System and method of replicating virtual machines for live migration between data centers

1. A method of replicating tiered data, the method comprising:

copying a volume from a first tiered storage array of a primary processing site to a second tiered storage array of a failover processing site, wherein the volume is tiered with a first tiered organization in both the first and second tiered storage arrays;

directing from a first storage controller of the primary processing site that a second storage controller of the failover processing site stop tiering the volume on the second tiered storage array;

changing the first tiered organization of the volume in the first tiered storage array to a second tiered organization;

changing the first tiered organization of the volume in the second tiered storage array to the second tiered organization;

detecting an event at the primary processing site;

initiating tiering of the volume by the second storage controller in response to the event;

changing the second tiered organization of the volume in the second tiered storage array to a third tiered organization;

detecting an end to the event at the primary processing site; and

changing the second tiered organization of the volume in the first tiered storage array to the third tiered organization in response to detecting the end of the event.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

directing from the first storage controller that the second storage controller change the first tiered organization of the volume in the second tiered storage array to the second tiered organization in response to changing the first tiered organization of the volume in the first tiered storage array;

wherein changing the first tiered organization of the volume in the second tiered storage array to the second tiered organization is in response to the direction from the first storage controller.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein directing the second storage controller to change the first tiered organization to the second tiered organization is performed in response to a first predetermined interval at the first storage controller.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

changing the first tiered organization comprises writing data to the volume;

the method further comprises sending the data to the second storage controller prior to changing the first tiered organization of the volume in the second tiered storage array to the second tiered organization.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the event includes at least one of a maintenance event and a failover event.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

directing from the second storage controller that the first storage controller change the second tiered organization of the volume in the first tiered storage array to the third tiered organization in response to changing the second tiered organization of the volume in the second tiered storage array;

wherein changing the second tiered organization of the volume in the first tiered storage array to the third tiered organization is in response to the direction from the second storage controller.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein directing the first storage controller to change the second tiered organization to the third tiered organization is performed in response to a second predetermined interval at the second storage controller.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining that the first and second tiered storage arrays are synchronized in response to changing the second tiered organization of the volume in the first tiered storage array to the third tiered organization;

initiating tiering of the volume by the first storage controller in response to the determining; and

directing from the first storage controller that the second storage controller stop tiering the volume.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including code to perform a method of replicating tiered data, the method comprising:

copying a volume from a first tiered storage array of a primary processing site to a second tiered storage array of a failover processing site, wherein the volume is tiered with a first tiered organization in both the first and second tiered storage arrays;

directing from a first storage controller of the primary processing site that a second storage controller of the failover processing site stop tiering the volume on the second tiered storage array;

changing the first tiered organization of the volume in the first tiered storage array to a second tiered organization;

directing from the first storage controller that the second storage controller change the first tiered organization of the volume in the second tiered storage array to the second tiered organization in response to changing the first tiered organization of the volume in the first tiered storage array;

changing the first tiered organization of the volume in the second tiered storage array to the second tiered organization in response to the direction from the first storage controller;

changing the second tiered organization of the volume in the second tiered storage array to a third tiered organization;

detecting an end to an event at the primary processing site; and

directing from the second storage controller that the first storage controller change the second tiered organization of the volume in the first tiered storage array to the third tiered organization in response to changing the second tiered organization of the volume in the second tiered storage array; and

changing the second tiered organization of the volume in the first tiered storage array to the third tiered organization in response to detecting the end of the event in response to the direction from the second storage controller.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein directing the second storage controller to change the first tiered organization to the second tiered organization is performed in response to a first predetermined interval at the first storage controller.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , the method further comprising:

detecting an event at the primary processing site; and

initiating tiering of the volume by the second storage controller in response to the event.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein directing the first storage controller to change the second tiered organization to the third tiered organization is performed in response to a second predetermined interval at the second storage controller.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , the method further comprising:

determining that the first and second tiered storage arrays are synchronized in response to changing the second tiered organization of the volume in the first tiered storage array to the third tiered organization;

initiating tiering of the volume by the first storage controller in response to the determining; and

directing from the first storage controller that the second storage controller stop tiering the volume.

14. A storage controller comprising:

a memory; and

a processor operable to:

copy a volume from a first tiered storage array of a primary processing site to a second tiered storage array of a failover processing site, wherein the volume is tiered with a first tiered organization in both the first and second tiered storage arrays;

direct a remote storage controller of the failover processing site stop tiering the volume on the second tiered storage array;

change the first tiered organization of the volume in the first tiered storage array to a second tiered organization;

direct the remote storage controller to change the first tiered organization of the volume in the second tiered storage array to the second tiered organization;

detect an event at the primary processing site;

initiate tiering of the volume by the second storage controller in response to the event;

change the second tiered organization of the volume in the second tiered storage array to a third tiered organization;

detect an end to the event at the primary processing site; and

change the second tiered organization of the volume in the first tiered storage array to the third tiered organization in response to detecting the end of the event.

15. The storage controller of claim 14 , the processor further operable to:

direct the remote storage controller to change the first tiered organization of the volume in the second tiered storage array to the second tiered organization in response to changing the first tiered organization of the volume in the first tiered storage array.

16. The storage controller of claim 15 , wherein directing the second storage controller to change the first tiered organization to the second tiered organization is performed in response to a first predetermined interval.

17. The storage controller of claim 14 , wherein:

changing the first tiered organization comprises writing data to the volume;

the processor further operable to send the data to the remote storage controller.

18. The storage controller of claim 14 , wherein the event includes at least one of a maintenance event and a failover event.

19. The storage controller of claim 14 , the processor further operable to:

direct from the second storage controller that the first storage controller change the second tiered organization of the volume in the first tiered storage array to the third tiered organization in response to changing the second tiered organization of the volume in the second tiered storage array;

wherein changing the second tiered organization of the volume in the first tiered storage array to the third tiered organization is in response to the direction from the second storage controller.

20. The storage controller of claim 19 , wherein directing the first storage controller to change the second tiered organization to the third tiered organization is performed in response to a second predetermined interval at the second storage controller.