US Patent 7200697 High speed data transfer between mainframe storage systems

A method and apparatus for transferring data between storage systems including a first disk system for receiving first data in a variable length data format from a host, storing the first data and sending the first data over an I/O channel for data in the variable length data format, a second storage system for receiving the first data from the first storage system, converting the first data from the first storage system to second data in a fixed block data format and sending the second data over an I/O channel for data in the fixed block data format, and a third storage system for receiving the second data from the second storage system, converting the second data from the second storage system back to the first data and storing the first data.