EFFICIENT UPDATES WITHIN A DISPERSED STORAGE NETWORK

• US 20170374148A1
• Filed: 06/28/2016
• Published: 12/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dhuse, Greg R., Gray, Adam M.
• Granted Patent: US 11,115,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A method includes determining that a dispersed data source is to be updated. The method further includes determining whether the update to the dispersed data source can be delayed. When the update to the dispersed data source can be delayed, the method further includes determining whether another update is pending for the dispersed data source. When the other update is pending, the method further includes determining whether processing efficiency of aggregating the update and the other update equals or exceeds an update processing efficiency threshold. When the processing efficiency of aggregating the update and the other update equals or exceeds the update processing efficiency threshold, the method further includes performing an aggregate update to the dispersed data source for the update and the other update. When the update to the dispersed data source cannot be delayed, the method further includes processing the update to produce an updated dispersed data source.

Claims

1. A method for execution by a computing device in a dispersed storage network (DSN), the method comprises:

determining that a dispersed data source is to be updated;

determining whether the update to the dispersed data source can be delayed for a period of time;

when the update to the dispersed data source can be delayed for the period of time;

determining whether another update is pending for the dispersed data source;

when the other update is pending, determining whether processing efficiency of aggregating the update and the other update equals or exceeds an update processing efficiency threshold; and

when the processing efficiency of aggregating the update and the other update equals or exceeds the update processing efficiency threshold, performing an aggregate update to the dispersed data source for the update and the other update to produce an aggregate updated dispersed data source; and

when the update to the dispersed data source cannot be delayed, processing the update to produce an updated dispersed data source.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

when the other update is not pending, determining whether the period of time has expired; and

when the period of time has expired, performing the update on the dispersed data source to produce an updated dispersed data source.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprises:

when the period of time has not expired, determining whether a second update to the dispersed data source has been received prior to expiration of the period of time;

when the second update to the dispersed data source is received prior to expiration of the period of time, determining whether processing efficiency of aggregating the update and the second update equals or exceeds the update processing efficiency threshold; and

when the processing efficiency of aggregating the update and the second update equals or exceeds the update processing efficiency threshold, performing an aggregate update to the dispersed data source for the update and the other update to produce a second aggregate updated dispersed data source.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

when the processing efficiency of aggregating the update and the other update does not equal or exceed the update processing efficiency threshold, determining whether the period of time has expired; and

when the period of time has expired, performing the aggregate update to produce the aggregate updated dispersed data source.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

when the period of time has not expired, determining whether another computing device has a pending update for the dispersed data source; and

when the other computing device has the pending update for the dispersed data source, sending, to the other computing device, the update to the dispersed data source for the other computing device to perform.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the dispersed data source comprises one of:

a set of encoded data slices, wherein a data object is divided into a plurality of data segments, wherein a data segment of the plurality of data segments is dispersed storage error encoded to produce the set of encoded data slices, wherein the set of encoded data slices is stored in a set of storage units of the DSN, and wherein the plurality of data segments is dispersed storage error encoded to produce a plurality of sets of encoded data slices;

a set of slice names for the set of encoded data slices;

metadata regarding the set of encoded data slices, wherein the metadata is dispersed storage error encoding into a set of encoded metadata slices and wherein the set of encoded metadata slices is stored in storage units of the DSN;

a region header regarding a group of sets of encoded data slices of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices, wherein the group of sets of encoded data slices is stored in a DSN storage region within the set of storage units; and

an index node of an index structure, wherein the index node includes attribute information to identify the set of encoded data slices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the update to the dispersed data source can be delayed for the period of time comprises one or more of:

receiving the update from a requesting computing device, wherein the requesting computing device indicates that the update can be delayed;

interpreting the update to determine that the update cannot be delayed;

determining to delay the update when input-output operations per second (IOPS) of the DSN is equal to or greater than an IOPS threshold; and

detecting an update conflict for the dispersed data source.

8. A computer readable memory comprises:

a first memory element that stores operational instructions that, when executed by a computing device of a dispersed storage network (DSN), causes the computing device to;

determine that a dispersed data source is to be updated; and

determine whether the update to the dispersed data source can be delayed for a period of time;

a second memory element that stores operational instructions that, when executed by the computing device, causes the computing device to;

when the update to the dispersed data source can be delayed for the period of time;

determine whether another update is pending for the dispersed data source;

when the other update is pending, determine whether processing efficiency of aggregating the update and the other update equals or exceeds an update processing efficiency threshold; and

when the processing efficiency of aggregating the update and the other update equals or exceeds the update processing efficiency threshold, perform an aggregate update to the dispersed data source for the update and the other update to produce an aggregate updated dispersed data source; and

a third memory element that stores operational instructions that, when executed by the computing device, causes the computing device to;

when the update to the dispersed data source cannot be delayed, process the update to produce an updated dispersed data source.

9. The computer readable memory of claim 8 further comprises:

a fourth memory element that stores operational instructions that, when executed by the computing device, causes the computing device to;

when the other update is not pending, determine whether the period of time has expired; and

when the period of time has expired, perform the update on the dispersed data source to produce an updated dispersed data source.

10. The computer readable memory of claim 9 further comprises:

a fifth memory element that stores operational instructions that, when executed by the computing device, causes the computing device to;

when the period of time has not expired, determine whether a second update to the dispersed data source has been received prior to expiration of the period of time;

when the second update to the dispersed data source is received prior to expiration of the period of time, determine whether processing efficiency of aggregating the update and the second update equals or exceeds the update processing efficiency threshold; and

when the processing efficiency of aggregating the update and the second update equals or exceeds the update processing efficiency threshold, perform an aggregate update to the dispersed data source for the update and the other update to produce a second aggregate updated dispersed data source.

11. The computer readable memory of claim 8 further comprises:

a fourth memory element that stores operational instructions that, when executed by the computing device, causes the computing device to;

when the processing efficiency of aggregating the update and the other update does not equal or exceed the update processing efficiency threshold, determine whether the period of time has expired; and

when the period of time has expired, perform the aggregate update to produce the aggregate updated dispersed data source.

12. The computer readable memory of claim 8 further comprises:

a fourth memory element that stores operational instructions that, when executed by the computing device, causes the computing device to;

when the period of time has not expired, determine whether another computing device has a pending update for the dispersed data source; and

when the other computing device has the pending update for the dispersed data source, send, to the other computing device, the update to the dispersed data source for the other computing device to perform.

13. The computer readable memory of claim 8, wherein the dispersed data source comprises one of:

a set of encoded data slices, wherein a data object is divided into a plurality of data segments, wherein a data segment of the plurality of data segments is dispersed storage error encoded to produce the set of encoded data slices, wherein the set of encoded data slices is stored in a set of storage units of the DSN, and wherein the plurality of data segments is dispersed storage error encoded to produce a plurality of sets of encoded data slices;

a set of slice names for the set of encoded data slices;

metadata regarding the set of encoded data slices, wherein the metadata is dispersed storage error encoding into a set of encoded metadata slices and wherein the set of encoded metadata slices is stored in storage units of the DSN;

a region header regarding a group of sets of encoded data slices of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices, wherein the group of sets of encoded data slices is stored in a DSN storage region within the set of storage units; and

an index node of an index structure, wherein the index node includes attribute information to identify the set of encoded data slices.

14. The computer readable memory of claim 8, wherein the determining whether the update to the dispersed data source can be delayed for the period of time comprises one or more of:

receiving the update from a requesting computing device, wherein the requesting computing device indicates that the update can be delayed;

interpreting the update to determine that the update cannot be delayed;

determining to delay the update when input-output operations per second (IOPS) of the DSN is equal to or greater than an IOPS threshold; and

detecting an update conflict for the dispersed data source.

15. A computing device comprises:

an interface;

memory; and

a processing module operably coupled to the interface and the memory, wherein the processing module is operable to;

determine that a dispersed data source is to be updated;

determine whether the update to the dispersed data source can be delayed for a period of time;

when the update to the dispersed data source can be delayed for the period of time;

determine whether another update is pending for the dispersed data source;

when the other update is pending, determine whether processing efficiency of aggregating the update and the other update equals or exceeds an update processing efficiency threshold; and

when the processing efficiency of aggregating the update and the other update equals or exceeds the update processing efficiency threshold, perform an aggregate update to the dispersed data source for the update and the other update to produce an aggregate updated dispersed data source; and

when the update to the dispersed data source cannot be delayed, process the update to produce an updated dispersed data source.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

when the other update is not pending, determine whether the period of time has expired; and

when the period of time has expired, perform the update on the dispersed data source to produce an updated dispersed data source.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

when the period of time has not expired, determine whether a second update to the dispersed data source has been received prior to expiration of the period of time;

when the second update to the dispersed data source is received prior to expiration of the period of time, determine whether processing efficiency of aggregating the update and the second update equals or exceeds the update processing efficiency threshold; and

when the processing efficiency of aggregating the update and the second update equals or exceeds the update processing efficiency threshold, perform an aggregate update to the dispersed data source for the update and the other update to produce a second aggregate updated dispersed data source.

18. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

when the processing efficiency of aggregating the update and the other update does not equal or exceed the update processing efficiency threshold, determine whether the period of time has expired; and

when the period of time has expired, perform the aggregate update to produce the aggregate updated dispersed data source.

19. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

when the period of time has not expired, determine whether another computing device has a pending update for the dispersed data source; and

when the other computing device has the pending update for the dispersed data source, send, to the other computing device via the interface, the update to the dispersed data source for the other computing device to perform.

20. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the processing module is further operable to determine whether the update to the dispersed data source can be delayed for the period of time by one or more of:

receiving the update from a requesting computing device, wherein the requesting computing device indicates that the update can be delayed;

interpreting the update to determine that the update cannot be delayed;

determining to delay the update when input-output operations per second (IOPS) of a dispersed storage network is equal to or greater than an IOPS threshold; and

detecting an update conflict for the dispersed data source.