Continuous data protection snapshots

1. A system for data replication, the system comprising:

a replication site having an image;

at least one processor; and

a computer-executable program logic operating in memory, wherein the computer-executable program logic is configured for execution by the at least one processor of:

receiving at a hypervisor replicated input/outputs (“IOs”), wherein each replicated IO is a copy of an IO for an application of the image on a production site;

storing each replicated IO in a unique differential structure in a journal at the production site;

accumulating the differential structures corresponding to the replicated IOs at the production site;

periodically sending the accumulated differential structures to the replication site;

storing the replicated IO on the replication site; and

periodically processing the accumulated differential structures on the replication site so that it becomes a differential snapshot; wherein the differential snapshot includes one or more changes in the IO as compared with a previous replicated IO, and wherein the differential snapshot may be used by the hypervisor to provide instant access to a point in time corresponding to the time when the differential snapshot was created.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a data protection appliance (DPA) wherein the storing of an IO to a particular location on the replication site will overwrite previous IO stored in the differential structure to the particular location.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the differential snapshot is a snapshot able to be processed by the hypervisor to create a point in time image.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein a data protection advisor merges the differential snapshots.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the logic is further configured for execution of merging two differential snapshots into a single snapshot.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the logic calls a function in the hypervisor to merge the differential snapshots.

7. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer executable program code enabled to run on a replication site having an image, the code configured to enable the execution of:

receiving at a hypervisor replicated input/outputs (“IOs”), wherein each replicated IO is a copy of an IO for an application of the image on a production site;

storing replicated IO in a unique differential structure in a journal at the production site;

accumulating the differential structures corresponding to the replicated IOs at the production site;

periodically sending the accumulated differential structures to the replication site;

storing the replicated IO on the replication site; and

periodically processing the accumulated differential structure on the replication site so that it becomes a differential snapshot; wherein the differential snapshot includes one or more changes in the IO as compared with a previous replicated IO, and wherein the differential snapshot may be used by the hypervisor to provide instant access to a point in time corresponding to the time when the differential snapshot was created.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein a storing of an IO to a particular location on the replication site will overwrite previous IO stored in the differential structure to the particular location.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the differential snapshot is a snapshot able to be processed by the hypervisor to create a point in time image.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein a data protection advisor merges the differential snapshots.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the logic is further configured for execution of merging two differential snapshots into a single snapshot.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the logic calls a function in the hypervisor to merge the differential snapshots.

13. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving at a hypervisor replicated input/outputs (“IOs”), wherein each replicated IO is a copy of an IO for an application of an image on a production site;

storing each replicated IO in a unique differential structure in a journal at the production site;

accumulating the differential structures corresponding to the replicated IOs at the production site;

periodically sending the accumulated differential structures to the replication site;

storing the replicated IO on the replication site; and

periodically processing the accumulated differential structure so that it becomes a differential snapshot; wherein the differential snapshot includes one or more changes in the IO as compared with previous replicated IO, and wherein the differential snapshot may be used by the hypervisor to provide instant access to a point in time corresponding to the time when the differential snapshot was created.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein a storing of an IO to a particular location on the replication site will overwrite previous IO stored in the differential structure to the particular location.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the differential snapshot is a snapshot able to be processed by the hypervisor to create a point in time image.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein a data protection advisor merges the differential snapshots.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the computer implemented method further comprises merging two differential snapshots into a single snapshot.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the computer implemented method comprises calling a function in the hypervisor to merge the differential snapshots.