Method and apparatus for dispersed storage of streaming multi-media data

• US 8,307,263 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2010
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cleversafe Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Grube, Gary W., Markison, Timothy W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, David
• Application Number:
  US12/814,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20110083061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 877 Days
• Field of Search: 707/822, 709/247, 709/208, 709/231, 382/248, 714/769, 714/770
• US Class Current: 714/770
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1092 Rebuilding, e.g. when physically replacing a failing disk
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1666 where the redundant component is memory or memory area
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party

Abstract

A method begins by a processing module determining dispersed storage preferences for streaming multi-media data. The method continues with the processing module transcoding the streaming multi-media data into transcoded data when the dispersed storage preferences include transcoding. In addition, the method continues with the processing module encoding the transcoded data in accordance with an error coding dispersed storage function of the dispersed storage preferences to produce pluralities of error coded data slices. In addition, the method continues with the processing module outputting the pluralities of error coded data slices to a plurality of data storage units for storage therein.

Claims

1. A method for dispersed storage of streaming multi-media data, the method comprises:

determining dispersed storage preferences for the streaming multi-media data;

transcoding the streaming multi-media data into transcoded data when the dispersed storage preferences include transcoding;

encoding the transcoded data in accordance with an error coding dispersed storage function of the dispersed storage preferences to produce pluralities of error coded data slices; and

outputting the pluralities of error coded data slices to a plurality of data storage units for storage therein.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

receiving the streaming multi-media data.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

determining whether to partition the streaming multi-media data into a plurality of data streams based on the dispersed storage preferences; and

when the streaming multi-media data is to be partitioned into the plurality of data streams;

transcoding each of the plurality of data streams to produce a plurality of transcoded data streams in accordance with the dispersed storage preferences; and

encoding each of the plurality of transcoded data streams into a plurality of sets of error coded data slices as the pluralities of error coded data slices.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

partitioning the transcoded data into a plurality of transcoded data streams in accordance with the dispersed storage preferences; and

encoding each of the plurality of transcoded data streams in accordance with the error coding dispersed storage function of the dispersed storage preferences to produce a plurality of sets of error coded data slices as the pluralities of error coded data slices.

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

pre-slice data manipulation of at least a portion of the transcoded data; and

post-slice data manipulation of an error coded data slice of the pluralities of error coded data slices.

6. A method for retrieving streaming multi-media data from a dispersed storage system, the method comprises:

determining dispersed storage retrieval preferences for the streaming multi-media data;

accessing a plurality of data storage units to retrieve pluralities of error coded data slices therefrom;

per plurality of the pluralities of error coded data slices, decoding at least a threshold number of the error coded data slices in accordance with an error coding dispersed storage function of the dispersed storage retrieval preferences to produce a decoded data segment;

aggregating the decoded data segments to produce a retrieved multi-media data; and

transcoding the retrieved multi-media data into the streaming multi-media data when the dispersed storage retrieval preferences include transcoding.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprises:

outputting the streaming multi-media data.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprises:

retrieving a plurality of sets of error coded data slices as the pluralities of error coded data slices;

decoding the plurality of sets of error coded data slices into a corresponding plurality of data streams; and

combining the plurality data streams into the retrieved multi-media data.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprises:

retrieving a plurality of sets of error coded data slices as the pluralities of error coded data slices;

decoding the plurality of sets of error coded data slices into a corresponding plurality of data streams;

transcoding the corresponding plurality of data streams into a plurality of transcoded data streams; and

combining the plurality of transcoded data streams into the streaming multi-media data.

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

pre-slice data de-manipulation of the decoded data segment; and

post-slice data de-manipulation of an error coded data slice of the pluralities of error coded data slices.

11. A computer comprises:

an interface; and

a processing module operable to;

determine dispersed storage preferences for streaming multi-media data;

transcode the streaming multi-media data into transcoded data when the dispersed storage preferences include transcoding;

encode the transcoded data in accordance with an error coding dispersed storage function of the dispersed storage preferences to produce pluralities of error coded data slices; and

output, via the interface, the pluralities of error coded data slices to a plurality of data storage units for storage therein.

12. The computer of claim 11, wherein the processing module further functions to:

receive, via the interface, the streaming multi-media data.

13. The computer of claim 11, wherein the processing module further functions to:

determine whether to partition the streaming multi-media data into a plurality of data streams based on the dispersed storage preferences; and

when the streaming multi-media data is to be partitioned into the plurality of data streams;

transcode each of the plurality of data streams to produce a plurality of transcoded data streams in accordance with the dispersed storage preferences; and

encode each of the plurality of transcoded data streams into a plurality of sets of error coded data slices as the pluralities of error coded data slices.

14. The computer of claim 11, wherein the processing module further functions to:

partition the transcoded data into a plurality of transcoded data streams in accordance with the dispersed storage preferences; and

encode each of the plurality of transcoded data streams in accordance with the error coding dispersed storage function of the dispersed storage preferences to produce a plurality of sets of error coded data slices as the pluralities of error coded data slices.

15. The computer of claim 11, wherein the processing module further functions to perform at least one of:

pre-slice data manipulation of at least a portion of the transcoded data; and

post-slice data manipulation of an error coded data slice of the pluralities of error coded data slices.

16. A computer comprises:

an interface; and

a processing module operable to;

determine dispersed storage retrieval preferences for the streaming multi-media data;

access, via the interface, a plurality of data storage units to retrieve pluralities of error coded data slices therefrom;

per plurality of the pluralities of error coded data slices, decode at least a threshold number of the error coded data slices in accordance with an error coding dispersed storage function of the dispersed storage preferences to produce a decoded data segment;

aggregate the decoded data segments to produce a retrieved multi-media data; and

transcode the retrieved multi-media data into the streaming multi-media data when the dispersed storage retrieval preferences include transcoding.

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

output, via the interface, the streaming multi-media data.

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

retrieve, via the interface, a plurality of sets of error coded data slices as the pluralities of error coded data slices;

decode the plurality of sets of error coded data slices into a corresponding plurality of data streams; and

combine the plurality data streams into the retrieved multi-media data.

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

retrieve, via the interface, a plurality of sets of error coded data slices as the pluralities of error coded data slices;

decode the plurality of sets of error coded data slices into a corresponding plurality of data streams;

transcode the corresponding plurality of data streams into a plurality of transcoded data streams; and

combine the plurality of transcoded data streams into the streaming multi-media data.

20. The computer of claim 16, wherein the processing module further functions to perform at least one of:

pre-slice data de-manipulation of the decoded data segment; and

post-slice data de-manipulation of an error coded data slice of the pluralities of error coded data slices.