Automated non-disruptive data encapsulation and de-encapsulation

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions, the instructions being executable by a host computer to cause the host computer perform a method including:

• in a first step, automatically detecting an encapsulating volume in a not ready device state and executing setup and synchronize operations, the encapsulating volume being a virtualization of a physical volume referenced by applications using a device name mapped thereto, the setup operation applying access control to the encapsulating volume to initially prevent application access to the encapsulating volume, the synchronization operation causing a transition of the encapsulating volume to a protected device state in which the encapsulating volume is ready for storage operations but the access control is maintained to continue preventing application access to the encapsulating volume;
• and
• in a second step performed in response to a signal conveying an administrator's instruction to proceed, automatically executing a commitment operation by atomically (a) removing the access control on the encapsulating volume to allow application access thereto, (b) applying access control to the physical volume to prevent subsequent application access to the physical volume, and (c) remapping the device name to reference the encapsulating volume, the commitment operation also causing a transition of the encapsulating volume to a normal device state in which the encapsulating volume is available for normal application access.