DISPERSED STORAGE NETWORK VIRTUAL ADDRESS SPACE

• US 20110029744A1
• Filed: 04/21/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cleversafe Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: LEGGETTE, WESLEY, BAPTIST, ANDREW, DHUSE, GREG, GLADWIN, S. CHRISTOPHER
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1009 using page tables, e.g. page table structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/113 Details of archiving lifecycle management in storage systems G06F3/0649; backup systems G06F11/1446
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/1028 Distributed, i.e. distributed RAID systems with parity

Abstract

A dispersed storage network utilizes a virtual address space to store data. The dispersed storage network includes a processing unit operable to slice a data segment of a data object into data slices and create a slice name for each of the data slices. The slice name includes an identifier of the data object and a virtual memory address of a virtual memory associated with the dispersed storage network. The processing unit further outputs each of the data slices and the respective slice names to a corresponding storage unit for storage of the data slices therein.

Claims

1. A dispersed storage device for use within a dispersed storage network, comprising:

an interface; and

a processing module operable to;

slice a data segment of a data object into data slices;

create a slice name for each of the data slices, the slice name including an identifier of the data object and a virtual memory address of a virtual memory associated with the dispersed storage network; and

output, via the interface, each of the data slices and the respective slice names to a corresponding storage unit for storage of the data slices therein.

2. The dispersed storage device of claim 1, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

receive the data object to be stored; and

segment the data object into data segments, each of the data segments being sliced into respective data slices;

wherein a number of data slices within each of the data segments indicates a number of pillars for the data object.

3. The dispersed storage device of claim 2, wherein the processing module is further operable to output, via the interface, the data slices to a plurality of storage units such that each of the pillars is stored on a separate one of the plurality of storage units.

4. The dispersed storage device of claim 3, wherein the processing module is further operable to output, via the interface, the data slices to the plurality of storage units such that at least one of the pillars is stored on two or more of the plurality of storage units.

5. The dispersed storage device of claim 3, wherein the number of pillars per data segment is constant for a particular vault associated with at least one user of the dispersed storage network.

6. The dispersed storage device of claim 5, wherein each vault maps to a virtual vault address space of the virtual memory.

7. The dispersed storage device of claim 6, wherein the virtual vault address space includes discrete address ranges, one for each of the pillars of the vault, each of the discrete address ranges being separated from other ones of the discrete address ranges by a predetermined amount corresponding to a number of addresses within the virtual memory.

8. The dispersed storage device of claim 7, wherein the discrete address ranges for the vault are equidistant from one another within the virtual memory.

9. The dispersed storage device of claim 7, wherein each of the discrete address ranges includes a plurality of virtual memory addresses, each containing a plurality of most significant bits, the most significant bits remaining constant within each of the discrete address ranges.

10. The dispersed storage device of claim 7, wherein each pillar within the vault has a pillar number, and the same pillar numbers for each of the vaults are assigned discrete address ranges near one another.

11. The dispersed storage device of claim 1, wherein the data object includes at least one of a data file, a data block and a real time data stream.

12. The dispersed storage device of claim 1, wherein the processing module is further operable to receive a user identity (ID) and object name associated with the data object, the identifier of the data object including user file information determined from the user ID and object name.

13. A method for storage of a data object, comprising:

slicing a data segment of the data object into data slices;

creating a slice name for each of the data slices, the slice name including an identifier of the data object and a virtual memory address of a virtual memory associated with the dispersed storage network; and

outputting each of the data slices and the respective slice names to a corresponding storage unit for storage of the data slices therein.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

segmenting the data object into data segments;

wherein the slicing further comprises;

slicing each of the data segments into respective data slices;

wherein a number of data slices within each of the data segments indicates a number of pillars for the data object; and

wherein the outputting further comprises;

outputting the data slices to a plurality of storage units such that each of the pillars is stored on a separate one of the plurality of storage units.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the outputting further comprises:

outputting the data slices to the plurality of storage units such that at least one of the pillars is stored on two or more of the plurality of storage units.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein a vault associated with at least one user of the dispersed storage network maps to a virtual vault address space of the virtual memory, the virtual vault address space including discrete address ranges, one for each of the pillars of the vault, each of the discrete address ranges being separated from other ones of the discrete address ranges by a predetermined amount corresponding to a number of addresses within the virtual memory.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the discrete address ranges includes a plurality of virtual memory addresses, each containing a plurality of most significant bits, the most significant bits remaining constant within each of the discrete address ranges.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein each pillar within the vault has a pillar number, and the same pillar numbers for each of the vaults are assigned discrete address ranges near one another.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a user identity (ID) and object name associated with the data object, the identifier of the data object including user file information determined from the user ID and object name.

20. A storage unit within a dispersed storage network, comprising:

an interface;

a memory; and

a processing module operable to;

receive a data slice of a data segment of a data object to be stored and a slice name identifying the data slice, the slice name including an identifier of the data object and a virtual memory address of a virtual memory associated with the dispersed storage network;

translate the virtual memory address into a physical location within the memory; and

store the data slice and the slice name in the physical location of the memory.