DISPERSED STORAGE PROCESSING UNIT AND METHODS WITH GEOGRAPHICAL DIVERSITY FOR USE IN A DISPERSED STORAGE SYSTEM

• US 20110055474A1
• Filed: 03/30/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cleversafe Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Resch, Jason K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,772,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0622 in relation to access
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 Management of files
• 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 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 plurality of data slices are generated from a block of data to be stored in the dispersed storage system. A plurality of dispersed storage units are determined for storing the plurality of data slices, based on a geographical location associated with the plurality of dispersed storage units.

Claims

1. A method for use in a dispersed storage system, the method comprising:

generating a plurality of data slices from a block of data to be stored in the dispersed storage system;

determining a plurality of dispersed storage units for storing the plurality of data slices, based on a geographical location associated with each of the plurality of dispersed storage units.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing an indication of the geographical location associated with each of the plurality of dispersed storage units.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a security parameter associated with the block of data that indicates a desired level of security associated with the block of data;

wherein determining the plurality of dispersed storage units is further based on the security parameter.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

storing an indication of a security level for the geographical location associated with each of the plurality of dispersed storage units;

wherein determining the plurality of dispersed storage units includes determining when the level of security associated with each of the plurality of dispersed storage units conforms with the desired level of security.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein X is a total number of the plurality of dispersed storage units;

wherein the determining the plurality of dispersed storage units for each of the plurality of data slices includes distributing no more than M data slices to corresponding ones of the plurality of dispersed storage units associated with a single geographical location; and

wherein M is less than X.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein M is less than a number of slices required to reconstruct the entire block of data.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein (X−

M) includes a number of slices sufficient to reconstruct the block of data.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving a security parameter associated with the block of data that indicates a desired level of security associated with the block of data;

wherein M is determined based on the security parameter.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the geographical location includes at least one of:

a particular building;

a particular address;

a particular postal code; and

a particular geopolitical region.

18. The dispersed storage processing unit of claim 1 wherein the geographical location includes at least one of:

a particular building;

a particular address;

a particular postal code; and

a particular geopolitical region.

10. A dispersed storage processing unit for use in a dispersed storage system, the dispersed storage processing unit comprising:

a grid module for generating a plurality of data slices from a block of data to be stored in the dispersed storage system;

a storage module, coupled to the grid module, for determining a plurality of dispersed storage units for storing the plurality of data slices, based on a geographical location associated with each of the plurality of dispersed storage units.

11. The dispersed storage processing unit of claim 10 further comprising:

a memory, coupled to the storage module, that stores an indication of the geographical location associated with each of the plurality of dispersed storage units.

12. The dispersed storage processing unit of claim 10 wherein the storage module receives a security parameter associated with the block of data that indicates a desired level of security associated with the block of data;

and

wherein the storage module determines the plurality of dispersed storage units further based on the security parameter.

13. The dispersed storage processing unit of claim 12 wherein the storage module stores an indication of a security level for the geographical location associated with each of the plurality of dispersed storage units;

wherein the storage module determines the plurality of dispersed storage units by determining when the level of security associated with each of the plurality of dispersed storage units conforms with the desired level of security.

14. The dispersed storage processing unit of claim 10 wherein X is a total number of the plurality of dispersed storage units;

wherein the storage module determines the plurality of dispersed storage units by distributing no more than M data slices to corresponding ones of the plurality of dispersed storage units associated with a single geographical location; and

wherein M is less than X.

15. The dispersed storage processing unit of claim 14 wherein M is less than a number of slices required to reconstruct the block of data.

16. The dispersed storage processing unit of claim 14 wherein (X−

M) is a number of slices sufficient to reconstruct the entire block of data.

17. The dispersed storage processing unit of claim 14 wherein the storage module stores an indication of a desired security level for the geographical location associated with each of the plurality of dispersed storage units;

and

wherein the storage module determines M based on the security parameter.