Dispersed storage unit and method for configuration thereof

• US 8,370,600 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2010
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cleversafe Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Motwani, Manish, Leggette, Wesley
• Primary Examiner(s): BATAILLE, PIERRE MICHE
• Application Number:
  US12/779,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20110225386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 711/154, 711/170, 711/173, 711/E12.002, 711/114, 711/203, 711/202, 714/6.2
• US Class Current: 711/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0646 Configuration or reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/113 Details of archiving lifecycle management in storage systems G06F3/0649; backup systems G06F11/1446
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/122 using management policies backup systems G06F11/1446; file migration policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/125 characterised by the use of retention policies retention policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/162 Delete operations erasing in storage systems G06F3/0652
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0629 Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• 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 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 dispersed storage (DS) unit for use within a dispersed storage network is capable of self-configuring using registry information provided to the DS unit. The registry information includes a slice name assignment indicating a range of slice names corresponding to a plurality of potential data slices of potential data objects to be stored in the DS unit. Based on the registry information, the DS unit allocates a portion of physical memory to store the potential data slices.

Claims

1. A dispersed storage unit for use within a dispersed storage network, comprising:

a physical memory;

an interface; and

a processing module operable to;

receive, via the interface, registry information including a slice name assignment, the slice name assignment indicating a range of slice names corresponding to a plurality of potential data slices, one of the potential data slices forming a portion of one of a plurality of potential data segments of one of a plurality of potential data objects encoded in accordance with an error coding dispersal storage function;

allocate a portion of the physical memory to store the potential data slices based on the registry information;

receive, via the interface, an actual data slice of an actual data segment of an actual data object to be stored within the dispersed storage unit, the slice name of the actual data slice including a virtual memory address of a virtual memory associated with the dispersed storage network; and

generating a mapping of the virtual memory address of the actual data slice to a physical memory storing the actual data slice.

2. The dispersed storage unit of claim 1, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

perform a comparison of the range of slice names of the registry information to a previous range of slice names of previous registry information stored within the dispersed storage unit; and

when the comparison indicates the range of slice names of the registry information is different than the previous range of slice names of the previous registry information, update the table.

3. The dispersed storage unit of claim 2, wherein the processing module is further operable to determine whether an existing range of slice names is to be deleted based on the comparison, and to delete the existing range of slice names.

4. The dispersed storage unit of claim 3, wherein the processing module is further operable to determine whether actual data slices corresponding to at least a portion of the existing range of slice names to be deleted are stored in the physical memory, and to delete the actual data slices from the physical memory.

5. The dispersed storage unit of claim 4, wherein the processing module is further operable to determine whether the actual data slices are to be moved to an additional dispersed storage unit prior to deletion, and to transmit the actual data slices to the additional dispersed storage unit via the interface prior to deleting the actual data slices from the physical memory.

6. The dispersed storage unit of claim 1, wherein:

a number of the potential data slices within one of the potential data segments indicates a number of pillars for one of the potential data objects; and

the range of slice names identifies the potential data slices associated with only one of the pillars.

7. The dispersed storage unit of claim 6, wherein the number of pillars per data segment is constant for a particular vault associated with at least one user of the dispersed storage network.

8. The dispersed storage unit of claim 7, wherein:

the dispersed storage network includes multiple vaults, each associated with at least one user,

the pillars within the vaults having respective pillar numbers, and

the slice name assignment includes ranges of slice names associated with the same pillar numbers for at least two of the vaults.

9. The dispersed storage unit of claim 1, wherein the physical memory includes two or more physical memory devices.

10. The dispersed storage unit of claim 1, wherein the registry information further includes a rebuild assignment indicating a lost or corrupt data slice of an actual data object to be rebuilt from one or more related data slices stored in the physical memory or in other dispersed storage units.

11. The dispersed storage unit of claim 1, wherein the processing module is further operable to transmit, via the interface, a query to the dispersed storage network requesting the registry information.

12. The dispersed storage unit of claim 1, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

determine an initial configuration of the dispersed storage unit;

acquire security credentials for the dispersed storage unit from the dispersed storage network via the interface;

determine whether software modules are needed; and

download the software modules from the dispersed storage network.

13. A method for configuring a dispersed storage unit within a dispersed storage network, the dispersed storage unit including physical memory, comprising:

receiving, at the dispersed storage unit, registry information including a slice name assignment, the slice name assignment indicating a range of slice names corresponding a plurality of potential data slices, one of the potential data slices forming a portion of one of a plurality of potential data segments of one of a plurality of potential data objects encoded in accordance with an error coding dispersal storage function;

allocating a portion of the physical memory to store the potential data slices based on the registry information;

receiving an actual data slice of an actual data segment of an actual data object to be stored within the dispersed storage unit, the slice name of the actual data slice including a virtual memory address of a virtual memory associated with the dispersed storage network; and

generating a mapping of the virtual memory address of the actual data slice to a physical memory address of the physical memory storing the actual data slice.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

performing a comparison of the range of slice names of the registry information to a previous range of slice names of previous registry information stored within the dispersed storage unit; and

when the comparison indicates the range of slice names of the registry information is different than the previous range of slice names of the previous registry information, updating the table.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether an existing range of slice names is to be deleted based on the comparison; and

when the existing range of slice names is to be deleted, deleting the existing range of slice names.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining whether actual data slices corresponding to at least a portion of the existing range of slice names to be deleted are stored in the physical memory; and

deleting the actual data slices from the physical memory.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining whether the actual data slices of the existing range of slice names are to be moved to an additional dispersed storage unit prior to deletion; and

transmitting the actual data slices of the existing range of slice names to the additional dispersed storage unit via the interface prior to deleting the actual data slices from the physical memory.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the registry information further includes a rebuild assignment indicating a lost or corrupt data slice of an actual data object to be rebuilt from one or more related data slices stored in the physical memory or in other dispersed storage units.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting a query to the dispersed storage network requesting the registry information.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining an initial configuration of the dispersed storage unit;

acquiring security credentials for the dispersed storage unit from the dispersed storage network via the interface;

determining whether software modules are needed; and

downloading the software modules from the dispersed storage network.