Method and apparatus for snapshot creation

1. A method, comprising:

retrieving a cross-platform version data group (VDG) definition, wherein the VDG definition includes a general portion, a primary device portion, and a secondary device portion, the primary device portion including an identifier of a volume and an identifier of a primary storage system where the volume is stored, the secondary device portion including an identifier of a copy of the volume and an identifier of a secondary storage system where the copy is stored, and the general portion identifying an interval at which a point-in-time event should be generated for creating snapshots of the volume;

processing the VDG definition to identify the primary storage system and the secondary storage system as targets for creating snapshots of the volume;

detecting a point-in-time event that is generated in accordance with the interval specified in the generation of the VDG definition;

transmitting, to the primary storage system, a first instruction to initialize one or more data structures for a first snapshot of the volume;

transmitting, to the secondary storage system, a second instruction to initialize one or more data structures for a snapshot of the copy of the volume that is stored in the secondary storage system;

suspending servicing of input-output (I/O) for the volume by the primary storage system after each of the first and second instructions has been transmitted;

transmitting to the primary storage system a third instruction to complete the first snapshot of the volume that is stored in the primary storage system;

transmitting to the secondary storage system a fourth instruction to complete a snapshot of the copy of the volume that is stored in the secondary storage system; and

resuming servicing of I/O by the primary storage system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary storage system is configured to perform synchronous replication of data to the secondary storage system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the third and fourth instructions includes an ACTIVATE command.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the VDG definition includes a different respective identifier for each of plurality of copies of the volume.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the VDG definition includes at least one of a script, a text file, and/or a configuration file.

6. A system, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor that is operatively coupled to the memory, the at least one processor being configured to perform the operations of:

retrieving a cross-platform version data group (VDG) definition, wherein the VDG definition includes a general portion, a primary device portion, and a secondary device portion, the primary device portion including an identifier of a volume and an identifier of a primary storage system where the volume is stored, the secondary device portion including an identifier of a copy of the volume and an identifier of a secondary storage system where the copy is stored, and the general portion identifying an interval at which a point-in-time event should be generated for creating snapshots of the volume;

processing the VDG definition to identify the primary storage system and the secondary storage system as targets for creating snapshots of the volume;

detecting a point-in-time event that is generated in accordance with the interval specified in the general portion of the VDG definition;

transmitting, to the primary storage system, a first instruction to initialize one or more data structures for a first snapshot of the volume;

transmitting, to the secondary storage system, a second instruction to initialize one or more data structures for a snapshot of the copy of the volume that is stored in that secondary storage system;

suspending servicing of input-output (I/O) for the volume by the primary storage system after each of the first and second instructions has been transmitted;

transmitting to the primary storage system a third instruction to complete the first snapshot of the volume that is stored in the primary storage system;

transmitting to each of the secondary storage system a fourth instruction to complete a snapshot of the copy of the volume that is stored in that secondary storage system; and

resuming servicing of I/O by the primary storage system.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the primary storage system is configured to perform synchronous replication of data to the secondary storage system.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein each of the third and fourth instructions includes an ACTIVATE command.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the VDG definition includes a different respective identifier for each of a plurality of copies of the volume.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the VDG definition includes at least one of a script, a text file, and/or a configuration file.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more processor-executable instructions, which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the operations of:

retrieving a cross-platform version data group (VDG) definition, wherein the VDG definition includes a general portion, a primary device portion, and a secondary device portion, the primary device portion including an identifier of a volume and an identifier of a primary storage system where the volume is stored, the secondary device portion including an identifier of a copy of the volume and an identifier of a secondary storage system where the copy is stored, and the general portion identifying an interval at which a point-in-time event should be generated for creating snapshots of the volume;

processing the VDG definition to identify the primary storage system and the secondary storage system as targets for creating snapshots of the volume;

detecting a point-in-time event that is generated in accordance with the interval specified in the general portion of the VDG definition;

transmitting, to the primary storage system, a first instruction to initialize one or more data structures for a first snapshot of the volume;

transmitting, to the secondary storage system, a second instruction to initialize one or more data structures for a snapshot of the copy of the volume that is stored in that secondary storage system;

suspending servicing of input-output (I/O) for the volume by the primary storage system after each of the first and second instructions has been transmitted;

transmitting to the primary storage system a third instruction to complete the first snapshot of the volume that is stored in the primary storage system;

transmitting to the secondary storage system a fourth instruction to complete a snapshot of the copy of the volume that is stored in that secondary storage system; and

resuming servicing of I/O by the primary storage system.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the primary storage system is configured to perform synchronous replication of data to the secondary storage system.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein each of the third and fourth instructions includes an ACTIVATE command.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the VDG definition includes a different respective identifier for each of a plurality of copies of the volume.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the VDG definition includes at least one of a script, a text file, and/or a configuration file.