International Business Machines Corporation

Cleversafe, Inc.

Pure Storage, Inc.

Kumar Abhijeet

Jason K Resch

S Christopher Gladwin

Greg R Dhuse

Gary W Grube

Timothy W Markison

Andrew D Baptist

Wesley B Leggette

Manish Motwani

Ethan S Wozniak

Ilir Iljazi

Gregory A Papadopoulos

Ravi V Khadiwala

Bart Richard Cilfone

Asimuddin Kazi

Praveen Viraraghavan

Adam Michael Gray

Scott Michael Horan

Daniel J Scholl

Franco Vincent Borich

A method is presented for execution by a processing system of a dispersed storage and task (DST) processing unit that includes a processor. The method includes: receiving, at the processor, a data access request having a consistency indicator; identifying, via the processor, a set of two or more storage targets associated with the data access request; selecting, via the processor, a threshold number of storage targets of the set of two or more storage targets, based on the consistency indicator; accessing, via the processor, the selected threshold number of storage targets based on the data access request; and generating a data access response, via the processor, based on the accessing of the selected threshold number of storage targets.

Data access in a dispersed storage network with consistency

A method includes determining, by a computing device of a plurality of computing devices of a storage network, a data processing plan for processing an access request. The method further includes identifying two or more processing units of a plurality of processing units of the storage network based on the data processing plan and availability information, and determining processing capabilities of each of the two or more processing units. The method further includes selecting a processing unit of the two or more processing units to process the access request based on a favorable comparison of the processing capabilities of the processing unit and the data processing plan. The method further includes selecting one or more processing options of the processing unit to process the access request according to the data processing plan, and sending the access request and selection of the one or more processing options to the processing unit.

Selecting a processing unit in accordance with a customizable data processing plan

A dispersed storage network (DSN) includes multiple storage units. A processing unit included in the DSN issues an access request to one of the storage units, and identifies the storage unit as a failing storage unit based, at least in part, on a rate of growth of a network queue associated with the storage unit. the processing unit then issues an error indicator to a recovery unit for further action.

Automated stalled process detection and recovery

A computing device includes an interface configured to interface and communicate with a dispersed storage network (DSN), a memory that stores operational instructions, and processing circuitry operably coupled to the interface and to the memory. The processing circuitry is configured to execute the operational instructions to perform various operations and functions. The computing device selects storage parameters for a multi-vault synchronization process from a first storage vault to a second storage vault. The computing device synchronizes storage of the set(s) of ingestion encoded data slices (EDSs) between the vaults and maintains storage of a portion of an ingestion data stream within the second storage vault. The computing device facilitates deletion of the set(s) of ingestion EDSs corresponding to the portion of an ingestion data stream from the first storage vault. the computing device performs additional multi-vault synchronization process(es) for any other portion(s) of the ingestion data stream.

Unidirectional vault synchronization to support tiering

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 is configured to receive write fanout request and process the write fanout request to determine parameters specified therein regarding a write fanout operation to be performed by the SU. The computing device then is configured to generate a plurality of replicated encoded data slices (EDSs) based on a plurality of EDSs in accordance with the parameters specified within the write fanout request to be stored within the DSN.

Slice fanout write request

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 a request to store a data object and to dispersed error encode the data object to generate a plurality of sets of encoded data slices (EDSs). The computing device then performs a deterministic function on a data object name to generate a plurality of data object names. The computing device then replicates the plurality of sets of EDSs to generate other pluralities of sets of EDSs and to facilitate storage of the plurality of sets of EDSs and the other pluralities of sets of EDSs within a plurality of storage units (SUs).

Object fan out write operation

A method for a dispersed storage network (DSN) begins by receiving a read data object request from for a data object stored as a plurality of sets of encoded data slices in a set of storage units. The method continues by selecting a read threshold number of encoded data slices for retrieval. The method continues by issuing read slice requests to at least some of the storage units of the storage set to recover the selected read threshold number of encoded data slices. The method continues by receiving read slice responses from at least some of the storage units and selecting a decode threshold number of encoded data slices. The method continues by decoding the selected decode threshold number of encoded data slices to reproduce the data and generating audit information based on the selected slices for retrieval, the received slice, and the selected slices for decoding.

Determining slices used in a reconstruction

A dispersed storage network (DSN) includes multiple storage units. A processing unit included in the DSN detects a failing storage unit, and issues an error indicator to a recovery unit. The error indicator indicates the failing storage unit. To verify that the storage unit is failing, the recovery unit issues a test request to the failing storage unit. The recovery unit determines to implement a corrective action for recovery units that are determined to be actually failing, and facilitates implementing the corrective action.

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 receiving a store data object request from the user device. The method continues by initiating storage of N instances of the received data object in the storage set. The method continues by issuing a status response to the user device when detecting that M instances have been successfully stored and sending an instance i of the data to the user device when receiving a read instance i of the data object request from the user device.

Spreading load for highly popular content with asynchronous counted writes

A method begins by detecting an inconsistency between a first version of an object at a first storage target within the DSN and a second version of the object at second storage target of the DSN. The method continues by accessing an operation log of the DSN to identify relevant entries regarding the object. The method continues by selecting an inconsistency resolution approach from a list of inconsistency resolution approaches based on a type of inconsistency between the first and second versions of the object and based on the relevant entries. When the selected inconsistency resolution approach is a multiple version storage option, the method continues by sending a first storage request to the first storage target to store the first version of the object and a second storage request to the second storage target to store the second version of the object.

Recovering from conflicts that emerge from eventually consistent operations

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. When a is to DSN undergo a change from a first system configuration of a Decentralized, or Distributed, Agreement Protocol (DAP) to a second system configuration of the DAP (e.g., such as based on addition, and/or removal of storage unit(s) (SU(s)) within the DSN or reallocation of data within the DSN, etc.), a computing device identifies a DAP transition mapping between the first system configuration of the DAP to the second system configuration of the DAP. Then, the computing device directs SU(s) to operate based on the DAP transition mapping during the transition.

Reallocation in a dispersed storage network (DSN)

A method begins by a processing module of a dispersed storage network (DSN) retrieving a decode threshold number of encoded data slices of a set of encoded data slices from a first grouping of storage units of the DSN. The method continues with the processing module determining a first status level indication of the retrieved decode threshold number of encoded data slices and sending check status request messages to a second grouping of storage units of the DSN. The method continues with the processing module receiving check status response messages and processing the check response messages to produce a second status level indication. When the second status level indication is substantially equal to the first status level indication, the method continues with the processing module indicating that the decode threshold number of encoded data slices is of a common status level as other encoded data slices of encoded data slices.

Verifying a status level of stored encoded data slices

A method for securely distributing a profile within a dispersed storage network (DSN) that begins by encrypting a profile using a key. The method continues by encoding the encrypted profile in accordance with a dispersed storage error encoding function. The method continues by outputting the set of encoded profile slices to the DSN for storage therein. The method continues by encoding the key in accordance with an error encoding function and outputting the set of secure key portions to a set of devices of the DSN for storage therein. A device obtains the profile by retrieving secure key portions from the set of devices and recovering the key therefrom. The device then retrieves encoded profile slices from the DSN and decodes them to recover the encrypted profile. The device then decrypts the encrypted profile using the key to recover the profile.

Data encryption parameter dispersal

A dispersed storage network (DSN) includes a processing unit and multiple storage unit sets. A first storage unit set and a second storage unit set receive, sets of encoded data slices generated, by the DS processing unit, for storage. The encoded data slices include dispersal-encoded portions of one or more data objects. The first and second storage unit sets are used to mirror storage of the one or more data objects. The first storage unit set stores data slices unsynchronized to the second storage unit set, and generates a record identifying the unsynchronized data slices. Later, the storage unit detects that the availability of at least one storage unit of the second storage unit set, and in response facilitates copying of particular unsynchronized data slices to corresponding storage units of the second storage unit set. After copying, the record is updated to indicate the synchronization.

Distributed sync list

A method begins by a computing device of a dispersed storage network (DSN) encoding digital content into a plurality of sets of encoded data slices and generating at least one set of write commands, where a write command includes an indication of a number of copies of an encoded data slice to be stored. The method continues by a set of storage units of the DSN storing the plurality of sets of encoded data slices, where a storage unit stores the number of copies of the encoded data slice in accordance with the write command. The method continues by the set of storage units receiving a plurality of retrieval requests from a plurality of requesting computing devices regarding the digital content and fulfilling the plurality of retrieval requests utilizing various combinations of copies of encoded data slices of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices.

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Chicago, IL, United States of America

Kumar Abhijeet