DISPERSED STORAGE UNIT SOLICITATION METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20110107182A1
• Filed: 08/04/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cleversafe Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: GRUBE, GARY W., MARKISON, TIMOTHY W.
• Application Number:
  US12/850,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20110107182A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2089 Redundant storage control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0802 Addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means, e.g. caches
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1009 using page tables, e.g. page table structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1045 associated with a data cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1668 Details of memory controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/401 Compressed data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0629 Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems
• 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: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/09 Error detection only, e.g. using cyclic redundancy check [CRC] codes or single parity bit
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/15 Cyclic codes, i.e. cyclic shifts of codewords produce other codewords, e.g. codes defined by a generator polynomial, Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem [BCH] codes H03M13/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/1515 Reed-Solomon codes
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/23 using convolutional codes, e.g. unit memory codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• 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 by a dispersed storage processing module obtaining data for storage. The method continues with the dispersed storage processing module soliciting dispersed storage (DS) units to store encoded data slices of the data. The method continues with the dispersed storage processing module receiving favorable responses from a set of DS units. The method continues with the dispersed storage processing module encoding the data in accordance with an error coding dispersal storage function and in accordance with the favorable responses.

Claims

1. A method for execution by a dispersed storage processing module, the method comprises:

obtaining data for storage;

soliciting dispersed storage (DS) units to store encoded data slices of the data;

receiving favorable responses from a set of DS units; and

encoding the data in accordance with an error coding dispersal storage function and in accordance with the favorable responses.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the soliciting further comprises:

interpreting metadata;

determining the DS units based on the metadata; and

sending a message to each of the DS units, wherein the message includes requirements for storage.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the favorable responses further comprises at least one of:

first storage requirements that substantially matches requirements of the soliciting; and

second storage requirements that encompasses the requirements of the soliciting.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoding further comprises:

establishing error coding dispersal storage function parameters based on the favorable responses from the set of DS units, wherein the error coding dispersal storage function parameters includes at least one of;

a segmenting protocol;

a pre-slice data manipulation function;

a forward error correction encoding function;

a slicing pillar width;

a post-slice data manipulation function;

a write threshold; and

a read threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the soliciting further comprises:

sending a solicitation broadcast message to the DS units, wherein the solicitation broadcast message includes storage requirements.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

interpreting metadata;

establishing a slicing pillar width in accordance with the metadata;

encoding the data in accordance with the error coding dispersal storage function and the slicing pillar width when a number of the favorable responses is equal to or greater than the slicing pillar width; and

when the number of the favorable responses is less than the slicing pillar width, adjusting the error coding dispersal storage function.

7. A method for execution by a dispersed storage (DS) unit, the method comprises:

receiving a solicitation message regarding dispersed storage of data, wherein the solicitation message includes one or more storage requirements regarding storage of encoded data slices of the data;

comparing the one or more storage requirements with storage capabilities of the DS unit;

when the storage capabilities compares favorably to the one or more storage requirements, sending a favorable response;

receiving at least one of the encoded data slices of the data; and

storing the at least one of the encoded data slices in accordance with the one or more storage requirements.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the favorable response further comprises one of:

the storage capabilities substantially matches the one or more storage requirements; and

the storage capabilities substantially encompasses the one or more storage requirements.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprises:

maintaining a storage record of the at least one of the encoded data slices, wherein the record includes at least one of;

the one or more storage requirements, the storage capabilities, a storage agreement, a slice name, a source name, a data object name, an integrity check value, and a storage location.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprises:

receiving a retrieval message that includes identities of a set of encoded data slices;

determining whether an encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices is identified in the record; and

when the encoded data slice is identified in the record, sending a message that includes the encoded data slice.

11. A dispersed storage processing module comprises:

an interface; and

a processing module operable to;

obtain data for storage;

solicit, via the interface, dispersed storage (DS) units to store encoded data slices of the data;

receive, via the interface, favorable responses from a set of DS units; and

encode the data in accordance with an error coding dispersal storage function and in accordance with the favorable responses.

12. The dispersed storage processing module of claim 11, wherein the processing module further functions to solicit by:

interpreting metadata;

determining the DS units based on the metadata; and

sending, via the interface, a message to each of the DS units, wherein the message includes requirements for storage.

13. The dispersed storage processing module of claim 11, wherein the favorable responses further comprises one of:

first storage requirements that substantially matches requirements of the soliciting; and

second storage requirements that encompasses the requirements of the soliciting.

14. The dispersed storage processing module of claim 11, wherein the processing module further functions to encode by:

establishing error coding dispersal storage function parameters based on the favorable responses from the set of DS units, wherein the error coding dispersal storage function parameters includes at least one of;

a segmenting protocol;

a pre-slice data manipulation function;

a forward error correction encoding function;

a slicing pillar width;

a post-slice data manipulation function;

a write threshold; and

a read threshold.

15. The dispersed storage processing module of claim 11, wherein the processing module further functions to solicit by:

sending, via the interface, a solicitation broadcast message to the DS units, wherein the solicitation broadcast message includes storage requirements.

16. The dispersed storage processing module of claim 11 further functions to:

interpret metadata;

establish a slicing pillar width in accordance with the metadata;

encode the data in accordance with the error coding dispersal storage function and the slicing pillar width when a number of the favorable responses is equal to or greater than the slicing pillar width; and

adjust the error coding dispersal storage function when the number of the favorable responses is less than the slicing pillar width.

17. A dispersed storage (DS) unit comprises:

an interface;

a memory; and

a processing module operable to;

receive, via the interface, a solicitation message regarding dispersed storage of data, wherein the solicitation message includes one or more storage requirements regarding storage of encoded data slices of the data;

compare the one or more storage requirements with storage capabilities of the DS unit;

send, via the interface, a favorable response when the storage capabilities compares favorably to the one or more storage requirements;

receive, via the interface, at least one of the encoded data slices of the data; and

store, in the memory, the at least one of the encoded data slices in accordance with the one or more storage requirements.

18. The dispersed storage unit of claim 17, wherein the favorable response further comprises one of:

the storage capabilities substantially matches the one or more storage requirements; and

the storage capabilities substantially encompasses the one or more storage requirements.

19. The dispersed storage unit of claim 17 further functions to:

maintain, in the memory, a storage record of the at least one of the encoded data slices, wherein the record of storage includes at least one of;

the one or more storage requirements, the storage capabilities, a storage agreement, a slice name, a source name, a data object name, an integrity check value, and a storage location.

20. The dispersed storage unit of claim 19 further functions to:

receive, via the interface, a retrieval message that includes identities of a set of encoded data slices;

determine whether an encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices is identified in the record; and

send, via the interface, a message that includes the encoded data slice when the encoded data slice is identified in the record.