Methods, systems and computer program products for controlling data transfer for data replication or backup based on system and/or network resource information

1. A method for controlling the periodic data transfer between a first computer processor and a second computer processor, wherein the first computer processor and the second computer processor comprise a network system, the method comprising:

transferring data between the first and second computer processor based on an impact of the transfer on a dynamically determined measure of performance, wherein transferring data between the first and second computer processor based on an impact of the transfer on a measure of performance comprises,

monitoring a real time availability of a system resource, and

transferring data between the first and second computer processor based on a comparison of the availability of a system resource to a predetermined threshold; and

transferring data between the first and second computer processor if a predefined maximum time between transferring data has elapsed irrespective of the availability of the system resource.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising delaying the transfer of data until at least a predefined minimum time has elapsed after a prior data transfer.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending a resource availability request from the first computer processor to the second computer processor to determine resource availability.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein transferring data between the first and second computer processor further comprises replicating data.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein transferring data between the first and second computer processor further comprises backing up data.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system resource is usage of the first and/or second computer processor.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system resource is memory usage of the first and/or second computer processor.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system resource is central processor unit (CPU) usage of the first and/or second computer processor.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system resource is an available bandwidth on a network connection.

10. A computer program product for controlling data transfer between a first computer processor and a second computer processor, wherein the first computer processor and the second computer processor comprise a network system, comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code which transfers data between the first and second computer processor based on an impact of the transfer on a dynamically determined measure of performance, wherein the computer readable program code which transfers data between the first and second computer processor based on an impact of the transfer on a measure of performance comprises,

computer readable program code which monitors a real time availability of a system resource, and

computer readable program code which transfers data between the first and second computer processor based on a comparison of the availability of a system resource to a predetermined threshold; and

the computer readable program code further comprising computer readable program code which transfers data between the First and second computer processor if a predefined maximum time between transferring data has elapsed irrespective of the availability of the network resource.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , further comprising computer readable program code which delays data transfer until at least a predefined minimum time has elapsed after a prior data transfer.

12. A system for controlling data transfer between a first computer processor and a second computer processor, wherein the first computer processor and the second computer processor comprise a network system, comprising:

means for transferring data between the first and second computer processor based on an impact of the transfer on a dynamically determined measure of performance, wherein the means for transferring data between the first and second computer processor based on an impact of the transfer on a measure of performance comprises,

means for monitoring a real time availability of a system resource, and

means for transferring data between the first and second computer processor based on a comparison of the availability of a system resource to a predetermined threshold; and

means for transferring data between the first and second computer processor if a predefined maximum time between transferring data has elapsed irrespective of the availability of the network resource.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising means for delaying data transfer until at least a predefined minimum time has elapsed after a prior data transfer.