UTILIZING A LOCAL AREA NETWORK MEMORY AND A DISPERSED STORAGE NETWORK MEMORY TO ACCESS DATA

• US 20120254692A1
• Filed: 03/06/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cleversafe Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Resch, Jason K., Grube, Gary W., Markison, Timothy W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1044 with specific ECC/EDC distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1441 Resetting or repowering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• 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 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0646 Horizontal data movement in storage systems, i.e. moving data in between storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0653 Monitoring storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• 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 13/1515 Reed-Solomon codes
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/23 using convolutional codes, e.g. unit memory codes
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/2707 Simple row-column interleaver, i.e. pure block interleaving
• 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 processing module encoding data based on a decode threshold parameter and a pillar width parameter to produce a set of encoded data slices and selecting a local area network (LAN) pillar width value of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices for storage in LAN available memories, wherein the LAN pillar width value is based on the decode threshold parameter, the pillar width parameter, and quantities of the LAN available memories. The method continues with the processing module selecting a wide area network (WAN) pillar width value of encoded data slices of the set of encode data slices for storage in a dispersed storage network (DSN) memory of a wide area network, wherein the WAN pillar width value is based on the decode threshold parameter and the pillar width parameter.

Claims

1. A method comprises:

encoding, in accordance with a dispersed storage error coding function, data based on a decode threshold parameter and a pillar width parameter to produce a set of encoded data slices;

selecting a local area network (LAN) pillar width value of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices for storage in LAN available memories, wherein the LAN pillar width value is based on the decode threshold parameter, the pillar width parameter, and quantities of the LAN available memories and wherein the LAN pillar width value is equal to or greater than a value of the decode threshold parameter; and

selecting a wide area network (WAN) pillar width value of encoded data slices of the set of encode data slices for storage in a dispersed storage network (DSN) memory of a wide area network, wherein the WAN pillar width value is based on the decode threshold parameter and the pillar width parameter and wherein the WAN pillar width value is equal to or greater than the value of the decode threshold parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the LAN available memories comprises:

mobile device available memory; and

fixed device available memory.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the encoding the data comprises:

determining the decode threshold parameter based on a minimum quantity of the fixed device available memory; and

determining the pillar width parameter based on the minimum quantity of the fixed device available memory and a minimum quantity of the mobile device available memory.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises at least one of:

the LAN pillar width value is less than a value of the pillar width parameter; and

the WAN pillar width value is less than the value of the pillar width parameter.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

receiving a request to retrieve the data;

determining whether the LAN is accessible;

when the LAN is accessible;

requesting the LAN pillar width value of encoded data slices from the LAN available memories;

when at least a decode threshold parameter of the LAN pillar width value of encoded data slices have been received, decoding, in accordance with the dispersed storage error coding function to produce the data; and

when the at least the decode threshold parameter of the LAN pillar width value of encoded data slices have not been received, requesting at least one of the WAN pillar width value of encoded data slices from the DSN memory; and

when the LAN is not accessible, requesting the WAN pillar width value of encoded data slices from the DSN memory.

6. A method for setting up a local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) dispersed storage system, the method comprises:

determining LAN available memories of a local area network (LAN) environment;

establishing a decode threshold parameter and a pillar width parameter of a dispersed storage error coding function based on quantities of the LAN available memories;

determining a LAN pillar width value based on the decode threshold parameter, the pillar width parameter, and the quantities of the LAN available memories, wherein the LAN pillar width value is equal to or greater than a value of the decode threshold parameter; and

determining a WAN pillar width value based on the decode threshold parameter and the pillar width parameter, wherein the WAN pillar width value is equal to or greater than the value of the decode threshold parameter, wherein, for data that is encoded into a set of encoded data slices in accordance with the dispersed storage error coding function, the decode threshold parameter, and the pillar width parameter,

a LAN pillar width value of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices are selected for storage in the LAN available memories, and

a WAN pillar width value of encoded data slices of the set of encode data slices for storage in a distributed storage network (DSN) memory of the WAN.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining LAN available memories comprises:

identifying one or more mobile device available memories; and

identifying one or more fixed device available memories.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the establishing the decode threshold parameter and the pillar width parameter comprises:

determining the decode threshold parameter based on a minimum quantity of the fixed device available memory; and

determining the pillar width parameter based on the minimum quantity of the fixed device available memory and a minimum quantity of the mobile device available memory.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprises at least one of:

determining the LAN pillar width value to be less than a value of the pillar width parameter; and

determining the WAN pillar width value to be less than the value of the pillar width parameter.

10. A dispersed storage (DS) module comprises:

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

encode, in accordance with a dispersed storage error coding function, data based on a decode threshold parameter and a pillar width parameter to produce a set of encoded data slices;

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

select a local area network (LAN) pillar width value of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices for storage in LAN available memories, wherein the LAN pillar width value is based on the decode threshold parameter, the pillar width parameter, and quantities of the LAN available memories and wherein the LAN pillar width value is equal to or greater than a value of the decode threshold parameter; and

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

select a wide area network (WAN) pillar width value of encoded data slices of the set of encode data slices for storage in a dispersed storage network (DSN) memory of a wide area network, wherein the WAN pillar width value is based on the decode threshold parameter and the pillar width parameter and wherein the WAN pillar width value is equal to or greater than the value of the decode threshold parameter.

11. The DS module of claim 10, wherein the LAN available memories comprises:

mobile device available memory; and

fixed device available memory.

12. The DS module of claim 11, wherein the first module further functions to encode the data by:

determining the decode threshold parameter based on a minimum quantity of the fixed device available memory; and

determining the pillar width parameter based on the minimum quantity of the fixed device available memory and a minimum quantity of the mobile device available memory.

13. The DS module of claim 10 further comprises at least one of:

the LAN pillar width value is less than a value of the pillar width parameter; and

the WAN pillar width value is less than the value of the pillar width parameter.

14. The DS module of claim 10 further comprises:

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

receive a request to retrieve the data;

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

determine whether the LAN is accessible; and

when the LAN is accessible, request the LAN pillar width value of encoded data slices from the LAN memories;

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

when at least a decode threshold parameter of the LAN pillar width value of encoded data slices have been received, decode, in accordance with the dispersed storage error coding function to produce the data; and

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

when the at least the decode threshold parameter of the LAN pillar width value of encoded data slices have not been received, request at least one of the WAN pillar width value of encoded data slices from the DSN memory; and

when the LAN is not accessible, requesting the WAN pillar width value of encoded data slices from the DSN memory.

15. A dispersed storage (DS) module for setting up a local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) dispersed storage system comprises:

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

determine LAN available memories of a local area network (LAN) environment;

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

establish a decode threshold parameter and a pillar width parameter of a dispersed storage error coding function based on quantities of the LAN available memories;

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

determine a LAN pillar width value based on the decode threshold parameter, the pillar width parameter, and the quantities of the LAN available memories, wherein the LAN pillar width value is equal to or greater than a value of the decode threshold parameter; and

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

determine a WAN pillar width value based on the decode threshold parameter and the pillar width parameter, wherein the WAN pillar width value is equal to or greater than the value of the decode threshold parameter, wherein, for data that is encoded into a set of encoded data slices in accordance with the dispersed storage error coding function, the decode threshold parameter, and the pillar width parameter,

a LAN pillar width value of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices are selected for storage in the LAN available memories, and

a WAN pillar width value of encoded data slices of the set of encode data slices for storage in a distributed storage network (DSN) memory of the WAN.

16. The DS module of claim 15, wherein the first module functions to determine the LAN available memories by:

identifying one or more mobile device available memories; and

identifying one or more fixed device available memories.

17. The DS module of claim 16, wherein the second module functions to establish the decode threshold parameter and the pillar width parameter by:

determining the decode threshold parameter based on a minimum quantity of the fixed device available memory; and

determining the pillar width parameter based on the minimum quantity of the fixed device available memory and a minimum quantity of the mobile device available memory.

18. The DS module of claim 15 further comprises at least one of:

the third module is further operable to determine the LAN pillar width value to be less than a value of the pillar width parameter; and

the fourth module is further operable to determine the WAN pillar width value to be less than the value of the pillar width parameter.