US2012233416A1PendingUtilityA1

Multi-target, point-in-time-copy architecture with data deduplication

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Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Mar 8, 2011Filed: Mar 8, 2011Published: Sep 13, 2012
Est. expiryMar 8, 2031(~4.6 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Michael T. BenhaseTheresa M. BrownLokesh M. GuptaCarol S. Mellgren
G06F 3/065G06F 3/0683G06F 3/0641G06F 3/061
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Claims

Abstract

A method for performing a write to a source volume in a multi-target architecture is described. The multi-target architecture includes a source volume and multiple target volumes mapped thereto. In one embodiment, such a method includes copying data in a track of the source volume to a corresponding track of a target volume (target x). The method enables one or more sibling target volumes (siblings) mapped to the source volume to inherit the data from the target x. When the data is successfully copied to the target x, the method performs a write to the track of the source volume. Other methods for reading and writing data to volumes in the multi-target architecture are also described.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A method for performing a write to a target volume (target x) in a multi-target architecture, the multi-target architecture comprising a source volume and a plurality of target volumes mapped thereto, the method comprising:
 determining whether the target x has a closest older sibling (COS), wherein the COS is a target volume established just before the target x;   determining whether a target bit map (TBM) for each of the target x and the COS are set;   if the TBMs for both the COS and the target x are set, copying data from a higher source (HS) volume to the COS;   if the TBM for the COS is set and the TBM for the target x is not set, copying the data from the target x to the COS; and   performing the write to the target x.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein finding the HS volume further comprises initially finding the source volume associated with the target x. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising, by inspecting generation numbers (GN) on the source volume, finding the next younger sibling relative to the target x to determine if the next younger sibling is the HS volume. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising, if a TBM of the next younger sibling is not set, copying the data from the next younger sibling to the COS. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising, if no younger sibling exists, copying the data from the source volume to the COS. 
     
     
         6 . A computer program product for performing a write to a target volume (target x) in a multi-target architecture, the multi-target architecture comprising a source volume and a plurality of target volumes mapped thereto, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-usable program code embodied therein, the computer-usable program code comprising:
 computer-usable program code to determine whether the target x has a closest older sibling (COS), wherein the COS is a target volume established just before the target x;   computer-usable program code to determine whether a target bit map (TBM) for each of the target x and the COS are set;   computer-usable program code to, if the TBMs for both the COS and the target x are set, copy data from a higher source (HS) volume to the COS;   computer-usable program code to, if the TBM for the COS is set and the TBM for the target x is not set, copy the data from the target x to the COS; and   computer-usable program code to perform the write to the target x.   
     
     
         7 . The computer program product of  claim 6 , wherein finding the HS volume further comprises finding the source volume associated with the target x. 
     
     
         8 . The computer program product of  claim 7 , further comprising computer-usable program code to, by inspecting generation numbers (GN) on the source volume, find the next younger sibling relative to the target x to determine if the next younger sibling is the HS volume. 
     
     
         9 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , further comprising computer-usable program code to, if a TBM of the next younger sibling is not set, copy the data from the next younger sibling to the COS. 
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , further comprising computer-usable program code to, if no younger sibling exists, copy the data from the source volume to the COS. 
     
     
         11 . A method for performing a read on a target volume (target x) in a multi-target architecture, the multi-target architecture comprising a source volume and a plurality of target volumes mapped thereto, the method comprising:
 reading a target bit map (TBM) associated with the target x;   determining whether the TBM is set;   if the TBM is set, reading data from a higher source (HS) volume, wherein reading data from the HS volume comprises:
 finding the source volume associated with the target x; 
 finding, by inspecting generation numbers (GNs) on the source volume, the next younger sibling relative to the target x; and 
 reading the data from the next younger sibling if a TBM associated with the next younger sibling is not set. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising, if no younger sibling exists, reading the data from the source volume. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising, if the TBM associated with the target x is not set, reading the data from the target x. 
     
     
         14 . A method for performing a write to a source volume in a multi-target architecture, the multi-target architecture comprising a source volume and a plurality of target volumes mapped thereto, the method comprising:
 copying data in a track of the source volume to a target volume (target x) mapped to the source volume;   enabling at least one sibling target volume (sibling) mapped to the source volume to inherit the data from the target x; and   performing a write to the track of the source volume.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the target x is at least one of the youngest child and the oldest child mapped to the source volume. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein inheriting the data from the target x comprises directing reads to the sibling to the target x. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein inheriting the data from the target x comprises directing copies from the sibling to the target x.

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