International Business Machines Corporation

Pure Storage, Inc.

Cleversafe, Inc.

Aol Inc.

Bart Richard Cilfone

Jason K Resch

Wesley B Leggette

Greg R Dhuse

Andrew D Baptist

Ilya Volvovski

Ravi V Khadiwala

Manish Motwani

Scott Michael Horan

Patrick Aaron Tamborski

Sanjaya Kumar

Adam Michael Gray

Daniel J Scholl

Franco Vincent Borich

Alan M Frazier

Ethan S Wozniak

Zachary J Mark

S Christopher Gladwin

Gary W Grube

Thomas Franklin Shirley, Jr

Yogesh Ramesh Vedpathak

Thomas Darrel Cocagne

Michael Colin Storm

Praveen Viraraghavan

Harsha Hegde

Srinivas Palthepu

Steve Hoffman

James L Lester

Adam D Eggum

Vance T Thornton

John Quigley

Niall John McShane

Jeffrey Jonathan Spurgat

Stephen Christopher Gladwin

Ram S Narayanan

Depeng Bi

Troy Steven Denkinger

Timothy Scott Franklin

Ryan J Attard

Shikha Shree

Kumar Abhijeet

Dustin M Hendrickson

Dusty Hendrickson

Anne Marie Pewterbaugh

David A Bukiet

Eric Tashakkor

Anne Marie Walsh

A method for execution in a storage network begins by performing a key derivation function on a password to produce a key and issuing a set of passwords based on the key to a set of storage units, where a data object is dispersed error encoded in accordance with dispersed error encoding parameters to produce a set of encoded data slices and the set of encoded data slices are stored in the set of storage units. The method continues, by receiving at least a decode threshold number of confidential information responses from the set of storage units and regenerating a set of keys for the confidential information responses. The method then continues by decrypting the confidential information responses using the set of keys to reproduce a set of encoded data slices and dispersed storage error decoding a decode threshold number of the set of encoded data slices to produce recovered data.

Managing brute force attacks in a distributed storage system

A method for execution by a distributed storage network begins by receiving a request to transfer a copy of a set of encoded data slices from at least some associated virtual storage vaults to a destination virtual storage vault and continues by determining whether the destination storage unit supports a source virtual storage vault of the at least some source virtual storage vaults. When the destination storage unit supports the source virtual storage vault the method continues by determining a sub-set of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices for transfer and finally, by facilitating sending the sub-set of encoded data slices to the destination storage unit.

Synchronized vault management in a distributed storage network

A method begins by a processing module of a storage unit of a storage network identifying a first storage format used to store a plurality of encoded data slices in a first memory of the storage unit and continues with the processing module determining to utilize another storage format for storage of the plurality of encoded data slices. The method then continues, with the storage unit selecting a second storage format for storage of the plurality of encoded data slices and initiating migration of the plurality of encoded data slices from the first storage format to storage using the second storage format. Finally, the method continues with updating a performance metric for at least a portion of the storage network while initiating migrating the plurality of encoded data slices.

Performance aided data migration in a distributed storage network

A method for execution by a dispersed storage network (DSN). The method begins by obtaining a data object for synchronized storage within a plurality of storage vaults, identifying a plurality of storage vaults, encoding the data object for each storage vault, initiating storage of data slices for each storage vault and interpreting received data slice information from at least some of the storage vaults to determine a number of storage vaults that have successfully stored the corresponding plurality of sets of encoded data slices and when the vault threshold number of storage vaults have not successfully stored the corresponding plurality of sets of encoded data slices within a synchronization timeframe, initiating a rollback process to abandon storage of the data object in the plurality of storage vaults and a store data response to indicate unsuccessful synchronized storage of the data object in the plurality of storage vaults.

Handling failures when synchronizing objects during a write operation

A computing device includes an interface configured to interface and communicate with a dispersed storage network (DSN), a memory that stores operational instructions, and a processing module operably coupled to the interface and memory such that the processing module, when operable within the computing device based on the operational instructions, is configured to perform various operations. The computing device receives, from another computing device, a vault provisioning request and processes the vault provisioning request to determine whether the other computing device is authorized to request provisioning of another vault within the DSN. When the other computing device is authorized, the computing device generates a vault within the DSN in response to the vault provisioning request from the other computing device and updates access control information within the DSN to include an initial access control for the vault and an identifier of the other computing device.

Processing of a vault provisioning request within a data storage system

A computing device includes an interface configured to interface and communicate with a communication system, a memory that stores operational instructions, and processing circuitry operably coupled to the interface and to the memory that is configured to execute the operational instructions to perform various operations. The computing device monitors a current state of a distributed storage and task processing network (DSTN) management unit by periodically collecting metadata that is compared to a previously recognized similar state. The computing device facilitates returning a resolution to the DSTN management unit to modify the current state using corrective actions and the DSTN management unit is configured to automatically execute the resolution or to record the resolution. Recorded resolutions are later passed to operators assigned to the DSN.

Automatic intervention of global coordinator

A method for execution by one or more processing modules of one or more computing devices of a dispersed storage network (DSN), the method begins by performing a key derivation function on a password and issuing a set of blinded passwords to a set of storage units. The method continues by receiving at least a decode threshold number of confidential information responses, regenerating a set of keys using the associated passkeys of the confidential information, decrypting a set of encrypted slices of the confidential information using the set of keys to reproduce a set of encoded data slices, and dispersed storage error decoding a decode threshold number of the set of reproduced encoded data slices to produce recovered data.

Blinded passwords for a distributed storage system

A method includes identifying an existing logical storage vault having existing dispersed storage coding properties for vault transformation, where a first set of storage units support the existing logical storage vault, and a data object of first data objects stored within the first set of storage units is stored as a first plurality of sets of encoded data slices in accordance with the existing dispersed storage coding properties. The method includes identifying a new logical storage vault having new dispersed storage coding properties, wherein storage units support the new logical storage vault. The method includes transforming the first data objects from being in accordance with the existing dispersed storage coding properties to being in accordance with the new dispersed storage coding properties to produce transformed first data objects. The method includes storing the transformed first data objects in the new logical storage vault supported by the storage units.

Vault transformation within a storage network

A method begins with a processing module obtaining a data object from a user and identifying a plurality of virtual storage vaults (VSVs) for storage of the data object. The method continues with the processing module determining dispersal error encoding parameters associated with a first virtual storage vault and error encoding the data object in accordance with those dispersal error encoding parameters to produce a corresponding plurality of sets of encoded data slices (EDSs), issuing write slice requests for the EDSs and receiving EDS information from at least some of the plurality of VSVs. When the EDS information indicates that a threshold number of VSVs have successfully stored the plurality of sets of encoded data slices within a synchronization timeframe, the method continues with the processing module issuing a favorable response to the user, or when a threshold number of VSVs have not successfully stored the plurality of sets of encoded data slices initiating a retry process.

Synchronously storing data in a dispersed storage network

A method for updating storage resources in a dispersed storage network operates to determine a storage utilization factor for a storage pool that includes a set of storage resources when old storage resources are being reallocated to new storage resources. The method continues by denying write type requests during reallocation when the storage utilization factor is at or above a threshold and processing write type requests when the storage utilization factor is at or below the threshold. When the reallocation is complete the storage utilization factor is recalculated.

Managing storage resources in a dispersed storage network

A distributed storage network (DSN) processes storage unit maintenance tasks on multiple tiers within the DSN. A master storage unit coordinates pending maintenance tasks when a DSN management unit, originally processing the pending maintenance tasks, changes its status to offline. The method includes the master storage unit aggregating pending maintenance tasks from corresponding DSN storage units into an ordered list of maintenance tasks, facilitating, based on the ordered list of maintenance tasks, coordination of a next maintenance task with a corresponding storage unit and directing execution of the next maintenance task by the corresponding storage unit.

Multi-tier coordination of destructive actions

A multi-system dispersed storage network (DSN) comprises a first DSN system that includes a first plurality of storage units, a first plurality of dispersed storage (DS) processing units and a first set of management units and a second DSN system that includes a second plurality of storage units, a second plurality of DS processing units and a second set of management units. The first set of management units manages a first set of configuration data of the first DSN system. A first management unit of the second set of management units, when, in a first mode, manages at least a first configuration data of the first set of configuration data, in a second mode, manages at least a first configuration data of the second set of configuration data, and in a third mode, manages at least the first configuration data of the first and second sets of configuration data.

Isolation of management data for security and operational advantages

A method for execution by a computing device of a storage network begins by obtaining a credential to be added to a local authentication list, where the credential authenticates, during a first time period, at least one of an access request and a requesting device, and where the local authentication list is stored in temporary memory of the computing device and is stored as a plurality of sets of encoded authentication slices in a set of storage units. The method continues by updating the local authentication list stored in the temporary memory to include a representation of the credential. The method continues by encoding the representation to produce a set of encoded authentication slices, where a decode threshold number of encoded authentication slices is needed to recover the representation. The method continues by sending the set of encoded authentication slices to the set of storage units for storage therein.

Storing a credential in a storage network

A computer readable storage device includes a first memory section that stores operational instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to, as data accesses occur for a plurality of data objects of a storage container, update object values to produce updated object values, update object retention costs to produce updated object retention costs, adjust a dynamic retention threshold based on the updated object values and the updated object retention costs and update a data object retention policy for a data object based on the dynamic retention threshold to produce an updated retention policy for the data object. The computer readable storage device includes a second memory section that stores operational instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to, when a data access is a deletion request, utilizing a current updated data object retention policy to determine and execute a deletion-retention option for the data object.

Dynamic retention policies and optional deletes

A method for execution by a managing unit of a dispersed storage network (DSN) includes facilitating capture of log information from a plurality of entities of the DSN for storage in a log vault of the DSN. An error condition with regards to at least one of the plurality of entities can be detected. Error correlation information that includes an identified at least one of the plurality of entities can be generated based on the error condition and the log information. A DSN configuration change can be facilitated based on the error correlation information.

Correlating operational information with an error condition in a dispersed storage network

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Chicago, IL, United States of America

Bart Richard Cilfone