Renting a pipe to a storage system

• US 10,304,096 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Volvovski, Ilya, Gladwin, S. Christopher, Grube, Gary W., Markison, Timothy W., Resch, Jason K., Shirley, Jr., Thomas F., Dhuse, Greg R., Motwani, Manish, Baptist, Andrew D., Leggette, Wesley B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cox, Natisha D
• Application Number:
  US15/675,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20170364972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A computing device that includes an interface, a memory, and a processing module receives a data access request from a requesting computing device and processes them to produce a set of distributed storage (DS) access requests. The computing device then transmits the set of DS access requests to a set of storage units (SUs) via a DSN connection that is between the computing device and the set of SUs and monitors the DSN connection to generate utilization information. The computing device then receives a set of DS access responses from the set of SUs via the DSN connection and monitors the DSN connection to generate updated utilization information. The computing device then transmits a data access response to the requesting computing device and generates billing information based on at least one of the updated utilization information associated with the DSN connection, a level of billing, and a billing rate.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

an interface configured to interface and communicate with a dispersed or distributed storage network (DSN);

memory that stores operational instructions; and

a processing module operably coupled to the interface and to the memory, wherein the processing module, when operable within the computing device based on the operational instructions, is configured to;

receive a data access request via the interface and from a requesting computing device of a subscriber group;

process the data access request to produce a set of distributed storage (DS) access requests;

transmit the set of DS access requests via the interface and to a set of storage units (SUs) via a DSN connection that is between the computing device and the set of SUs;

monitor the DSN connection based on transmission of the set of DS access requests via the DSN connection to generate utilization information associated with the DSN connection;

receive a set of DS access responses via the interface and from the set of SUs via the DSN connection;

monitor the DSN connection based on receipt of the set of DS access responses via the DSN connection to generate updated utilization information associated with the DSN connection;

transmit a data access response via the interface and to the requesting computing device of the subscriber group; and

generate billing information based on at least one of the updated utilization information associated with the DSN connection, a level of billing, or a billing rate.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein:

a data object is segmented into a plurality of data segments, wherein a data segment of the plurality of data segments is dispersed error encoded in accordance with dispersed error encoding parameters to produce a set of encoded data slices (EDSs), wherein a decode threshold number of EDSs are needed to recover the data segment, wherein a read threshold number of EDSs provides for reconstruction of the data segment, wherein a write threshold number of EDSs provides for a successful transfer of the set of EDSs from a first at least one location in the DSN to a second at least one location in the DSN, wherein the set of EDSs is of pillar width and includes a pillar number of EDSs, wherein each of the decode threshold number, the read threshold number, and the write threshold number is less than the pillar number, and wherein the write threshold number is greater than or equal to the read threshold number that is greater than or equal to the decode threshold number; and

the data access request corresponds to a write request of the set of encoded EDSs associated with the data object to be distributedly stored among the set of SUs;

or

the data access request corresponds to a read request of another set of EDSs associated with the data object that is distributedly stored among the set of SUs.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein:

the utilization information associated with the DSN connection includes at least one of number of bytes, amount of bandwidth utilize, peak transfer speed, average transfer speed, or encryption type utilized to identity of the requesting computing device of the subscriber group based on the transmission of the set of DS access requests via the DSN connection; and

the updated utilization information associated with the DSN connection includes at least one of number of bytes, amount of bandwidth utilize, peak transfer speed, or average transfer speed based on the receipt of the set of DS access responses via the DSN connection.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processing module, when operable within the computing device based on the operational instructions, is further configured to:

multiply bandwidth utilization information of the updated utilization information by multiple billing rates to produce the billing information, wherein the billing information corresponds to each of a plurality of requesting computing devices of the subscriber group including the requesting computing device.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processing module, when operable within the computing device based on the operational instructions, is further configured to:

multiply an average amount of bandwidth by a cost per amount of utilized bandwidth for the subscriber group that includes the requesting computing device to generate the billing information for the subscriber group.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is located at a first premises that is remotely located from at least one SU of the set of SUs and is also remotely located from the requesting computing device of the subscriber group within the DSN.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the requesting computing device of the subscriber group includes a wireless smart phone, a laptop, a tablet, a personal computers (PC), a work station, or a video game device.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the DSN includes at least one of a wireless communication system, a wire lined communication systems, a non-public intranet system, a public internet system, a local area network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN).

9. A computing device comprising:

an interface configured to interface and communicate with a dispersed or distributed storage network (DSN);

memory that stores operational instructions; and

a processing module operably coupled to the interface and to the memory, wherein the processing module, when operable within the computing device based on the operational instructions, is configured to;

receive a data access request via the interface and from a requesting computing device of a subscriber group;

process the data access request to produce a set of distributed storage (DS) access requests;

transmit the set of DS access requests via the interface and to a set of storage units (SUs) via a DSN connection that is between the computing device and the set of SUs;

monitor the DSN connection based on transmission of the set of DS access requests via the DSN connection to generate utilization information associated with the DSN connection that includes at least one of number of bytes, amount of bandwidth utilize, peak transfer speed, average transfer speed, or encryption type utilized to identity of the requesting computing device of the subscriber group based on the transmission of the set of DS access requests via the DSN connection;

receive a set of DS access responses via the interface and from the set of SUs via the DSN connection;

monitor the DSN connection based on receipt of the set of DS access responses via the DSN connection to generate updated utilization information associated with the DSN connection that includes at least one of number of bytes, amount of bandwidth utilize, peak transfer speed, or average transfer speed based on the receipt of the set of DS access responses via the DSN connection;

transmit a data access response via the interface and to the requesting computing device of the subscriber group; and

generate billing information based on at least one of the updated utilization information associated with the DSN connection, a level of billing, or a billing rate including to multiply an average amount of bandwidth by a cost per amount of utilized bandwidth for the subscriber group that includes the requesting computing device to generate the billing information for the subscriber group.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein:

a data object is segmented into a plurality of data segments, wherein a data segment of the plurality of data segments is dispersed error encoded in accordance with dispersed error encoding parameters to produce a set of encoded data slices (EDSs), wherein a decode threshold number of EDSs are needed to recover the data segment, wherein a read threshold number of EDSs provides for reconstruction of the data segment, wherein a write threshold number of EDSs provides for a successful transfer of the set of EDSs from a first at least one location in the DSN to a second at least one location in the DSN, wherein the set of EDSs is of pillar width and includes a pillar number of EDSs, wherein each of the decode threshold number, the read threshold number, and the write threshold number is less than the pillar number, and wherein the write threshold number is greater than or equal to the read threshold number that is greater than or equal to the decode threshold number; and

the data access request corresponds to a write request of the set of encoded EDSs associated with the data object to be distributedly stored among the set of SUs;

or

the data access request corresponds to a read request of another set of EDSs associated with the data object that is distributedly stored among the set of SUs.

11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the processing module, when operable within the computing device based on the operational instructions, is further configured to:

multiply bandwidth utilization information of the updated utilization information by multiple billing rates to produce the billing information, wherein the billing information corresponds to each of a plurality of requesting computing devices of the subscriber group including the requesting computing device.

12. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the requesting computing device of the subscriber group includes a wireless smart phone, a laptop, a tablet, a personal computers (PC), a work station, or a video game device.

13. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the DSN includes at least one of a wireless communication system, a wire lined communication systems, a non-public intranet system, a public internet system, a local area network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN).

14. A method for execution by a computing device, the method comprising:

receiving a data access request via an interface of the computing device that is configured to interface and communicate with a dispersed or distributed storage network (DSN) and from a requesting computing device of a subscriber group;

processing the data access request to produce a set of distributed storage (DS) access requests;

transmitting the set of DS access requests via the interface and to a set of storage units (SUs) via a DSN connection that is between the computing device and the set of SUs;

monitoring the DSN connection based on transmission of the set of DS access requests via the DSN connection to generate utilization information associated with the DSN connection;

receiving a set of DS access responses via the interface and from the set of SUs via the DSN connection;

monitoring the DSN connection based on receipt of the set of DS access responses via the DSN connection to generate updated utilization information associated with the DSN connection;

transmitting a data access response via the interface and to the requesting computing device of the subscriber group; and

generating billing information based on at least one of the updated utilization information associated with the DSN connection, a level of billing, or a billing rate.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

a data object is segmented into a plurality of data segments, wherein a data segment of the plurality of data segments is dispersed error encoded in accordance with dispersed error encoding parameters to produce a set of encoded data slices (EDSs), wherein a decode threshold number of EDSs are needed to recover the data segment, wherein a read threshold number of EDSs provides for reconstruction of the data segment, wherein a write threshold number of EDSs provides for a successful transfer of the set of EDSs from a first at least one location in the DSN to a second at least one location in the DSN, wherein the set of EDSs is of pillar width and includes a pillar number of EDSs, wherein each of the decode threshold number, the read threshold number, and the write threshold number is less than the pillar number, and wherein the write threshold number is greater than or equal to the read threshold number that is greater than or equal to the decode threshold number; and

the data access request corresponds to a write request of the set of encoded EDSs associated with the data object to be distributedly stored among the set of SUs;

or

the data access request corresponds to a read request of another set of EDSs associated with the data object that is distributedly stored among the set of SUs.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the utilization information associated with the DSN connection includes at least one of number of bytes, amount of bandwidth utilize, peak transfer speed, average transfer speed, or encryption type utilized to identity of the requesting computing device of the subscriber group based on the transmission of the set of DS access requests via the DSN connection; and

the updated utilization information associated with the DSN connection includes at least one of number of bytes, amount of bandwidth utilize, peak transfer speed, or average transfer speed based on the receipt of the set of DS access responses via the DSN connection.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

multiplying bandwidth utilization information of the updated utilization information by multiple billing rates to produce the billing information, wherein the billing information corresponds to each of a plurality of requesting computing devices of the subscriber group including the requesting computing device.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

multiplying an average amount of bandwidth by a cost per amount of utilized bandwidth for the subscriber group that includes the requesting computing device to generate the billing information for the subscriber group.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the requesting computing device of the subscriber group includes a wireless smart phone, a laptop, a tablet, a personal computers (PC), a work station, or a video game device.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the DSN includes at least one of a wireless communication system, a wire lined communication systems, a non-public intranet system, a public internet system, a local area network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN).