US Patent 9087008 Replicating a volume using snapshots

In one aspect, a method to synchronize a replica volume with a production volume includes providing a first snapshot of the production volume and a first dirty list that includes differences between the first snapshot and the replica volume; sending only a portion of the differences between the first snapshot and the replica volume to the replica site associated with a section of the production volume, generating a second snapshot of the production volume, adding differences between the first snapshot and the second snapshot to a second dirty list, erasing the first snapshot of the production volume and renaming the second snapshot to the first snapshot.