Method, system, and program for handling a failover to a remote storage location

1. A method for managing data, comprising:

processing a mirror policy indicating volumes in a first storage system to mirror to volumes in a second storage system and volumes in the second storage system to mirror to volumes in a third storage system, wherein the third storage system is at a first geographical location remote with respect to a second geographical location including the first and second storage systems;

detecting a failure of the first and second storage systems at the second geographical location;

automatically reconfiguring network resources by updating files used to direct I/O requests from an application in a host system to volumes in the first storage system to volumes in the third storage system in response to detecting the failure of the first and second storage systems;

detecting a failure of the first storage system and the availability of the second storage system;

reconfiguring network resources to direct I/O requests to volumes in the first storage system to volumes in the second storage system in response to detecting the failure of the first storage system and the availability of the second storage system; and

copying updates to the second storage system to the third storage system after reconfiguring network resources to direct I/O requests to volumes in the first storage system to volumes in the second storage system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a monitoring program performs the steps of detecting the failure of the first and second storage systems and automatically reconfiguring network resources to direct I/O requests to volumes in the first storage to the third storage, and wherein the monitoring program is located at the first geographical location.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting a message to a network administrator indicating a remote failover operation after detecting the failure at the first and second storage systems; and

receiving a response from the network administrator indicating to perform or not perform the remote failover, wherein the automatic reconfiguration operation is performed if the response indicates to perform the remote failover.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically reconfiguring the network resources comprises:

providing a configuration database indicating network resources at network devices to reconfigure; and

processing the configuration database to determine configuration settings used by the network resources to cause the network resources to direct I/O requests to the volumes in the first storage system to the third storage system, wherein the reconfiguration is performed by updating the determined configuration settings with address information on the third storage system.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

causing the execution of code at the network resource to update configuration settings at the network resource to send I/O requests directed to the volumes in the first storage system to the third storage system.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a monitoring system at the first geographical location performs the steps of detecting the failure and automatically reconfiguring network resources to cause I/O requests to volumes in the first storage system to be directed to the third storage system and copying updates to volumes in the second storage system to the third storage system.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

synchronously copying updates from the first storage system to the second storage system; and

asynchronously copying updates from the second storage system to the third storage system.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein after the automatic reconfiguration, data at the third storage system is consistent as of a point-in-time that precedes a time at which updates were last received at the second storage system.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second geographical locations are separated by at least several hundred miles.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein reconfiguring network resources to direct I/O requests to volumes in the first storage system to volumes in the second storage system is performed with minimal interruption to the I/O requests directed to the volumes to provide for continuous availability to the volumes.

11. A system for managing data in communication with a host system having an application, comprising:

a first storage system having volumes;

a second storage system having volumes;

a third storage system having volumes;

means for processing a mirror policy indicating volumes in the first storage system to mirror to volumes in the second storage system and volumes in the second storage system to mirror to volumes in the third storage system, wherein the third storage system is at a first geographical location remote with respect to a second geographical location including the first and second storage systems;

means for detecting a failure of the first and second storage systems at the second geographical location;

means for automatically reconfiguring network resources by updating files used to direct I/O requests from the application in the host system to volumes in the first storage system to volumes in the third storage system in response to detecting the failure of the first and second storage systems;

means for detecting a failure of the first storage system and the availability of the second storage system;

means for reconfiguring network resources to direct I/O requests to volumes in the first storage system to volumes in the second storage system in response to detecting the failure of the first storage system and the availability of the second storage system; and

means for copying updates to the second storage system to the third storage system after reconfiguring network resources to direct I/O requests to volumes in the first storage system to volumes in the second storage system.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the means for detecting the failure of the first and second storage systems and automatically reconfiguring network resources is located at the first geographical location.

13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

means for transmitting a message to a network administrator indicating a remote failover operation after detecting the failure at the first and second storage systems; and

means for receiving a response from the network administrator indicating to perform or not perform the remote failover, wherein the automatic reconfiguration operation is performed if the response indicates to perform the remote failover.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the means for automatically reconfiguring the network resources further performs:

providing a configuration database indicating network resources at network devices to reconfigure; and

processing the configuration database to determine configuration settings used by the network resources to cause the network resources to direct I/O requests to the volumes in the first storage system to the third storage system, wherein the reconfiguration is performed by updating the determined configuration settings with address information on the third storage system.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:

means for causing the execution of code at the network resource to update configuration settings at the network resource to send I/O requests directed to the volumes in the first storage system to the third storage system.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the means for detecting the failure and the means for automatically reconfiguring network resources to cause I/O requests to volumes in the first storage system to be directed to the third storage system, and the means for causing the copying of updates to volumes in the second storage system to the third storage system is performed by a monitoring system at the first geographical location.

17. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

means for synchronously copying updates from the first storage system to the second storage system; and

means for asynchronously copying updates from the second storage system to the third storage system.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein after the automatic reconfiguration, data at the third storage system is consistent as of a point-in-time that precedes a time at which updates were last received at the second storage system.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first and second geographical locations are separated by at least several hundred miles.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the means for reconfiguring network resources to direct I/O requests to volumes in the first storage system to volumes in the second storage system performs the reconfiguration with minimal interruption to the I/O requests directed to the volumes to provide for continuous availability to the volumes.

21. An article of manufacture for managing data, wherein the article of manufacture includes at least one program to cause operations to be performed with respect to a first, second, and third storage systems having volumes and to receive I/O requests from an application in a host system, wherein the operations comprise:

processing a mirror policy indicating volumes in a first storage system to mirror to volumes in a second storage system and volumes in the second storage system to mirror to volumes in a third storage system, wherein the third storage system is at a first geographical location remote with respect to a second geographical location including the first and second storage systems;

detecting a failure of the first and second storage systems at the second geographical location;

automatically reconfiguring network resources by updating files used to direct I/O requests from the application in the host system to volumes in the first storage system to volumes in the third storage system in response to detecting the failure of the first and second storage systems;

detecting a failure of the first storage system and the availability of the second storage system;

reconfiguring network resources to direct I/O requests to volumes in the first storage system to volumes in the second storage system in response to detecting the failure of the first storage system and the availability of the second storage system; and

copying updates to the second storage system to the third storage system after reconfiguring network resources to direct I/O requests to volumes in the first storage system to volumes in the second storage system.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21 , wherein a monitoring program performs the steps of detecting the failure of the first and second storage systems and automatically reconfiguring network resources to direct I/O requests to volumes in the first storage to the third storage, and wherein the monitoring program is located at the first geographical location.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 21 , wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting a message to a network administrator indicating a remote failover operation after detecting the failure at the first and second storage systems; and

receiving a response from the network administrator indicating to perform or not perform the remote failover, wherein the automatic reconfiguration operation is performed if the response indicates to perform the remote failover.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 21 , wherein automatically reconfiguring the network resources comprises:

providing a configuration database indicating network resources at network devices to reconfigure; and

processing the configuration database to determine configuration settings used by the network resources to cause the network resources to direct I/O requests to the volumes in the first storage system to the third storage system, wherein the reconfiguration is performed by updating the determined configuration settings with address information on the third storage system.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 24 , wherein the operations further comprise:

causing the execution of code at the network resource to update configuration settings at the network resource to send I/O requests directed to the volumes in the first storage system to the third storage system.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 21 , wherein a monitoring system at the first geographical location performs the steps of detecting the failure and automatically reconfiguring network resources to cause I/O requests to volumes in the first storage system to be directed to the third storage system and copying updates to volumes in the second storage system to the third storage system.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 21 , wherein the operations further comprise:

synchronously copying updates from the first storage system to the second storage system; and

asynchronously copying updates from the second storage system to the third storage system.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 21 , wherein after the automatic reconfiguration, data at the third storage system is consistent as of a point-in-time that precedes a time at which updates were last received at the second storage system.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 21 , wherein the first and second geographical locations are separated by at least several hundred miles.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 21 , wherein reconfiguring network resources to direct I/O requests to volumes in the first storage system to volumes in the second storage system is performed with minimal interruption to the I/O requests directed to the volumes to provide for continuous availability to the volumes.