Abstract: A distributed storage network (DSN) can include a DSN memory and a distributed storage (DS) managing unit in communication with the DSN memory. The DSN memory includes DS units physically located at different sites. The DS units store encoded data slices associated with a storage vault having a number of pillars and a read threshold. The number of pillars correspond to a number of encoded data slices generated from a particular segment of data, and the read threshold corresponds to subset of those encoded data slices required to reconstruct the particular segment of data. The DS managing unit assigns storage of particular encoded data slices to particular DS units based, at least in part, on a pillar associated with the encoded data slices and on the physical locations, e.g. the sites, at which the DS units are located.