Router assisted dispersed storage network method and apparatus

• US 8,966,009 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2013
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• 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): Joo, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US14/062,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20140052820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2089 Redundant storage control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0802 Addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means, e.g. caches
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1009 using page tables, e.g. page table structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1045 associated with a data cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1668 Details of memory controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/401 Compressed data
• 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 3/0629 Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/09 Error detection only, e.g. using cyclic redundancy check [CRC] codes or single parity bit
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/15 Cyclic codes, i.e. cyclic shifts of codewords produce other codewords, e.g. codes defined by a generator polynomial, Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem [BCH] codes H03M13/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/1515 Reed-Solomon codes
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/23 using convolutional codes, e.g. unit memory codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• 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 method begins by a router receiving a data packet and determining a destination of the data packet. The method continues with the router determining whether the router has an affiliation with the destination. The method continues with the router determining whether to temporarily locally store the data packet when the router has the affiliation with the destination. The method continues with the router locally storing the data packet and forwarding the data packet to the destination in accordance with a transfer protocol when the determination to temporarily locally store the data packet is favorable.

Claims

1. A method for execution by a router, the method comprises:

receiving a data object of data;

determining whether the data object is to be forwarded to another router, stored locally, or dispersed storage error encoded;

when the data object is to be stored locally, storing the data object in a local memory of the router;

when the data object is to be dispersed storage error encoded;

dispersed storage error encoding a data segment of the data object to produce a set of encoded data slices;

determining routing paths for at least some of the encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices; and

forwarding the at least some of the encoded data slices based on the corresponding routing paths; and

when the data object is to be forwarded to another router;

determining the other router; and

sending the data object to the other router.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

receiving the data object from a source associated with a source identifier (ID) or from yet another router.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the data object is to be forwarded to another router, stored locally, or dispersed storage error encoded comprises:

making the determination based on one or more of the data, metadata, a command, a predetermination, a lookup, and a message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the routing paths for at least some of the encoded data slices further comprises:

accessing a routing table; and

determining the routing paths based on entries of the routing table.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the other router comprises:

accessing a routing table; and

determining the other router based on the routing table.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data object comprises:

an encoded data slice of a set of encoded data slices of a data segment of data.

7. A router comprises:

an interface;

a memory; and

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

receive, via the interface, a data object of data;

determine whether the data object is to be forwarded to another router, stored locally, or dispersed storage error encoded;

when the data object is to be stored locally, store the data object in the memory;

when the data object is to be dispersed storage error encoded;

dispersed storage error encode a data segment of the data object to produce a set of encoded data slices;

determine routing paths for at least some of the encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices; and

forward, via the interface, the at least some of the encoded data slices based on the corresponding routing paths; and

when the data object is to be forwarded to another router;

determine the other router; and

send, via the interface, the data object to the other router.

8. The router of claim 7, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

receive, via the interface, the data object from a source associated with a source identifier (ID) or from yet another router.

9. The router of claim 7, wherein the processing module is further operable to determine whether the data object is to be forwarded to another router, stored locally, or dispersed storage error encoded by:

making the determination based on one or more of the data, metadata, a command, a predetermination, a lookup, and a message.

10. The router of claim 7, wherein the processing module is further operable to determine the routing paths for at least some of the encoded data slices further by:

accessing a routing table; and

determining the routing paths based on entries of the routing table.

11. The router of claim 7, wherein the processing module is further operable to determine the other router by:

accessing a routing table; and

determining the other router based on the routing table.

12. The router of claim 7, wherein the data object comprises:

an encoded data slice of a set of encoded data slices of a data segment of data.