Distributed storage network and method for communicating data across a plurality of parallel wireless data streams

• US 9,692,593 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gladwin, S. Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Chea, Philip
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCADAMS, BRAD
• Application Number:
  US12/816,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20110106909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,569 Days
• Field of Search: 709217, 714699
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1004 to protect a block of data words, e.g. CRC or checksum G06F11/1076 takes precedence; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorized activity G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1408 by using cryptography for digital transmission H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/34 Encoding or coding, e.g. Huffman coding or error correction
• 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 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0819 Key transport or distribution, i.e. key establishment techniques where one party creates or otherwise obtains a secret value, and securely transfers it to the other(s) network architectures or network communication protocols for key distribution in a packet data network H04L63/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0863 involving passwords or one-time passwords network architectures or network communication protocols for using one-time keys in a packet data network H04L63/067
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage

Abstract

A distributed storage network receives data that is to be transmitted. The data is processed via one or more error-coding dispersed storage functions and sliced into data slices. A certain number of the data slices are selected for wireless communication via a plurality of wireless modules wherein a first wireless module sends a first portion of the data slices, and a second wireless module sends a second portion of the data slices, and so on until the data slices are fully communicated. The wireless modules may be of different hardware, software, protocols, throughputs, bandwidth, speeds, encoding schemes, algorithms, etc. The transmission over several different wireless modules that potentially have different (and potentially changing over time) characteristics may increase both performance and security.

Claims

1. A method for outputting data for storage by a user device in a distributed storage network (DSN), the method comprising:

processing the data into a plurality of sets of encoded data slices using an error coding dispersal storage function, wherein a data segment of the data is encoded into one of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices;

identifying distributed storage (DS) units of the DSN for storing the plurality of sets of encoded data slices, wherein a first DS unit of the identified DS unit to store a first encoded data slice of each set of at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices, a second DS unit of the identified DS unit to store a second encoded data slice of each set of the at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices; and

a third DS unit of the identified DS unit to store a third encoded data slice of each set of at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices;

determining performance requirements regarding storing the plurality of sets of encoded data slices in the identified DS units;

determining security requirements of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices based, at least in part, on vault information associated with the data segment;

in accordance with the performance requirements and the security requirements, mapping the at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to particular wireless modules of the user device for substantially simultaneous wireless transmission of the at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the identified DS units via one or more networks;

transmitting, by a first wireless module of the wireless modules, the first encoded data slice of each of the at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the first DS unit;

transmitting, by the first wireless module, the second encoded data slice of each of the at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the second DS unit; and

transmitting, by a second wireless module of the wireless modules, the third encoded data slice of each of the at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the third DS unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance requirements comprises one or more of:

a wireless communication protocol;

a desired security level;

a desired data rate;

an acceptable latency; and

a desired bandwidth.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying the wireless modules further comprises:

comparing the performance requirements with performance capabilities of a plurality of wireless modules; and

based on the comparing, selecting the particular wireless modules from the plurality of wireless modules.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

transmitting, by the first wireless module, the first and second encoded data slices in accordance with a first wireless communication protocol; and

transmitting, by the second wireless module, the third encoded data slice in accordance with a second wireless communication protocol.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

transmitting, by the first wireless module, the first and second encoded data slices at a first data rate; and

transmitting, by the second wireless module, the third encoded data slice at a second data rate, wherein the first data rate is greater than the second data rate.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

transmitting, by a third wireless module of the wireless modules, fourth encoded data slices of the at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to a fourth DS unit of the identified DS units; and

transmitting, by a fourth wireless module of the wireless modules, fifth encoded data slice of the at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to a fifth DS unit of the identified DS units,

for each assignment of one of the wireless modules to the one or more of the identified DS units, determining which of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to be stored in the one or more identified DS units.

7. A user device of a distributed storage network (DSN) comprising:

a plurality of wireless modules;

an interface for sending data slices; and

a distributed storage processing module coupled to the interface and being operable to;

process the data into a plurality of sets of encoded data slices using an error coding dispersal storage function, wherein a data segment of the data is encoded into one of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices;

identify distributed storage (DS) units of the DSN for storing the plurality of sets of encoded data slices, wherein a first DS unit of the identified DS unit to store a first encoded data slice of each set of at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices, a second DS unit of the identified DS unit to store a second encoded data slice of each set of the at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices; and

a third DS unit of the identified DS unit to store a third encoded data slice of each set of at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices;

determine performance requirements regarding storing the plurality of sets of encoded data slices in the identified DS units;

determine security requirements of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices based, at least in part, on vault information associated with the data segment

in accordance with the performance requirements and the security requirements, map the at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to particular wireless modules of the user device for substantially simultaneous wireless transmission of the at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the identified DS units via one or more networks;

transmit, by a first wireless module of the plurality of wireless modules, the first encoded data slice of each of the at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the first DS unit;

transmit, by the first wireless module, the second encoded data slice of each of the at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the second DS unit; and

transmit, by a second wireless module of the plurality of wireless modules, the third encoded data slice of each of the at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the third DS unit.

8. The user device of claim 7 further comprises:

transmit, by the first wireless module, the first and second encoded data slices in accordance with a first wireless communication protocol; and

transmit, by the second wireless module, the third encoded data slice in accordance with a second wireless communication protocol.

9. The user device of claim 7 further comprises:

transmit, by the first wireless module, the first and second encoded data slices at a first data rate; and

transmit, by the second wireless module, the third encoded data slice at a second data rate, wherein the first data rate is greater than the second data rate.

10. The user device of claim 7 further comprises:

transmit, by a third wireless module of the plurality of wireless modules, fourth encoded data slices of the at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to a fourth DS unit of the identified DS units; and

transmit, by a fourth wireless module of the plurality of wireless modules, fifth encoded data slice of the at least some of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to a fifth DS unit of the identified DS units.

11. The user device of claim 7, wherein the distributed storage processing module is further operable to identify the wireless modules further by:

comparing the performance requirements with performance capabilities of a plurality of wireless modules; and

based on the comparing, selecting the identified wireless modules from the plurality of wireless modules.