An example method of controlling a storage system that includes a replication group. The method may include adding a virtual volume to the replication group by storing a journal entry for the virtual volume at a source site. The journal entry may include: metadata for hooking the virtual volume to a corresponding replica volume; and data indicating a status of the virtual volume. The method may further include sending a message to a replica site instructing it to create the corresponding replica volume for the virtual volume and store a replica journal entry for the replica volume. The method may also include determining whether to set the status of the virtual volume to pending admittance or newly admitted based on whether the replica site was able to successfully create the replica volume and store the replica journal entry. The pending admittance status may indicate that the virtual volume is not to be included in a next synchronize operation and the newly admitted status may indicate that the virtual volume is to be included in the next synchronize operation.