Abstract: In some examples, a system groups a plurality of blocks of encoded data into first segments, each first segment comprising multiple blocks of the plurality of blocks, and the encoded data being based on application of erasure correction coding on input data. The system stores the first segments in respective failure domains of a first quantity of failure domains in a first erasure correction configuration, where the first erasure correction configuration enables error recovery in response to lost encoded data in a specified number of failure domains. The system changes from the first erasure correction configuration to a second erasure correction configuration by reorganizing the first segments into second segments, each second segment comprising a different quantity of blocks of encoded data than a first segment.

Abstract: A system and method for determining and using complexity of image, audio, or video information as perceived by a human observer is provided. The system and method may determine complexity of the image, audio or video information by using a perceptual model, such as a lossy compression system. The compression system may remove portions of the information (and reduce the size of the information) in ways nearly imperceptible to a human, while preserving the overall human perception. The size of the information after the compression may provide an indicator of the complexity, such as provide an upper bound on the complexity of the information as perceived by a human. The complexity of the information, once determined, may be used in a variety of ways, such as characterizing the information (including fingerprinting the information), comparing the information with other image, audio or video information, or presenting the information.