Dispersed storage network resource allocation

• US 8,566,552 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2010
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cleversafe Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Baptist, Andrew, Volvovski, Ilya, Resch, Jason K.
• Primary Examiner(s): BATAILLE, PIERRE MICHE
• Application Number:
  US12/779,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20110225360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,258 Days
• Field of Search: 711/170, 711/156, 711/154, 711/E12.002, 711/114
• US Class Current: 711/170
• 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 managing unit allocates resources within a dispersed storage network by determining a state of a dispersed storage unit supporting a vault associated with at least one user of the dispersed storage network and provisioning storage within the dispersed storage unit based on the state thereof.

Claims

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

an interface; and

a processing module operable to;

determine a state of a dispersed storage unit supporting a vault associated with at least one user of the dispersed storage network, the vault including data objects at least partially stored within the dispersed storage unit, one of the data objects being segmented into data segments and one of the data segments being sliced into data slices, a number of the data slices within one of the data segments indicating a number of pillars of the vault, each of the pillars corresponding to a particular data slice of each data segment of each data object written to the vault, the dispersed storage unit storing no more than one of the pillars of the vault; and

provision storage within the dispersed storage unit based on the state thereof via the interface.

2. The dispersed storage managing unit of claim 1, wherein the dispersed storage unit includes a set of dispersed storage units.

3. The dispersed storage managing unit of claim 1, wherein the state is a state of fullness of physical memory of the dispersed storage unit and the processing module is operable to determine the state of fullness by comparing a fullness indicator to a utilization factor.

4. The dispersed storage managing unit of claim 3, wherein the fullness indicator is one of an absolute measure of an amount of the physical memory currently storing data slices of the vault or a percentage of allocation of the physical memory for the vault.

5. The dispersed storage managing unit of claim 3, wherein the utilization factor is a state of fullness of at least one other dispersed storage unit supporting the vault, and the processing module is operable to store new data slices between the dispersed storage unit and the at least one other dispersed storage unit to substantially equalize utilization therebetween.

6. The dispersed storage managing unit of claim 3, wherein the utilization factor includes a warning threshold and a high threshold higher than the warning threshold.

7. The dispersed storage managing unit of claim 6, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

determine the state of fullness is a normal state when the fullness indicator compares favorably to the warning threshold; and

allow storage of new data slices of the vault to the dispersed storage unit when in the normal state.

8. The dispersed storage managing unit of claim 7, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

determine the state of fullness is a warning state when the fullness indicator compares unfavorably to the warning threshold and favorably to the high threshold; and

perform a mitigation function of the dispersed storage unit, via the interface, to reduce the fullness indicator when in the warning state.

9. The dispersed storage managing unit of claim 8, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

determine the state of fullness is a high state when the fullness indicator compares unfavorably to the high threshold; and

perform the mitigation function of the dispersed storage unit, via the interface, to reduce the fullness indicator when in the high state.

10. The dispersed storage managing unit of claim 9, wherein the mitigation function includes one or more of a new storage function to store new data slices in a new dispersed storage unit added to a set of dispersed storage units for the vault, a rebalance function to rebalance the data slices among the set of dispersed storage units for the vault when the new dispersed storage unit is added to the set of dispersed storage units, a move function to move the data slices in a defective dispersed storage unit to a replacement dispersed storage unit within the set of dispersed storage units for the vault and a temporary assignment function to temporarily assign a different memory for storage of at least a portion of the data slices of the vault.

11. The dispersed storage managing unit of claim 9, wherein the mitigation function includes a delete data function to delete at least one of redundant data slices and expired data slices from the dispersed storage unit when in the high state.

12. The dispersed storage managing unit of claim 9, wherein the mitigation function includes a read only function to prevent new data slices from being stored in the dispersed storage unit when in the high state.

13. The dispersed storage managing unit of claim 9, wherein the processing module is further operable to transmit a warning alert message via the interface when the state of fullness transitions from the normal state to the warning state and transmit a high alert message via the interface when the state of fullness transitions to the high state from the normal state or the warning state.

14. A method for managing a dispersed storage network, comprising:

determining a state of a dispersed storage unit supporting a vault associated with at least one user of the dispersed storage network, the vault including data objects at least partially stored within the dispersed storage unit, one of the data objects being segmented into data segments and one of the data segments being sliced into data slices, a number of the data slices within one of the data segments indicating a number of pillars of the vault, each of the pillars corresponding to a particular data slice of each data segment of each data object written to the vault, the dispersed storage unit storing no more than one of the pillars of the vault; and

provisioning storage within the dispersed storage unit based on the state thereof.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the state is a state of fullness of physical memory of the dispersed storage unit and wherein the determining the state further comprises:

determining the state by comparing a fullness indicator to a utilization factor.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the utilization factor is a state of fullness of at least one other dispersed storage unit supporting the vault, and wherein the provisioning storage further comprises:

storing new data slices between the dispersed storage unit and the at least one other dispersed storage unit to substantially equalize utilization therebetween.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the utilization factor includes a warning threshold and a high threshold higher than the warning threshold, and wherein the determining the state further comprises:

determining the state of fullness is a normal state when the fullness indicator compares favorably to the warning threshold; and

wherein the provisioning further comprises;

allowing storage of new data slices of the vault to the dispersed storage unit when in the normal state.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining the state further comprises:

determining the state of fullness is a warning state when the fullness indicator compares unfavorably to the warning threshold and favorably to the high threshold; and

wherein the provisioning further comprises;

performing a mitigation function of the dispersed storage unit to reduce the fullness indicator when in the warning state.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the determining the state further comprises:

determining the state of fullness is a high state when the fullness indicator compares unfavorably to the high threshold; and

wherein the provisioning further comprises;

performing the mitigation function of the dispersed storage unit to reduce the fullness indicator when in the high state.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the mitigation function includes one or more of a new storage function to store new data slices in a new dispersed storage unit added to a set of dispersed storage units for the vault, a rebalance function to rebalance the data slices among the set of dispersed storage units for the vault when the new dispersed storage unit is added to the set of dispersed storage units, a move function to move the data slices in a defective dispersed storage unit to a replacement dispersed storage unit within the set of dispersed storage units for the vault and a temporary assignment function to temporarily assign a different memory for storage of at least a portion of the data slices of the vault.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the mitigation function includes a delete data function to delete at least one of redundant data slices and expired data slices from the dispersed storage unit when in the high state.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the mitigation function includes a read only function to prevent new data slices from being stored in the dispersed storage unit when in the high state.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting a warning alert message when the state of fullness transitions from the normal state to the warning state; and

transmitting a high alert message when the state of fullness transitions to the high state from the normal state or the warning state.