Method and system for track transfer control during concurrent copy operations in a data processing storage subsystem

摘要

A method and system are disclosed for transferring backup copies of designated multi-track datasets which are stored in a plurality of storage subsystems to a host system via data channel during concurrent execution of an application. Upon receiving a request for a backup copy, execution of an application is temporarily suspended. A dataset logical-to-physical storage system address concordance is formed and execution of the application is resumed thereafter. Any application initiated updates to affected tracks within the designated datasets which occur prior to generation of a backup copy are processed by buffering the updates, copying the affected tracks to storage subsystem memory, updating the address concordance and writing the updates to the affected tracks within the dataset. Requests from the host system to transfer a selected sequence of tracks within the designated multi-track dataset are then examined to determine if the sequence includes affected tracks which have previously been copied to storage subsystem memory. An artificial track is then automatically substituted into the requested sequence of selected tracks for each affected track which has previously been copied to storage subsystem memory during transfer of the selected sequence of tracks such that the host system is made aware of the previous copying of these affected tracks.