Abstract: A method includes identifying an independent data object of a plurality of independent data objects for retrieval from dispersed storage network (DSN) memory. The method further includes determining a mapping of the plurality of independent data objects into a data matrix, wherein the mapping is in accordance with the dispersed storage error encoding function. The method further includes identifying, based on the mapping, an encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices corresponding to the independent data object. The method further includes sending a retrieval request to a storage unit of the DSN memory regarding the encoded data slice. When the encoded data slice is received, the method further includes decoding the encoding data slice in accordance with the dispersed storage error encoding function and the mapping to reproduce the independent data object.

Abstract: Tracking resource utilization using normalized Input/Output (‘I/O’) operations, including: selecting, for each storage device of one or more storage devices, a corresponding group of input/output (I/O) operations; calculating, for each storage device of the one or more storage devices, a normalized I/O operations per second (IOPS) value based on the corresponding group of I/O operations and a size scalar; and generating a report based on the normalized IOPS value for each storage device of the one or more storage devices.

Abstract: A storage network operates by: receiving a plurality of identifiers associated with a user including a user identifier and a group identifier; generating a plurality of key pairs associated with the plurality of user identifiers, the plurality of key pairs including a first key pair and a second key pair, the first key pair including a first public key and a first private key, and the second key pair including a second public key and a second private key; storing the plurality of key pairs; generating at least one request for a certificate; receiving at least one signed certificate in response to the at least one request; and accessing the storage network using the at least one signed certificate.

Abstract: A method for hardware assisted data lookup in a storage unit is provided. The method includes formatting data in at least one of a plurality of data formats for storage in the storage unit. The method includes configuring a logic unit with one or more parameters associated with the plurality of data formats and identifying incoming data with the one or more parameters as an instruction for execution.

Abstract: A device for use in a storage network including storage network memory distributed amongst a plurality of storage units. The device includes a processing module operably couple to a memory that stores operational instructions. The processing module is configured to execute the operational instructions to determine storage parameters associated with encoded data slices generated from data to be stored in the plurality of storage units. The storage parameters include information indicating a read threshold number of encoded data slices required to recover the data. The method further includes facilitating distributed storage of the encoded data slices among the plurality of storage units such that the number of the error-encoded data slices stored in any particular storage unit is chosen so that in the event of an unavailability of any individual storage unit, at least a read threshold number of encoded data slices are still accessible from the remaining storage units.

Abstract: A method for execution in a storage network begins by receiving a request to store a data object in a plurality of storage units and continues by determining preferred storage requirements for storing the data object. The method then continues by determining minimum storage requirements for storing the data object, determining a first set of operational parameters for storing the data object and identifying a first set of storage units for storing the data object.

Abstract: An apparatus for artificial intelligence acceleration is provided. The apparatus includes a storage and compute system having a distributed, redundant key value store for metadata. The storage and compute system having distributed compute resources configurable to access, through a plurality of authorities, data in the solid-state memory, run inference with a deep learning model, generate vectors for the data and store the vectors in the key value store.

Abstract: A method includes determining, by a computing device of a storage network, a storage inconsistency exists for a set of encoded data slices based on an indicator of a difference list, where the difference list is regarding storage of the set of encoded data slices within a set of storage units of the storage network and where a data segment is error encoded into the set of encoded data slices. The method further includes determining a storage resolution of a plurality of storage resolutions for the storage inconsistency based on the one or more indicators. The method further includes facilitating the storage resolution to resolve the storage inconsistency for the set of encoded data slices.

Abstract: Cloud-based monitoring of hardware components in a fleet of storage systems, including: collecting, for a plurality of hardware components that are included in a physical storage system, information describing the operation each hardware component, wherein information is collected for the hardware components of multiple physical storage systems; predicting, based on the information describing the operation each hardware component and historical information describing the operation of one or more other hardware components, the expected performance of each hardware component; and modifying, based on the expected performance of each hardware component, the utilization of at least one or more of the physical storage systems in the fleet.

Abstract: A latching mechanism includes a latch housing comprising a plurality of standoffs, a mechanical energy storage component operatively coupled to the latch housing and a latch positioned inside the latch housing and operatively coupled to the mechanical energy storage component on a first side of the latch, the latch comprising a first opening positioned near the center of a body of the latch, a plurality of second openings positioned near the perimeter of the body of the latch and a ridge on a second side of the latch, wherein each of the plurality of standoffs protrude into a corresponding second opening of the plurality of second openings and wherein the latch moves in a lateral direction relative to the latch housing.

Abstract: A method for execution by a storage network includes receiving a request pertaining to a data object. Metadata associated with the data object is determined and used to identify data segments associated with the data object and a set of storage units associated with the data segments. Based on a set of query requests, a response is received from a storage unit from the set of storage units. When the response indicates a storage environment that is unfavorable as compared to predetermined performance metrics, the storage network facilitates migration of encoded data slices associated with the storage unit to another storage unit.

Abstract: A plurality of storage controllers configured to initiate an action based on redundant copies of metadata, such that a source authority of one of the plurality of storage controllers receives a message, records the message redundantly throughout the plurality of storage controllers, and delivers the message to a destination authority of a further one of the storage controllers responsive to achieving a level of redundancy for the redundant copies of the metadata regarding the message is provided, wherein at least one of the plurality of storage controllers comprises a zoned storage drive.

Abstract: Utilizing multiple redundancy schemes within a unified storage element, including: receiving, in a storage system at a unified storage element that integrates both fast durable storage and bulk durable storage, a data storage operation from a host computer; storing, in accordance with a first data resiliency technique that corresponds to a RAID N+R format, data corresponding to the data storage operation within the fast durable storage of the unified storage element; and responsive to determining that the complete RAID stripe has been written to the fast durable storage, moving a portion of the stored data from the fast durable storage to the bulk durable storage of the unified storage element, the bulk durable storage storing the data in accordance with a second data resiliency technique that corresponds to a RAID M+R format, wherein M is different from N.

Abstract: Data protection for container storage, including: assigning, to a container storage volume of a storage system, a volume-level access policy; and determining whether to allow access to the container storage volume based on the volume-level access policy and one or more attributes of a request for the access, including allowing the access responsive to the one or more attributes meeting the volume-level access policy or denying the access responsive to the one or more attributes failing to meet the volume-level access policy.

Abstract: Systems and methods for role-based access control for a storage system are described. An illustrative method includes an access control system identifying, based on a role of a user requesting access to the storage system, a permission of the role to access a resource type; determining, based on the resource type and on a mapping of resources of different secured endpoints of the storage system to resource types, a set of resources of the storage system that the role has permission to access; identifying a subset of the set of resources of the storage system that the user is authorized to access; and granting the user role-based access to the subset of the set of resources of the storage system.

Abstract: Automatic storage system configuration for mediation services that includes: determining that a particular storage system of the storage systems is not configured to request mediation from a mediation target for mediation between storage systems synchronously replicating a dataset; requesting, by the particular storage system from a configuration service, configuration information indicating one or more service handles for a mediation service; and configuring, in dependence upon the one or more service handles received from the configuration service, a mediation handler to communicate with the mediation service responsive to detecting a communication fault with one of the storage systems.

Abstract: A method for processing blocks of flash memory to decrease raw bit errors from the flash memory is provided. The method includes identifying one or more blocks of the flash memory for a refresh operation and writing information regarding the identified blocks, to a data structure. The method includes issuing background reads to the identified blocks, according to the data structure, as the refresh operation. The method may be embodied on a computer readable medium. In some embodiments the background reads may be based on a time based refresh responsive to an increase in raw bit error count in the flash memory over time.

Abstract: A method for execution by one or more computing devices of a storage network includes identifying a storage unit of a set of storage units for testing, where a data segment of data is error encoded into a set of encoded data slices that is stored in the set of storage units. The method further includes determining whether a threshold number of favorably performing other storage units of the set of storage units will be available during the testing. When the threshold number of favorably performing other storage units will be available, the method further includes initiating the testing of the storage unit and setting a status of the storage unit to unavailable. When the testing has been completed, the method further includes updating the status of the storage unit to available. The method further includes generating a testing report regarding the testing of the storage unit.

Abstract: A system and method for efficient use of zones in a storage system. The method includes: building a frontier set comprising one or more zones of one or more storage devices for writing to; writing data to at least one zone of the one or more zones included in the frontier set; and during a bootup sequence: accessing a frontier set list to identify the one or more zones in the frontier set; and scanning the one or more zones to identify the at least one zone that data was written to.

Abstract: A storage system and related method are for operating solid-state storage memory in a storage system. Zones of solid-state storage memory are provided. Each zone includes a portion of the solid-state storage memory. The zone has a data write requirement for the zone for reliability of data reads. The storage system adjusts power loss protection for at least one zone. The adjusting is based on the data write requirement for the zone and responsive to detecting a power loss.