IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,436,850
Granted Patent B2
US 12,436,850 · App. 18/599,984 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

Data consistent freeze of peer-to-peer remote copy in a multiple computing cluster environment

Inventors: William C. Shepard (Hyde Park, NY); Tabor R. Powelson (Poughkeepsie, NY); Tri M. Hoang (Poughkeepsie, NY); Dale F Riedy (Poughkeepsie, NY)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
G06F11/1662G06F11/2094G06F2201/805
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,436,850
App. No.
18/599,984
Granted
Oct 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Data consistent freeze of peer-to-peer remote copy in a multiple computing cluster environment includes freezing, by each of a first computing cluster and a second computing cluster, non-shared logical volumes of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster; freezing, by each of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster, shared logical volumes of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster, wherein a key logical volume is a last shared logical volume to be frozen; selecting one of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster to perform thaws of the shared logical volumes based on which of the first computing cluster or the second computing cluster was the last to freeze the key logical volume; and thawing, by the selected one of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster, the shared logical volumes.

Claims (40)

1. A method comprising:

freezing, by each of a first computing cluster and a second computing cluster, non-shared logical volumes of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster;

freezing, by each of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster, shared logical volumes of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster, wherein a key logical volume is a last shared logical volume to be frozen of a set of peer-to-peer remote copy source volumes of the shared logical volumes;

selecting one of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster to perform thaws of the shared logical volumes based on which of the first computing cluster or the second computing cluster was the last to freeze the key logical volume; and

thawing, by the selected one of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster, the shared logical volumes.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising initiating a suspension of a peer-to-peer remote copy between the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster prior to the freezing of the non-shared logical volumes of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

thawing the non-shared logical volumes by each of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the thawing of the non-shared logical volumes is performed prior to the thawing of the shared logical volumes.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the key logical volume based on an identifier associated with the key logical volume.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the identifier is a numerical identifier.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the numerical identifier of the key logical volume has a lowest value from among numerical identifiers associated with each of the shared logical volumes.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the numerical identifier comprises a Node Element Descriptor (NED).

9. A method comprising:

registering a path group, by each of a plurality of computing clusters, with one or more shared peer-to-peer remote copy target logical volumes of one or more storage devices;

freezing, by each of the plurality of computing clusters, non-shared logical volumes of the one or more storage devices;

freezing, by each of the plurality of computing clusters, the shared peer-to-peer remote copy logical volumes;

initiating disbanding, by each of the plurality of computing clusters, the path group registered with the one or more shared peer-to-peer remote copy target logical volumes, wherein a key logical volume is a last shared logical volume to have its path groups disbanded of the shared peer-to-peer remote copy volumes;

selecting one of the plurality of computing clusters to perform thaws of the shared peer-to-peer remote copy logical volumes based on which of plurality of computing clusters was the last computing cluster to disband its respective path group with the key logical volume; and

thawing, by the selected one of the plurality of computing clusters, the shared peer-to-peer remote copy logical volumes.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein selecting one of the plurality of computing clusters to perform thaws of the shared peer-to-peer remote copy logical volumes based on which of plurality of computing clusters was the last computing cluster to disband its respective path group with the key logical volume further comprises:

disbanding, by each of the plurality of computing clusters, its respective path group to the key logical volume; and

querying, by each of the plurality of computing clusters subsequent to the disbanding, the key logical volume to determine if the computing cluster is the last of the plurality of computing clusters to disband its respective path group with the key logical volume.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

thawing the non-shared logical volumes by each of the plurality of computing clusters.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the thawing of the non-shared logical volumes is performed prior to the thawing of the shared peer-to-peer remote copy logical volumes.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining the key logical volume based on an identifier associated with the key logical volume.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the identifier is a numerical identifier.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the numerical identifier of the key logical volume has a lowest value from among numerical identifiers associated with each of the shared peer-to-peer remote copy logical volumes.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a processing device; and

memory operatively coupled to the processing device, wherein the memory stores computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the processing device to:

freeze, by each of a first computing cluster and a second computing cluster, non-shared logical volumes of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster;

freeze, by each of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster, shared logical volumes of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster, wherein a key logical volume is a last shared logical volume to be frozen of a set of peer-to-peer remote copy source volumes of the shared logical volumes;

select one of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster to perform thaws of the shared logical volumes based on which of the first computing cluster or the second computing cluster was the last to freeze the key logical volume; and

thaw, by the selected one of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster, the shared logical volumes.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the memory stores computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the processing device to initiate a suspension of a peer-to-peer remote copy between the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster prior to the freezing of the non-shared logical volumes of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the memory stores computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the processing device to thaw the non-shared logical volumes by each of the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the thawing of the non-shared logical volumes is performed prior to the thawing of the shared logical volumes.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the memory stores computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the processing device to determine the key logical volume based on an identifier associated with the key logical volume.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 31, 2024
From: SHEPARD, WILLIAM C.; POWELSON, TABOR R.; HOANG, TRI M.; RIEDY, DALE F
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 069095/0307 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250284601A1 · Sep 11, 2025
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