Abstract: A method for execution by a storage network begins by receiving a data object for storage, segmenting the data according to a data segmenting protocol to generate a set of data segments and executing a deterministic function on the set of data segments to generate scoring information for respective data segments of the set of data segments. The method continues by comparing the scoring information for a respective data segment to scoring information for previously stored data segments in the storage network and based on the comparison, facilitating storage of a first portion of the set of data segments and not storing a second portion of the set of data segments.

Abstract: A processing system is operable to encode data to produce a first set of data slices based on a value of a width parameter. The data is stored based on maintaining storage of the first set of data slices across a set of storage units of a storage pool. Storage of the first set of data slices is maintained in the set of storage units of the storage pool after addition of an additional set of storage units added to the storage pool. The value of the width parameter is increased to an increased value to produce an updated width parameter. The data is re-encoded in accordance with the updated width parameter to produce a second set of data slices. The data is re-stored based on maintaining storage of the second set of data slices across the expanded set of storage units of the storage pool.

Abstract: A processing system is operable to encode data to produce a first set of data slices based on a value of a width parameter. The data is stored based on maintaining storage of the first set of data slices across a set of storage units of a storage pool. Storage of the first set of data slices is maintained in the set of storage units of the storage pool after addition of an additional set of storage units added to the storage pool. The value of the width parameter is increased to an increased value to produce an updated width parameter. The data is re-encoded in accordance with the updated width parameter to produce a second set of data slices. The data is re-stored based on maintaining storage of the second set of data slices across the expanded set of storage units of the storage pool.

Abstract: A method includes generating a first lock requests, each for transmission to a storage unit, where each first lock request indicates a first encoded data slice. First ballots are received, each of the first ballots corresponds to a storage unit, each of the first ballots indicates a first ranking of first requesting entities that includes the DST processing unit. First election result data is generated based on the first ballots. The first election result data indicates a first winner. When the first winner is the DST processing unit, slice access requests are generated in response to the first election result data indicating that the first winner is the DST processing unit, each for transmission to one of the storage units, where each of the slice access requests indicates the first encoded data slice.

Abstract: A computing device includes an interface configured to interface and communicate with a storage network, 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. A computing device receives a data access request for an encoded data slice associated with a data object, determines whether the encoded data slice is stored in the first memory and in response to a determination that the encoded data slice is not stored in the first memory, issues another data access request for the encoded data slice to a second memory, where the first memory includes access characteristics that are faster than the second memory. When a data access response including the encoded data slice is received from the second memory, a response including the encoded data slice is transmitted.

Abstract: A processing system is operable to encode data to produce a first set of data slices based on a value of a width parameter. The data is stored based on maintaining storage of the first set of data slices across a set of storage units of a storage pool. Storage of the first set of data slices is maintained in the set of storage units of the storage pool after addition of an additional set of storage units added to the storage pool. The value of the width parameter is increased to an increased value to produce an updated width parameter. The data is re-encoded in accordance with the updated width parameter to produce a second set of data slices. The data is re-stored based on maintaining storage of the second set of data slices across the expanded set of storage units of the storage pool.

Abstract: A method includes encoding data in accordance with a width parameter to produce a first set of data slices. Storage of the first set of data slices is maintained in a set of storage units of a storage pool. An expanded set of storage units of the storage pool is determined based on an additional subset of storage units added to the storage pool. Storage of the first set of data slices is maintained in the set of storage units after addition of the additional subset of storage units added to the storage pool. An updated width parameter is determined by increasing the width parameter based on the expanded set of storage units. The data is encoded in accordance with the updated width parameter to produce a second set of data slices. Storage of the second set of data slices is maintained in the expanded set of storage units.

Abstract: A storage network processing system includes a processor, a network interface and memory that stores operational instructions. The operation instructions enable the processor to receive a data object for storage and dispersed error encode the data object in accordance with dispersed error encoding parameters to produce a plurality of encoded data slices. The operation instructions further enable the processor to generate to determine a plurality of site slice sets from the plurality of encoded data slices, where each site slice set of the plurality of site slice sets includes a number of unique encoded data slices of the plurality of encoded data slices that is greater than or equal to a site write threshold value. The operation instructions further enable the processor to a designate one of a plurality of storage sites for each of the plurality of site slice sets and transmit each of the plurality of site slice sets to a corresponding designated one of the plurality of storage sites via the network.

Abstract: A computing device including a processing module configured to receive a read request for a read threshold number of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices, determine whether a read threshold number of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices is available in a set of storage units associated with a first storage site and when a read threshold number of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices is not available in the set of storage units associated with a first storage site, transmit a read request for a read threshold number of encoded data slices to the set of storage units associated with a second storage site.

Abstract: A method for execution by a dispersed storage network (DSN) managing unit includes receiving access information from a plurality of distributed storage and task (DST) processing units via a network. Cache memory utilization data is generated based on the access information. Configuration instructions are generated for transmission via the network to the plurality of DST processing units based on the cache memory utilization data.

Abstract: A computing device includes an interface configured to interface and communicate with a storage network, a memory that stores operational instructions, and a processing module operably coupled to the interface and memory configured to transmit a write request for a first write threshold number of encoded data slices of a set of encoded data slices to a set of storage units associated with a first storage site and transmit a write request for a second write threshold number of encoded data slices to a set of storage units associated with a second storage site.

Abstract: 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. For example, the computing device monitors storage unit (SU)-based write transfer rates and SU-based write failure rates associated with each of the SUs for a write request of encoded data slices (EDSs) to the SUs within the DSN. The computing device generates and maintains a SU write performance distribution based on monitoring of the SU-based write transfer rates and the SU-based write failure rates and adaptively adjusts a trimmed write threshold number of EDSs and/or a target width of EDSs for write requests of sets of EDSs to the SUs within the DSN.

Abstract: A computing device includes an interface configured to interface and communicate with a storage network, 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. A computing device receives a data access request for an encoded data slice associated with a data object, determines whether the encoded data slice is stored in the first memory and in response to a determination that the encoded data slice is not stored in the first memory, issues another data access request for the encoded data slice to a second memory, where the first memory includes access characteristics that are faster than the second memory. When a data access response including the encoded data slice is received from the second memory, a response including the encoded data slice is transmitted.

Abstract: A plurality of encoded data slices are stored at locations within a memory, and a list of pointers to the encoded data slices is maintained. A request to delete a particular encoded data slice is received. In response to receiving the request, a particular location within the memory used to store the particular encoded data slice is determined based on the list of pointers, and an updated list of pointers is generated indicating that the particular encoded data slice is no longer stored at the particular location within the memory.

Abstract: A distributed storage network (DSN) stores sets of encoded data slices in sets of storage units. A first storage unit assigned to store an encoded data slice included in a set of encoded data slices transmits a rebuild request associated with the storage error to a second storage unit. The second storage unit generates the rebuilt encoded data slice in response to the rebuild request, and transmits the rebuilt encoded data slice back to the first storage unit, which stores the rebuilt encoded data slice.

Abstract: A method for execution by a request scheduler includes receiving a set of requests for execution from at least one request issuer. Resource requirements are determined for each of the set of requests, and current resource availability data is determined for resources indicated in the resource requirements. Scheduling data is generated for the set of requests based on the resource requirements and the current resource availability data. A first subset of the set of requests are added to a queue in response to the scheduling data indicating the first subset of the set of requests be queued for execution. Execution of the set of requests is facilitated in accordance with the scheduling data by facilitating immediate, simultaneous execution of a second subset of the set of requests and by facilitating serial execution of the first subset of the set of requests.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A method for execution by a request scheduler includes receiving a set of requests for execution from at least one request issuer. Resource requirements are determined for each of the set of requests, and current resource availability data is determined for resources indicated in the resource requirements. Scheduling data is generated for the set of requests based on the resource requirements and the current resource availability data. A first subset of the set of requests are added to a queue in response to the scheduling data indicating the first subset of the set of requests be queued for execution. Execution of the set of requests is facilitated in accordance with the scheduling data by facilitating immediate, simultaneous execution of a second subset of the set of requests and by facilitating serial execution of the first subset of the set of requests.

Abstract: A method for execution by a dispersed storage and task (DST) processing unit includes determining a first optimal slice size requirement is determined for a first independent data element (IDE). The first IDE is split into a first plurality of IDEs based on determining the first IDE compares unfavorably to the first optimal slice size requirement. An error coding function is performed on the first plurality of IDEs to produce a set of encoded slices for each of the first plurality of IDEs for transmission to storage units. A subset of additional IDEs are selected to be merged into a merged IDE based on a second optimal slice size requirement, and continuous content of the subset of additional IDEs is concatenated to produce the merged IDE. The error coding function is performed on the merged IDE to produce a second set of encoded slices for transmission to storage units.

Abstract: A method begins by obtaining a set of load level information regarding a set of dispersed storage (DS) processing units of a plurality of sets of DS processing units of the DSN. The method continues by determining whether the first DS processing unit has a load imbalance based on the set of load level information. When the first DS processing unit has the load imbalance, the method continues by determining whether to delegate a first access request of one or more access requests to another DS processing unit. When determining to delegate the first access request, the method continues by determining a delegate DS processing unit of the set of DS processing units based on the set of load level information. The method continues by instructing the first DS processing unit to send the first access request to the delegate DS processing unit for processing.