RECEIVING ENCODED DATA SLICES VIA WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

• US 20120027134A1
• Filed: 07/12/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cleversafe Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: GLADWIN, S. CHRISTOPHER, GRUBE, GARY W., MARKISON, TIMOTHY W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,842,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/340
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• 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 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 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0045 Arrangements at the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/208 involving signal re-encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• 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: H04W 28/04 Error control

Abstract

A method begins by a processing module determining a mapping of encoded data slices to wireless channels for wireless communication of data, wherein a data segment of the data is encoded in accordance with a dispersed storage error encoding protocol to produce a set of encoded data slices. The method continues with the processing module configuring, in accordance with the mapping, receivers of a wireless communication device to receive, via a set of wireless channels, at least some of the set of encoded data slices to produce configured receivers. The method continues with the processing module facilitating the configured receivers to receive encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices to produce received encoded data slices and when at least a decode threshold number of received encoded data slices have been received, decoding the received encoded data slices to recapture the data segment.

Claims

1. A method comprises:

determining a mapping of encoded data slices to wireless channels for wireless communication of data, wherein a data segment of the data is encoded in accordance with a dispersed storage error encoding protocol to produce a set of encoded data slices and wherein a first encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices is associated with a first wireless channel of a set of wireless channels;

configuring, in accordance with the mapping, receivers of a wireless communication device to receive, via the set of wireless channels, at least some of the set of encoded data slices to produce configured receivers;

facilitating the configured receivers to receive encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices to produce received encoded data slices; and

when at least a decode threshold number of received encoded data slices have been received, decoding the received encoded data slices to recapture the data segment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping comprises one or more of:

a pillar to wireless channel mapping, wherein the dispersed storage error encoding protocol prescribes a set of pillars;

a data segment to wireless channel mapping; and

an encoded data slice pattern to wireless channel mapping.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

a second data segment of the data is encoded in accordance with the dispersed storage error encoding protocol to produce a second set of encoded data slices;

configuring, in accordance with the mapping;

a first receiver of the receivers to receive at least some of the set of encoded data slices via a first wireless channel of the set of wireless channels; and

a second receiver of the receivers to receive at least some of the second set of encoded data slices via a second wireless channel of the set of wireless channels;

facilitating;

the first receiver to receive the encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices to produce the received encoded data slices; and

the second receiver to receive encoded data slices of the second set of encoded data slices to produce second received encoded data slices;

when at least the decode threshold number of the received encoded data slices have been received, decoding the received encoded data slices to recapture the data segment; and

when at least the decode threshold number of the second received encoded data slices have been received, decoding the second received encoded data slices to recapture the second data segment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring the receivers comprises:

configuring a first receiver of the receivers to receive the first encoded data slice via a first wireless channel of the set of wireless channels;

configuring a second receiver of the receivers to receive a second encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices via a second wireless channel of the set of wireless channels; and

configuring a third receiver of the receivers to receive a third encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices via a third wireless channel of the set of wireless channels.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

when the decode threshold number of encoded data slices have not been received within a predetermined period of time;

determining whether the mapping is sub-optimal based on wireless communication conditions; and

when the mapping is sub-optimal, determining a second mapping of encoded data slices to wireless channels based on the wireless communication conditions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining whether the mapping is sub-optimal comprises at least one of:

determining that a performance indicator associated with at least one of the configured receivers compares unfavorably to a performance threshold; and

determining that a signaling indicator associated with the at least one of the configured receivers compares unfavorably to the performance threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

generating a configuration signal regarding optimal operational characteristics of at least one of the configured receivers; and

facilitating transmission of the configuration signal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the mapping is based on at least one of:

receiving a broadcast indicator;

a broadcast status indicator;

a user device data requirement;

a previously utilized access method;

a data access response;

a message;

a pillar broadcast indicator; and

a wireless signal indicator.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping comprises:

a first mapping of a first collective of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices to at least one wireless channel of a first transmission site; and

a second mapping of a second collective of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices to at least one wireless channel of a second transmission site.

10. A computer comprises:

an interface;

a memory; and

a processing module operable to;

determine a mapping of encoded data slices to wireless channels for wireless communication of data, wherein a data segment of the data is encoded in accordance with a dispersed storage error encoding protocol to produce a set of encoded data slices and wherein a first encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices is associated with a first wireless channel of a set of wireless channels;

configure, in accordance with the mapping, receivers of a wireless communication device to receive, via the set of wireless channels, at least some of the set of encoded data slices to produce configured receivers;

facilitate the configured receivers to receive encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices to produce received encoded data slices; and

when at least a decode threshold number of received encoded data slices have been received, decode the received encoded data slices to recapture the data segment.

11. The computer of claim 10, wherein the mapping comprises one or more of:

a pillar to wireless channel mapping, wherein the dispersed storage error encoding protocol prescribes a set of pillars;

a data segment to wireless channel mapping; and

an encoded data slice pattern to wireless channel mapping.

12. The computer of claim 10, wherein the processing module further functions to:

a second data segment of the data is encoded in accordance with the dispersed storage error encoding protocol to produce a second set of encoded data slices;

configure, in accordance with the mapping;

a first receiver of the receivers to receive at least some of the set of encoded data slices via a first wireless channel of the set of wireless channels; and

a second receiver of the receivers to receive at least some of the second set of encoded data slices via a second wireless channel of the set of wireless channels;

facilitate;

the first receiver to receive the encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices to produce the received encoded data slices; and

the second receiver to receive encoded data slices of the second set of encoded data slices to produce second received encoded data slices;

when at least the decode threshold number of the received encoded data slices have been received, decode the received encoded data slices to recapture the data segment; and

when at least the decode threshold number of the second received encoded data slices have been received, decode the second received encoded data slices to recapture the second data segment.

13. The computer of claim 10, wherein the processing module functions to configure the receivers by:

configuring a first receiver of the receivers to receive the first encoded data slice via a first wireless channel of the set of wireless channels;

configuring a second receiver of the receivers to receive a second encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices via a second wireless channel of the set of wireless channels; and

configuring a third receiver of the receivers to receive a third encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices via a third wireless channel of the set of wireless channels.

14. The computer of claim 10, wherein the processing module further functions to:

when the decode threshold number of encoded data slices have not been received within a predetermined period of time;

determine whether the mapping is sub-optimal based on wireless communication conditions; and

when the mapping is sub-optimal, determine a second mapping of encoded data slices to wireless channels based on the wireless communication conditions.

15. The computer of claim 14, wherein the processing module functions to determine whether the mapping is sub-optimal by at least one of:

determining that a performance indicator associated with at least one of the configured receivers compares unfavorably to a performance threshold; and

determining that a signaling indicator associated with the at least one of the configured receivers compares unfavorably to the performance threshold.

16. The computer of claim 10, wherein the processing module further functions to:

generate a configuration signal regarding optimal operational characteristics of at least one of the configured receivers; and

facilitate transmission of the configuration signal.

17. The computer of claim 10, wherein the processing module functions to determine the mapping based on at least one of:

receiving a broadcast indicator;

a broadcast status indicator;

a user device data requirement;

a previously utilized access method;

a data access response;

a message;

a pillar broadcast indicator; and

a wireless signal indicator.

18. The computer of claim 10, wherein the mapping comprises:

a first mapping of a first collective of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices to at least one wireless channel of a first transmission site; and

a second mapping of a second collective of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices to at least one wireless channel of a second transmission site.