Using mirror indicators to determine whether to mirror tracks in a data set in a primary volume mirrored to a secondary volume

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9753662-B1
Application number	US-201615276458-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 26, 2016
Priority date	Sep 26, 2016
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for using mirror indicators to determine whether to mirror tracks in a data set in a primary volume mirrored to a secondary volume. A table is read. The table is maintained by a primary controller managing the primary volume that includes a mirror indicator for each of a plurality of tracks in at least one data set configured in the primary volume indicating whether a track is to be mirrored to the secondary volume. Record sets are read from a cache of the primary controller for the tracks in primary volume having the mirror indicators in the table indicating that the track is to be mirrored. The write data in the read record sets is applied to tracks in the secondary volume mirroring the tracks in the primary volume.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product for mirroring data between a primary volume managed by a primary controller having a cache and a secondary volume, wherein the computer program product comprises a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause operations, the operations comprising:
reading a table maintained by the primary controller for the primary volume including a mirror indicator for each of a plurality of tracks in at least one data set configured in the primary volume indicating whether a track is to be mirrored to the secondary volume;
reading record sets from the cache of the primary controller for the tracks in the primary volume having mirror indicators in the table indicating that the track is to be mirrored;
applying write data in the record sets to tracks in the secondary volume mirroring the tracks in the primary volume;
determining whether a copied flag, for each record set of the record sets in the cache for a track having the mirror indicator indicating that the track is to be mirrored, indicates that the record set has not been copied, wherein the record set is read from the cache in response to determining that the copied flag indicates that the record set has not been mirrored; and
setting the copied flag in the cache for the read record set to indicate that the record has been mirrored in response to reading the record set to mirror the data for the track in the read record set to the secondary volume.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining whether the mirror indicators for the tracks in the read table indicate that data for at least one of the tracks is to be mirrored; and
determining whether the cache includes a record set for one of the tracks having the mirror indicator in the table indicating to mirror the track, wherein the record sets are read from the cache for those tracks having the mirror indicator indicating to mirror the track.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining, from the table, at least one track that is indicated as being deallocated from the primary volume; and
invalidating the determined at least one track indicated as being deallocated from the primary volume.

4. The computer program product of claim 3 , wherein the determining the at least one track that is deallocated comprises determining the at least one track that is not indicated as having a data set name in the read table.

5. The computer program product of claim 3 , wherein the invalidating the tracks in the secondary volume is performed in response to an operation suspending a mirror copy between the primary volume and the secondary volume.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the primary volume and the cache are at a primary site, wherein the secondary volume is at a secondary site, wherein a system data mover at the secondary site reads the table, reads the record sets from the cache, and applies the write data in the record sets to the tracks in the secondary volume for which the record sets provide data.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the table comprises a reference table stored next to a volume table in the primary volume, wherein the volume table provides information on data sets and tracks allocated in the primary volume and the mirror indicators for the data sets and tracks indicated in the primary volume.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the read table indicates a logical subsystem and a device address for each of the tracks in the at least one data set, wherein the operations further comprise:
determining at least one data set and the tracks having the logical subsystem and device address configured in the primary volume that was modified; and
updating at least one of the logical subsystem and the device address in the table for each of the determined at least one data set and the tracks to reflect current settings for the at least one of the logical subsystem and the device address.

9. A system in communication with a primary controller, having a cache, managing access to a primary volume mirrored to a secondary volume, comprising:
a processor;
a computer readable storage medium having program instructions that when executed by a processor performs operations, the operations comprising:
reading a table maintained by the primary controller for the primary volume including a mirror indicator for each of a plurality of tracks in at least one data set configured in the primary volume indicating whether a track is to be mirrored to the secondary volume;
reading record sets from the cache of the primary controller for the tracks in the primary volume having mirror indicators in the table indicating that the track is to be mirrored;
applying write data in the record sets to tracks in the secondary volume mirroring the tracks in the primary volume;
determining whether a copied flag, for each record set of the record sets in the cache for a track having the mirror indicator indicating that the track is to be mirrored, indicates that the record set has not been copied, wherein the record set is read from the cache in response to determining that the copied flag indicates that the record set has not been mirrored; and
setting the copied flag in the cache for the read record set to indicate that the record has been mirrored in response to reading the record set to mirror the data for the track in the read record set to the secondary volume.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining whether the mirror indicators for the tracks in the read table indicate that data for at least one of the tracks is to be mirrored; and
determining whether the cache includes a record set for one of the tracks having the mirror indicator in the table indicating to mirror the track, wherein the record sets are read from the cache for those tracks having the mirror indicator indicating to mirror the track.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining, from the table, at least one track that is indicated as being deallocated from the primary volume; and
invalidating the determined at least one track indicated as being deallocated from the primary volume.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the determining the at least one track that is deallocated comprises determining the at least one track that is not indicated as having a data set name in the read table.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the invalidating the tracks in the secondary volume is performed in response to an operation suspending a mirror copy between the primary volume and the secondary volume.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the primary volume and the cache are at a primary site, wherein the secondary volume is at a secondary site, wherein a system data mover at the secondary site reads the table, reads the record sets from the cache, and applies the write data in the record sets to the tracks in the secondary volume for which the record sets provide data.

15. A method for mirroring data between a primary volume and a secondary volume, comprising:
reading a table maintained by a primary controller managing the primary volume for the primary volume including a mirror indicator for each of a plurality of tracks in at least one data set configured in the primary volume indicating whether a track is to be mirrored to the secondary volume;
reading record sets from a cache of the primary controlle

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Mcbride Gregory E
• Miller Dash D
• Perez Miguel A
• Reed David C

Classifications

• G06F12/0868 Primary

  Data transfer between cache memory and other subsystems, e.g. storage devices or host systems · CPC title

• G06F2212/314

  In storage network, e.g. network attached cache · CPC title

• G06F3/0665

  at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes · CPC title

• G06F12/0875

  with dedicated cache, e.g. instruction or stack · CPC title

• G06F11/1448

  Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore · CPC title