Storage unit replacement using point-in-time snap copy

1. A method, comprising:

accessing storage locations of an original storage unit in response to received input/output operations, wherein the accessing includes at least one of writing updates to and reading data from the storage location being accessed;

quiescing input/output operations to the original source storage unit;

after quiescing input/output operations to the original source storage unit, creating a point-in-time snap copy of the original storage unit as a replacement storage unit of storage locations and swapping the replacement storage unit for the original source storage unit; and

initiating accessing storage locations of the replacement storage unit instead of storage locations of the original storage unit, in response to received input/output operations, wherein the accessing includes unquiescing input/output operations and at least one of writing updates to and reading data from the storage location of the replacement storage unit being accessed.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising background copying data from storage locations of the original storage unit to storage locations of the replacement storage unit after initiation of the accessing of storage locations of the replacement storage units instead of storage locations of the original source storage units.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the swapping includes a swap manager maintaining a data structure identifying a storage unit to be accessed by the input/output operations issued by at least one host to access storage locations of the identified storage unit, and wherein the accessing of storage locations of the original source storage unit in response to received input/output operations includes at least one of writing updates to and reading data from storage locations of the original source storage unit identified by the data structure maintained by the swap manager.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the swapping includes the swap manager modifying a data structure to identify the replacement storage unit instead of the original storage unit to be accessed by the input/output operations issued by the at least one host so that storage locations of the replacement storage unit are accessed instead of storage locations of the original source storage unit, in response to received input/output operations.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the creating a point-in-time snap copy of the original storage unit as a replacement storage unit of storage locations includes creating a point-in-time snap copy relationship between the storage locations of the original storage unit and the storage locations of the replacement storage unit.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising determining when the background copying of data from storage locations of the original storage unit to storage locations of the replacement storage unit is completed and terminating the point-in-time snap copy relationship between the storage locations of the original storage unit and the storage locations of the replacement storage unit upon completion of the background copying of data from storage locations of the original storage unit to storage locations of the replacement storage unit.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the quiescing includes queuing input/output operations in a queue and wherein the initiating of accessing of storage locations of the replacement storage unit instead of storage locations of the original source storage unit, in response to received input/output operations includes performing the input/output operations queued in the queue wherein the replacement storage unit is accessed instead of the original storage unit in the queued input/output operations and at least one of updates are written to and data read from storage locations of the replacement storage unit.

8. A system, comprising:

at least one storage subsystem including a plurality of original source storage units, a plurality of original target storage units, a plurality of replacement source storage units and at least one storage controller adapted to access and control storage units of the at least one storage subsystem; and

at least one computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein that is enabled to cause operations to be performed, the operations comprising:

accessing storage locations of an original storage unit in response to received input/output operations, wherein the accessing includes at least one of writing updates to and reading data from the storage location being accessed;

quiescing input/output operations to the original source storage unit;

after quiescing input/output operations to the original source storage unit, creating a point-in-time snap copy of the original storage unit as a replacement storage unit of storage locations and swapping the replacement storage unit for the original source storage unit; and

initiating accessing storage locations of the replacement storage unit instead of storage locations of the original storage unit, in response to received input/output operations, wherein the accessing includes unquiescing input/output operations and at least one of writing updates to and reading data from the storage location of the replacement storage unit being accessed.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise background copying data from storage locations of the original storage unit to storage locations of the replacement storage unit after initiation of the accessing of storage locations of the replacement storage units instead of storage locations of the original source storage units.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the swapping includes a swap manager maintaining a data structure identifying a storage unit to be accessed by the input/output operations issued by at least one host to access storage locations of the identified storage unit, and wherein the accessing of storage locations of the original source storage unit in response to received input/output operations includes at least one of writing updates to and reading data from storage locations of the original source storage unit identified by the data structure maintained by the swap manager.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the swapping includes the swap manager modifying a data structure to identify the replacement storage unit instead of the original storage unit to be accessed by the input/output operations issued by the at least one host so that storage locations of the replacement storage unit are accessed instead of storage locations of the original source storage unit, in response to received input/output operations.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the creating a point-in-time snap copy of the original storage unit as a replacement storage unit of storage locations includes creating a point-in-time snap copy relationship between the storage locations of the original storage unit and the storage locations of the replacement storage unit.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the operations further comprise determining when the background copying of data from storage locations of the original storage unit to storage locations of the replacement storage unit is completed and terminating the point-in-time snap copy relationship between the storage locations of the original storage unit and the storage locations of the replacement storage unit upon completion of the background copying of data from storage locations of the original storage unit to storage locations of the replacement storage unit.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the quiescing includes queuing input/output operations in a queue and wherein the initiating of accessing of storage locations of the replacement storage unit instead of storage locations of the original source storage unit, in response to received input/output operations includes performing the input/output operations queued in the queue wherein the replacement storage unit is accessed instead of the original storage unit in the queued input/output operations and at least one of updates are written to and data read from storage locations of the replacement storage unit.

15. A computer program product for managing data storage operations in connection with at least one storage subsystem including a plurality of original source storage units, a plurality of original target storage units, a plurality of replacement source storage units, and at least one storage controller adapted to access and control storage units of the at least one storage subsystems, the computer program product comprising at least one computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein that is enabled to cause operations to be performed, the operations comprising:

accessing storage locations of an original storage unit in response to received input/output operations, wherein the accessing includes at least one of writing updates to and reading data from the storage location being accessed;

quiescing input/output operations to the original source storage unit;

after quiescing input/output operations to the original source storage unit, creating a point-in-time snap copy of the original storage unit as a replacement storage unit of storage locations and swapping the replacement storage unit for the original source storage unit; and

initiating accessing storage locations of the replacement storage unit instead of storage locations of the original storage unit, in response to received input/output operations, wherein the accessing includes unquiescing input/output operations and at least one of writing updates to and reading data from the storage location of the replacement storage unit being accessed.

16. The product of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise background copying data from storage locations of the original storage unit to storage locations of the replacement storage unit after initiation of the accessing of storage locations of the replacement storage units instead of storage locations of the original source storage units.

17. The product of claim 16 wherein the swapping includes a swap manager maintaining a data structure identifying a storage unit to be accessed by the input/output operations issued by at least one host to access storage locations of the identified storage unit, and wherein the accessing of storage locations of the original source storage unit in response to received input/output operations includes at least one of writing updates to and reading data from storage locations of the original source storage unit identified by the data structure maintained by the swap manager.

18. The product of claim 17 wherein the swapping includes the swap manager modifying a data structure to identify the replacement storage unit instead of the original storage unit to be accessed by the input/output operations issued by the at least one host so that storage locations of the replacement storage unit are accessed instead of storage locations of the original source storage unit, in response to received input/output operations;

wherein the creating a point-in-time snap copy of the original storage unit as a replacement storage unit of storage locations includes creating a point-in-time snap copy relationship between the storage locations of the original storage unit and the storage locations of the replacement storage unit;

wherein the operations further comprise determining when the background copying of data from storage locations of the original storage unit to storage locations of the replacement storage unit is completed and terminating the point-in-time snap copy relationship between the storage locations of the original storage unit and the storage locations of the replacement storage unit upon completion of the background copying of data from storage locations of the original storage unit to storage locations of the replacement storage unit; and

wherein the quiescing includes queuing input/output operations in a queue and wherein the initiating of accessing of storage locations of the replacement storage unit instead of storage locations of the original source storage unit, in response to received input/output operations includes performing the input/output operations queued in the queue wherein the replacement storage unit is accessed instead of the original storage unit in the queued input/output operations and at least one of updates are written to and data read from storage locations of the replacement storage unit.