For many years the perception of data protection has centered around recovery from local events such as fire or weather. This was often addressed by having backup tapes at a remote site, which would ensure recovery in a 24 to 48 hour window. Today, when businesses are often required to be operational 24x7x365, and potential disasters due to weather, power outages, fire, water, or even terrorism pose numerous threats, the importance of real time disaster recovery and business continuance have become absolutely necessary for many businesses. The remote copy functions described herein provide the framework for solutions that address this critical business requirement.
Remote copy operates with two systems: A primary system at one location and a recovery system at another location. You can locate both systems in the same building or at remote locations. The recovery system only needs to be in place for the time when a recovery is required, and can be a stand-alone system. Each system has specific DASD that processes data that you have identified as remote copy-managed. In case of a disaster at your primary location, your recovery system accesses data from the recovery system DASD.