Utilizing a dispersed storage network access token module to access a dispersed storage network memory

• US 8,726,127 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2012
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cleversafe Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Grube, Gary W., Markison, Timothy W., Dhuse, Greg, Resch, Jason K., Volvovski, Ilya, Leggette, Wesley
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabone, Jr., John J
• Application Number:
  US13/347,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20120198311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 714/702, 714/718, 714/751, 714/752, 714/763, 714/769, 714/770, 714/773, 714/799, 714/6.1, 714/6.2, 714/6.22, 714/6.24, 714/42, 711/111, 711/114, 711/170, 709/231, 707/822
• US Class Current: 714/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1008 in individual solid state devices G06F11/1004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1402 Saving, restoring, recovering or retrying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17331 Distributed shared memory [DSM], e.g. remote direct memory access [RDMA]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/805 using a security table for the storage sub-system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/06 Digital input from, or digital output to, record carriers , e.g. RAID, emulated record carriers or networked record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0665 at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/085 Secret sharing or secret splitting, e.g. threshold schemes

Abstract

A method begins by a computing device determining that dispersed storage network (DSN) memory is to be accessed regarding data. The method continues when the computing device is paired with a DSN access token module with the DSN access token module retrieving a plurality of sets of at least a threshold number of dispersed storage (DS) error coding function slices from the DSN memory via the computing device. The method continues with at least one of the computing device and the DSN access token module decoding the plurality of sets of the at least a threshold number of DS error coding function slices using a default DS error coding function to recapture a DS error coding function and executing, by one or more of the computing device and the DSN access token module, the DS error coding function to access the DSN memory regarding the data.

Claims

1. A method comprises:

determining, by a computing device, that dispersed storage network (DSN) memory is to be accessed regarding data; and

when the computing device is paired with a DSN access token module;

retrieving, by the DSN access token module, a plurality of sets of at least a threshold number of dispersed storage (DS) error coding function slices from the DSN memory via the computing device;

decoding, by at least one of the computing device and the DSN access token module, the plurality of sets of the at least a threshold number of DS error coding function slices using a default DS error coding function to recapture a DS error coding function; and

executing, by one or more of the computing device and the DSN access token module, the DS error coding function to access the DSN memory regarding the data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving the plurality of sets of the at least a threshold number of DS error coding function slices further comprises:

sending, by the computing device, a DSN access request regarding the data to the DSN access token module;

determining, by the DSN access token module, the DS error coding function in response to the DSN access request;

determining, by the DSN access token module, DSN storage information for the DS error coding function;

generating, by the DSN access token module, a plurality of sets of at least a threshold number of DS error coding function slice read requests based on the DSN storage information;

sending, by the DSN access token module, the plurality of sets of the at least a threshold number of DS error coding function slices read requests to DSN memory via the computing device; and

receiving, by the DSN access token module, the plurality of sets of the at least a threshold number of DS error coding function slices from the DSN memory via the computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

storing, by the DSN access token module, the DS error coding function in memory of the DSN access token module; and

accessing, by the one or more of the computing device and the DSN access token module, the DS error coding function from the memory of the DSN access token module for execution.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprises:

when execution of the DSN error coding function to access the DSN memory regarding the data is complete, deleting, by the DSN access token module, the DSN error coding function from the memory of the DSN access token module.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

determining that the accessing of the DSN is regarding a data retrieval request;

wherein the executing the DS error coding function to access the DSN memory regarding the data includes;

generating a plurality of sets of at least a threshold number of data slice read requests in response to the data retrieval request; and

for a set of the plurality of sets of the at least a threshold number of data slices read requests;

sending, by the computing device, the set of the at least a threshold number of data slices read requests to the DSN memory;

receiving, by the computing device, at least a threshold number of data slices from the DSN memory; and

decoding the at least a threshold number of data slices in accordance with the DS error coding function to produce a decoded data segment.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

determining that the accessing of the DSN is regarding a data write request;

wherein the executing the DS error coding function to access the DSN memory regarding the data includes;

encoding at least a portion of the data using the DS error coding function to produce one or more sets of encoded data slices;

generating storage information regarding the one or more sets of encoded data slices; and

sending, by the computing device, the one or more sets of encoded data slices in accordance with the storage information to the DSN memory for storage therein.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

managing, by the DSN access token module, the pairing between the DSN access token module and the computing device by at least one of;

authenticating one or more of;

a vault identifier (ID) of the DSN memory associated with the computing device;

an object number associated with the computing device;

an access credential of the computing device;

a key of the computing device;

a user device ID associated with the computing device; and

a password associated with the computing device;

determining whether the DSN access token module is actively paired to the computing device and, when the DSN access token module is not actively paired to the computing device, facilitating pairing of the DSN access token module to the computing device; and

receiving DS processing feature information from the computing device, determining sharing of the decoding of the plurality of sets of the at least a threshold number of DS error coding function slices between the computing device and the DSN access token module based on the DS processing feature information, and determining sharing of the executing of the DS error coding function to access the DSN memory regarding the data between the computing device and the DSN access token module based on the DS processing feature information.

8. A dispersed storage network (DSN) access token module comprises:

an interface module for interfacing with a computing device;

memory; and

a processing module operably coupled to the memory and operable to, when the DSN access token module is paired with a computing device;

retrieve a plurality of sets of at least a threshold number of dispersed storage (DS) error coding function slices from the DSN memory via the computing device;

determining decoding responsibilities based on DS processing features of the computing device;

decoding, in accordance with the decoding responsibilities, at least some of the plurality of sets of the at least a threshold number of DS error coding function slices using a default DS error coding function to recapture at least a portion of a DS error coding function;

determining executing responsibilities based on the DS processing features of the computing device; and

executing, in accordance with the executing responsibilities, at least a portion of the DS error coding function to access the DSN memory regarding the data.

9. The DSN access token module of claim 8, wherein the retrieving the plurality of sets of the at least a threshold number of DS error coding function slices further comprises:

receiving, from the computing device, a DSN access request regarding the data to the DSN access token module;

determining the DS error coding function in response to the DSN access request;

determining DSN storage information for the DS error coding function;

generating a plurality of sets of at least a threshold number of DS error coding function slice read requests based on the DSN storage information;

sending the plurality of sets of the at least a threshold number of DS error coding function slices read requests to DSN memory via the computing device;

receiving the plurality of sets of the at least a threshold number of DS error coding function slices from the DSN memory via the computing device.

10. The DSN access token module of claim 8, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

store the DS error coding function in memory of the DSN access token module; and

facilitate the computing device to access the memory to retrieve at least a portion of the DS error coding function such that the computing device executes, in accordance with the executing responsibilities, a remaining portion the DS error coding function to access the DSN memory regarding the data.

11. The DSN access token module of claim 10, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

delete the DSN error coding function from the memory of the DSN access token module when execution of the DSN error coding function to access the DSN memory regarding the data is complete.

12. The DSN access token module of claim 8, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

determine that the accessing of the DSN is regarding a data retrieval request;

wherein the executing the at least a portion of the DS error coding function to access the DSN memory regarding the data includes;

generating a plurality of sets of at least a threshold number of data slice read requests in response to the data retrieval request; and

for a set of the plurality of sets of the at least a threshold number of data slices read requests;

sending the set of the at least a threshold number of data slices read requests to the DSN memory via the computing device;

receiving at least a threshold number of data slices from the DSN memory via the computing device; and

decoding the at least a threshold number of data slices in accordance with the DS error coding function to produce a decoded data segment.

13. The DSN access token module of claim 8, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

determine that the accessing of the DSN is regarding a data write request; and

wherein the executing the at least a portion of the DS error coding function to access the DSN memory regarding the data includes;

encoding at least a portion of the data using the DS error coding function to produce one or more sets of encoded data slices;

generating storage information regarding the one or more sets of encoded data slices; and

sending the one or more sets of encoded data slices in accordance with the storage information to the DSN memory via the computing device.

14. The DSN access token module of claim 8, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

manage the pairing between the DSN access token module and the computing device by at least one of;

authenticating one or more of;

a vault identifier (ID) of the DSN memory associated with the computing device;

an object number associated with the computing device;

an access credential of the computing device;

a key of the computing device;

a user device ID associated with the computing device; and

a password associated with the computing device; and

determining whether the DSN access token module is actively paired to the computing device and, when the DSN access token module is not actively paired to the computing device, facilitating pairing of the DSN access token module to the computing device.

15. A module for facilitating accessing a dispersed storage network (DSN) memory regarding data, the module comprises:

a first module operable to determine that the DSN memory is to be accessed regarding the data; and

when a computing device that includes the module is paired with a DSN access token module;

a second module operable to retrieve, in response to a request from the DSN access token module, a plurality of sets of at least a threshold number of dispersed storage (DS) error coding function slices from the DSN memory;

a third module operable to decode, in accordance with decoding responsibilities received from the DSN access token module, at least a portion of the plurality of sets of the at least a threshold number of DS error coding function slices using a default DS error coding function to recapture at least a portion of a DS error coding function; and

a fourth module operable to execute, in accordance with executing responsibilities received from the DSN access token module, at least a portion of the DS error coding function to access the DSN memory regarding the data.

16. The module of claim 15, wherein the second module further comprises:

a first sub-module operable to send a DSN access request regarding the data to the DSN access token module;

a second sub-module operable to send a plurality of sets of the at least a threshold number of DS error coding function slices read requests to DSN memory via the computing device, wherein the DSN access token module;

determines the DS error coding function in response to the DSN access request;

determines DSN storage information for the DS error coding function; and

generates the plurality of sets of at least a threshold number of DS error coding function slice read requests based on the DSN storage information; and

a third sub-module operable to receive the plurality of sets of the at least a threshold number of DS error coding function slices from the DSN memory.

17. The module of claim 15, wherein the fourth module is further operable to:

access the DS error coding function from memory of the DSN access token module for execution of the at least a portion of the DS error coding function to access the DSN memory regarding the data.

18. The module of claim 15, wherein the fourth module is further operable, when the accessing of the DSN is regarding a data retrieval request, to:

for a set of a plurality of sets of the at least a threshold number of data slices read requests;

send the set of the at least a threshold number of data slices read requests to the DSN memory;

receive at least a threshold number of data slices from the DSN memory; and

decode, in accordance with the executing responsibilities, the at least a threshold number of data slices in accordance with the DS error coding function to produce a decoded data segment.

19. The module of claim 15, wherein the fourth module is further operable, when the accessing of the DSN is regarding a data write request, to:

encode, in accordance with the executing responsibilities, at least a portion of the data using the DS error coding function to produce one or more sets of encoded data slices;

generate, in accordance with the executing responsibilities, storage information regarding the one or more sets of encoded data slices; and

send, in accordance with the executing responsibilities, the one or more sets of encoded data slices in accordance with the storage information to the DSN memory for storage therein.