Prioritization of Messages of a Dispersed Storage Network

• US 20130138756A1
• Filed: 11/21/2012
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cleversafe Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Dhuse, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 10,469,578 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/108 Parity data distribution in semiconductor storages, e.g. in SSD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0607 Interleaved addressing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1408 by using cryptography for digital transmission H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/1028 Distributed, i.e. distributed RAID systems with parity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0641 De-duplication techniques
• 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 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/10 Architectures or entities
• 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: H04L 9/0825 using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions

Abstract

A method begins by a dispersed storage (DS) processing module generating a set of messages regarding a set of encoded data slices. For a first message of the set of messages, the method continues with the DS processing module determining a first message priority based on system-level message processing information and message processing status of a first storage node. For a second message of the set of messages, the method continues with the DS processing module determining a second message priority based on the system-level message processing information and message processing status of a second storage node. The method continues with the DS processing module sending the first message of the set of messages to the first storage node in accordance with the first message priority and sending the second message of the set of messages to the second storage node in accordance with the second message priority.

Claims

1. A method comprises:

generating a set of messages regarding a set of encoded data slices, wherein a data segment of data is encoded using a dispersed storage error coding function to produce the set of encoded data slices;

determining system-level message processing information based on status of processing a plurality of sets of messages regarding a plurality of sets of encoded data slices;

for a first message of the set of messages, determining a first message priority based on the system-level message processing information and message processing status of a first storage node;

for a second message of the set of messages, determining a second message priority based on the system-level message processing information and message processing status of a second storage node;

sending the first message of the set of messages to the first storage node in accordance with the first message priority; and

sending the second message of the set of messages to the second storage node in accordance with the second message priority.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

updating the first message priority based on status of processing the set of messages; and

updating the second message priority based on the status of processing the set of messages.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

the set of messages including a set of write messages to write the set of encoded data slices to a dispersed storage network;

determining when a write threshold number of the set of write messages have been sent to the dispersed storage network; and

when the write threshold number of the set of write messages have been sent and the first message has not yet been sent to the first storage node, reducing the first message priority.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprises:

determining when a write threshold number of the set of write messages have been successfully processed by the dispersed storage network; and

when the write threshold number of the set of write messages have been successfully processed and the first message has not yet been sent to the first storage node, further reducing the first message priority.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

the set of messages including a set of read messages to read the set of encoded data slices from a dispersed storage network;

determining when a decode threshold number of the set of read messages have been sent to a dispersed storage network; and

when the decode threshold number of the set of read messages have been sent and the first message has not yet been sent to the first storage node, reducing the first message priority.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprises:

determining when a decode threshold number of the set of read messages have been successfully processed by the dispersed storage network; and

when the decode threshold number of the set of read messages have been successfully processed and the first message has not yet been sent to the first storage node, further reducing the first message priority.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining system-level message processing information comprises:

for a first set of messages of the plurality of sets of messages, determining at least one of;

a current status of sending the first set of messages, and a current status of successfully processing the first set of messages;

for a second set of messages of the plurality of sets of messages, determining at least one of;

a current status of sending the second set of messages, and a current status of successfully processing the second set of messages; and

determining the status of processing the plurality of sets of messages regarding the plurality of sets of encoded data slices based on the at least one of the current status of sending the first set of messages and the current status of successfully processing the first set of messages, and the at least one of the current status of sending the second set of messages, and the current status of successfully processing the second set of messages.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

determining a number of sets of the plurality of sets of messages that involves the first storage node;

determining status of sending messages of the number of sets of the plurality of sets of messages to the first storage node;

determining status of successfully processed messages of the number of sets of the plurality of sets of messages by the first storage node; and

determining the message processing status of the first storage node based on the status of sending messages and the status of successfully processed messages.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first message priority comprises:

determining a number of sets of the plurality of sets of messages that involves the first storage node;

interpreting the system-level message processing information regarding the number of sets that involve the first storage node to produce interpreted system-level message processing information;

interpreting the message processing status of the first storage node regarding the number of sets that involve the first storage node to produce interpreted message processing status; and

applying a load balancing function in accordance the interpreted system-level message processing information and the interpreted message processing status to produce the first message priority.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

the set of messages including a set of write messages to write the set of encoded data slices to a dispersed storage network;

determining that a write threshold number of the set of write messages have not been sent to the dispersed storage network within a given time frame; and

when the write threshold number of the set of write messages have not been sent in the given time period and the first message has not yet been sent to the first storage node within the given time period, increasing the first message priority.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

the set of messages including a set of write messages to write the set of encoded data slices to a dispersed storage network;

determining when a write threshold number of the set of write messages have not been successfully processed by the dispersed storage network within a given time period; and

when the write threshold number of the set of write messages have not been successfully processed within the given time period and the first message has not yet been sent to the first storage node, increasing the first message priority.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

the set of messages including a set of read messages to read the set of encoded data slices from a dispersed storage network;

determining when a decode threshold number of the set of read messages have not been sent to a dispersed storage network within a given time period; and

when the decode threshold number of the set of read messages have not been sent within the given time period and the first message has not yet been sent to the first storage node in the given time period, increasing the first message priority.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

the set of messages including a set of read messages to read the set of encoded data slices from a dispersed storage network;

determining when a decode threshold number of the set of read messages have not been successfully processed by the dispersed storage network within a given time period; and

when the decode threshold number of the set of read messages have not been successfully processed within the given time period and the first message has not yet been sent to the first storage node, increasing the first message priority.

14. A dispersed storage (DS) module comprises:

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

generate a set of messages regarding a set of encoded data slices, wherein a data segment of data is encoded using a dispersed storage error coding function to produce the set of encoded data slices;

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

determine system-level message processing information based on status of processing a plurality of sets of messages regarding a plurality of sets of encoded data slices;

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

for a first message of the set of messages, determine a first message priority based on the system-level message processing information and message processing status of a first storage node; and

for a second message of the set of messages, determine a second message priority based on the system-level message processing information and message processing status of a second storage node; and

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

send the first message of the set of messages to the first storage node in accordance with the first message priority; and

send the second message of the set of messages to the second storage node in accordance with the second message priority.

15. The DS module of claim 14 further comprises:

the third module further functions to;

update the first message priority based on status of processing the set of messages; and

update the second message priority based on the status of processing the set of messages.

16. The DS module of claim 14 further comprises:

the set of messages including a set of write messages to write the set of encoded data slices to a dispersed storage network; and

the fourth module further functions to determine when a write threshold number of the set of write messages have been sent to the dispersed storage network; and

when the write threshold number of the set of write messages have been sent and the first message has not yet been sent to the first storage node, the third module further functions to reduce the first message priority.

17. The DS module of claim 16 further comprises:

the fourth module further functions to determine when a write threshold number of the set of write messages have been successfully processed by the dispersed storage network; and

when the write threshold number of the set of write messages have been successfully processed and the first message has not yet been sent to the first storage node, the third module further functions to further reduce the first message priority.

18. The DS module of claim 14 further comprises:

the set of messages including a set of read messages to read the set of encoded data slices from a dispersed storage network;

the fourth module further functions to determine when a decode threshold number of the set of read messages have been sent to a dispersed storage network; and

when the decode threshold number of the set of read messages have been sent and the first message has not yet been sent to the first storage node, the third module further functions to reduce the first message priority.

19. The DS module of claim 18 further comprises:

the fourth module further functions to determine when a decode threshold number of the set of read messages have been successfully processed by the dispersed storage network; and

when the decode threshold number of the set of read messages have been successfully processed and the first message has not yet been sent to the first storage node, the third module further functions to further reduce the first message priority.

20. The DS module of claim 14, wherein the second module functions to determine system-level message processing information by:

for a first set of messages of the plurality of sets of messages, determining at least one of;

a current status of sending the first set of messages, and a current status of successfully processing the first set of messages;

for a second set of messages of the plurality of sets of messages, determining at least one of;

a current status of sending the second set of messages, and a current status of successfully processing the second set of messages; and

determining the status of processing the plurality of sets of messages regarding the plurality of sets of encoded data slices based on the at least one of the current status of sending the first set of messages and the current status of successfully processing the first set of messages, and the at least one of the current status of sending the second set of messages, and the current status of successfully processing the second set of messages.

21. The DS module of claim 14 further comprises:

the third module further functions to;

determine a number of sets of the plurality of sets of messages that involves the first storage node;

determine status of sending messages of the number of sets of the plurality of sets of messages to the first storage node;

determine status of successfully processed messages of the number of sets of the plurality of sets of messages by the first storage node; and

determine the message processing status of the first storage node based on the status of sending messages and the status of successfully processed messages.

22. The DS module of claim 14, wherein the third module functions to determine the first message priority by:

determining a number of sets of the plurality of sets of messages that involves the first storage node;

interpreting the system-level message processing information regarding the number of sets that involve the first storage node to produce interpreted system-level message processing information;

interpreting the message processing status of the first storage node regarding the number of sets that involve the first storage node to produce interpreted message processing status; and

applying a load balancing function in accordance the interpreted system-level message processing information and the interpreted message processing status to produce the first message priority.

23. The DS module of claim 14 further comprises:

the set of messages including a set of write messages to write the set of encoded data slices to a dispersed storage network;

the fourth module further functions to determine that a write threshold number of the set of write messages have not been sent to the dispersed storage network within a given time frame; and

when the write threshold number of the set of write messages have not been sent in the given time period and the first message has not yet been sent to the first storage node within the given time period, the third module further functions to increase the first message priority.

24. The DS module of claim 14 further comprises:

the set of messages including a set of write messages to write the set of encoded data slices to a dispersed storage network;

the fourth module further functions to determine when a write threshold number of the set of write messages have not been successfully processed by the dispersed storage network within a given time period; and

when the write threshold number of the set of write messages have not been successfully processed within the given time period and the first message has not yet been sent to the first storage node, the third module further functions to increase the first message priority.

25. The DS module of claim 14 further comprises:

the set of messages including a set of read messages to read the set of encoded data slices from a dispersed storage network;

the fourth module further functions to determine when a decode threshold number of the set of read messages have not been sent to a dispersed storage network within a given time period; and

when the decode threshold number of the set of read messages have not been sent within the given time period and the first message has not yet been sent to the first storage node in the given time period, the third module further functions to increase the first message priority.

26. The DS module of claim 14 further comprises:

the set of messages including a set of read messages to read the set of encoded data slices from a dispersed storage network;

the fourth module further functions to determine when a decode threshold number of the set of read messages have not been successfully processed by the dispersed storage network within a given time period; and

when the decode threshold number of the set of read messages have not been successfully processed within the given time period and the first message has not yet been sent to the first storage node, the third module further functions to increase the first message priority.