Synchronously storing data in a plurality of dispersed storage networks

• US 10,387,252 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Inventors: Gray, Adam M., Dhuse, Greg R., Baptist, Andrew D., Khadiwala, Ravi V., Leggette, Wesley B., Horan, Scott M., Borich, Franco V., Cilfone, Bart R., Scholl, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Giardino, Jr., Mark A
• Application Number:
  US15/661,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20170322846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1092 Rebuilding, e.g. when physically replacing a failing disk
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/20 using active fault-masking, e.g. by switching out faulty elements or by switching in spare elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3034 where the computing system component is a storage system, e.g. DASD based or network based digital input from or digital output to record carriers G06F3/06; digital recording or reproducing G11B20/18; 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], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/1028 Distributed, i.e. distributed RAID systems with parity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• 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]

Abstract

A method begins with a processing module obtaining a data object from a user and identifying a plurality of virtual storage vaults (VSVs) for storage of the data object. The method continues with the processing module determining dispersal error encoding parameters associated with a first virtual storage vault and error encoding the data object in accordance with those dispersal error encoding parameters to produce a corresponding plurality of sets of encoded data slices (EDSs), issuing write slice requests for the EDSs and receiving EDS information from at least some of the plurality of VSVs. When the EDS information indicates that a threshold number of VSVs have successfully stored the plurality of sets of encoded data slices within a synchronization timeframe, the method continues with the processing module issuing a favorable response to the user, or when a threshold number of VSVs have not successfully stored the plurality of sets of encoded data slices initiating a retry process.

Claims

1. A method for execution by one or more processing modules of one or more computing devices of a dispersed storage network (DSN), the method comprises:

obtaining a data object for storage from a user;

identifying a plurality of virtual storage vaults for storage of the data object;

determining dispersal error encoding parameters associated with a first virtual storage vault of the plurality of virtual storage vaults;

dispersed error encoding the data object in accordance with dispersed error encoding parameters associated with the first virtual storage vault of the plurality of virtual storage vaults to produce a corresponding plurality of sets of encoded data slices (EDSs), wherein the data object is segmented into a first plurality of data segments and further wherein each set of EDSs of the plurality of sets of EDSs corresponds to a respective a data segment of a plurality of data segments and further;

issuing one or more sets of write slice requests to the first virtual storage vault, wherein the one or more sets of write slice requests include the corresponding plurality of sets of EDSs;

receiving EDS information from at least some of the plurality of virtual storage vaults,

interpreting the received EDS information from at least some of the plurality of virtual storage vaults to determine a number of virtual storage vaults that have successfully stored the corresponding plurality of sets of EDSs;

when a threshold number of virtual storage vaults of the plurality of virtual storage vaults have successfully stored the corresponding plurality of sets of EDSs within a synchronization timeframe, issuing a favorable response to the user, wherein the issuing a favorable response to the user includes providing an indication of the success of storage and synchronization, wherein the providing an indication of successful storage and synchronization further includes providing information sufficient to determine the number of storage vaults wherein EDS were successfully stored; and

when a threshold number of virtual storage vaults of the plurality of virtual storage vaults have not successfully stored the corresponding plurality of sets of EDSs within the synchronization timeframe, initiating a retry process to store the corresponding plurality of sets of encoded data slices in one or more virtual storage vaults associated with unsuccessful storage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the data object for storage from a user further includes receiving the data object from the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the data object for storage from a user further includes generating the data object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the data object for storage from a user further includes retrieving the data object from the DSN.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the plurality of virtual storage vaults for storage of the data object includes interpreting a request from the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the plurality of virtual storage vaults for storage of the data object includes interpreting information from a system registry.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing an indication of successful storage and synchronization includes providing information sufficient to determine a number of storage vaults of unknown storage status.

8. A computing device comprises:

an interface for interfacing with a network;

memory; and

a processing module operably coupled to the interface and to the memory, wherein the processing module is operable to;

obtain a data object for storage from a user;

identify a plurality of virtual storage vaults for storage of the data object;

determine dispersal error encoding parameters associated with a first virtual storage vault of the plurality of virtual storage vaults;

dispersed error encode the data object in accordance with dispersed error encoding parameters associated with the first virtual storage vault of the plurality of virtual storage vaults to produce a corresponding plurality of sets of encoded data slices (EDSs), wherein the data object is segmented into a first plurality of data segments and further wherein each set of EDSs of the plurality of sets of EDSs corresponds to a respective a data segment of a plurality of data segments and further;

issue one or more sets of write slice requests to the first virtual storage vault, wherein the one or more sets of write slice requests include the corresponding plurality of sets of EDSs, wherein the indication of success of storage and synchronization includes information sufficient to determine the number of virtual storage vaults wherein EDSs were successfully stored, and wherein the indication of success of storage and synchronization further includes information sufficient to determine the number of virtual storage vaults with an unknown storage status;

receive EDS information from at least some of the plurality of virtual storage vaults;

interpret the received EDS information from at least some of the plurality of virtual storage vaults to determine a number of virtual storage vaults that have successfully stored the corresponding plurality of sets of EDSs;

when a threshold number of virtual storage vaults of the plurality of virtual storage vaults have successfully stored the corresponding plurality of sets of EDSs within a synchronization timeframe, issue a favorable response to the user; and

when a threshold number of virtual storage vaults of the plurality of virtual storage vaults have not successfully stored the corresponding plurality of sets of EDSs within the synchronization timeframe, initiate a retry process to store the corresponding plurality of sets of encoded data slices in one or more virtual storage vaults associated with unsuccessful storage.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the data object for storage was created by the user.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the processing module is further operable to generate the data object.

11. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the processing module is further operable to retrieve the data object from the network.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the processing module is further operable to interpret a user request to identify the plurality of virtual storage vaults for storage of the data object.

13. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the processing module is further operable to interpret information from a system registry to identify the plurality of virtual storage vaults for storage of the data object.

14. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the indication of success of storage and synchronization includes information sufficient to determine the number of virtual storage vaults with an unknown storage status.

15. A dispersed storage (DS) module comprises:

a first module, when operable within a computing device, causes the computing device to;

obtain a data object for storage from a user;

a second module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to;

identify a plurality of virtual storage vaults for storage of the data object;

a third module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to;

determine dispersal error encoding parameters associated with each virtual storage vault of the plurality of virtual storage vaults; and

dispersed error encode the data object in accordance with dispersed error encoding parameters associated with the first virtual storage vault of the plurality of virtual storage vaults to produce a corresponding plurality of sets of encoded data slices (EDSs), wherein the data object is segmented into a first plurality of data segments and further wherein each set of EDSs of the plurality of sets of EDSs corresponds to a respective a data segment of a plurality of data segments and further;

a fourth module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to;

issue one or more sets of write slice requests to the first virtual storage vault, wherein the one or more sets of write slice requests include the corresponding plurality of sets of EDSs, wherein the indication of success of storage and synchronization includes information sufficient to determine the number of virtual storage vaults wherein EDSs were successfully stored, and wherein the indication of success of storage and synchronization further includes information sufficient to determine the number of virtual storage vaults with an unknown storage status;

receive EDS information from at least some of the plurality of virtual storage vaults;

a fifth module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to;

 

interpret the received EDS information from at least some of the plurality of virtual storage vaults to determine a number of virtual storage vaults that have successfully stored the corresponding plurality of sets of EDSs;

 

when a threshold number of virtual storage vaults of the plurality of virtual storage vaults have successfully stored the corresponding plurality of sets of EDSs within a synchronization timeframe, issue a favorable response to the user; and

 

when a threshold number of virtual storage vaults of the plurality of virtual storage vaults have not successfully stored the corresponding plurality of sets of EDSs within the synchronization timeframe, initiate a retry process to store the corresponding plurality of sets of encoded data slices in one or more virtual storage vaults associated with unsuccessful storage.

16. The dispersed storage (DS) module of claim 15, wherein the first module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to:

obtain the data object for storage from a user based on at least one of the DS module having received the data object from the user, the DS module having generated the data object, and the DS module having retrieved the data object.