors
• a production site;
• a replication site;
• a replicator at the production site configured to create the snapshot of the production volume at the production site storage array, create a bookmark indicative of a time the snapshot of the production volume was created;
• and
• a manager at the replication site configured to store the bookmark in a do metadata stream of a journal maintained at the replication site and create a snapshot of the replication volume at the replication site storage array according to the bookmark;
• wherein the replicator is further configured to create the bookmark at the production site and send the bookmark to the replication site, apply data to the replication volume from the do metadata stream of the journal maintained at the replication site and create the snapshot of the replication volume at the replication site if the data applied to the replication volume from the do metadata stream is the bookmark.

A computer-program product including a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer-program code that, when executed on a processor of a computer, cause the computer to replicate a snapshot of a production volume at a production site storage array to a snapshot of a replication volume at a replication site storage array, the computer-program code comprising:

• computer-program code for creating the snapshot of the production volume at the production site storage array;
• and
• computer-program code for creating a bookmark, comprising
• computer-program code for creating the bookmark at the production site;
• computer-program code for sending the bookmark to the replication site;
• and
• computer-program code for storing the bookmark in a do metadata stream of a journal maintained at the replication site;
• computer-program code for creating a snapshot of the replication volume at the replication site storage array according to the bookmark, comprising:
• computer-program code for applying data to the replication volume from a do metadata stream of the journal maintained at the replication site;
• and
• computer-program code for creating the snapshot of the replication volume at the replication site if the data applied to the replication volume from the do metadata stream is the bookmark.

A computer-implemented method for replicating a production site snapshot of a production site volume to an existing replication site snapshot, the production site volume replicated by a replication appliance to a replication site volume, the method comprising:

• creating a consistency group for the production site volume and the replication site volume;
• attaching the production site snapshot to a production site splitter as clean;
• and
• attaching the replication site snapshot to a replication site splitter as clean
• generating, by one or more splitters, a list of differences between the production site snapshot and the replication site snapshot;
• determining differences between the production site volume and the production site snapshot;
• determining differences between the production site volume and the replication site volume;
• determining differences between the replication site volume and the replication site snapshot;
• and
• performing replication by the replication appliance from the production site snapshot to the replication site snapshot according to the list of differences.

A system for replicating a production site snapshot of a production site volume to a replication site snapshot, the production site volume replicated to a replication site volume, the system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a production site splitter;
• a replication site splitter;
• a manager configured to create a consistency group for the production site volume and the replication site volume, attach the production site snapshot to the production site splitter as clean;
• attach the replication site snapshot to the replication site splitter as clean, and generate a list of differences between the production site snapshot and the replication site snapshot by determining differences between the production site volume and the production site snapshot, determining differences between the production site volume and the replication site volume, and determining differences between the replication site volume and the replication site snapshot;
• and
• a replicator configured to perform replication from the production site snapshot to the replication site snapshot according to the list of differences.

A computer-program product including a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer-program code that, when executed on a processor of a computer, cause the computer to replicate a production site snapshot of a production site volume to a replication site snapshot, the production site volume replicated to a replication site volume, the computer-program code comprising:

• computer-program code for creating a consistency group for the production site volume and the replication site volume;
• computer-program code for attaching the production site snapshot to a production site splitter as clean;
• computer-program code for attaching the replication site snapshot to a replication site splitter as clean;
• computer-program code for generating a list of differences between the production site snapshot and the replication site snapshot;
• computer-program code for determining differences between the production site volume and the production site snapshot;
• computer-program code for determining differences between the production site volume and the replication site volume;
• computer-program code for determining differences between the replication site volume and the replication site snapshot;
• and computer-program code for performing replication from the production site snapshot to the replication site snapshot according to the list of differences.