A method for copying information from a first storage subsystem to a second storage
subsystem is disclosed. The first and second storage subsystems are provided in
a data storage system. The method comprises transmitting first data block from
the first storage subsystem to the second storage subsystem, the first storage
subsystem being associated with a first host computer and the second storage subsystem
being associated with a second host computer; and transmitting first attribute
information from the first storage subsystem to the second storage subsystem without
intervention from the first host computer.