Authorizing distributed task processing in a distributed storage network

• US 9,740,730 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2016
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Volvovski, Ilya, Resch, Jason K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacobs, Lashonda
• Application Number:
  US15/249,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20160364438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1044 with specific ECC/EDC distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1092 Rebuilding, e.g. when physically replacing a failing disk
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• 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 2211/1028 Distributed, i.e. distributed RAID systems with parity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5083 Techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system
• 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 13/13 Linear codes
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/1515 Reed-Solomon codes
• 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 distributed storage (DS) processing module transmitting a set of requests to a set of DS units regarding a set of data elements and receiving a set of respective requests from the set of DS units. When the set of respective requests is in accordance with a current distributed task/data responsibility allocation period, the method continues with the DS processing module issuing a set of responses to the set of DS units. The method continues with the DS processing module receiving a set of respective responses from the set of DS units. When the set of received respective responses is in accordance with the current distributed task/data responsibility allocation period, the method continues with the DS processing module processing the set of received respective responses in accordance with the current distributed task/data responsibility allocation period to produce one of a set of results.

Claims

1. A method comprises:

receiving an encoded data slice integrity status request, wherein the encoded data slice integrity status request includes an identifier (ID) of a requesting entity and a requested dispersed storage network (DSN) address range;

determining whether the requesting entity is authorized to send the encoded data slice integrity status request in accordance with a current authorized data integrity verification allocation period;

when the requesting entity is authorized to send the encoded data slice integrity status request, determining whether the requested DSN address range is in accordance with the current authorized data integrity verification allocation period;

when the requested DSN address range is in accordance with the current authorized data integrity verification allocation period;

performing an encoded data slice integrity status evaluation operation in accordance with the encoded data slice integrity status request to produce an encoded data slice integrity status response; and

outputting the encoded data slice integrity status response to the requesting entity; and

when either the requesting entity is not authorized or the requested DSN address range is not in accordance with the current authorized data integrity verification allocation period, indicating that the requesting entity may be compromised.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

after performing the encoded data slice integrity status evaluation operation, indicating that the encoded data slice integrity status evaluation operation was performed on the requested DSN address range in accordance with the current authorized data integrity verification allocation period such that a second request from the requesting entity while the current authorized data integrity verification allocation period is active would be determined to be unauthorized.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing the encoded data slice integrity status evaluation operation in accordance with the encoded data slice integrity status request comprises at least one of:

when the encoded data slice integrity status request includes a slice list request, generating a list of slice names associated with the requested DSN address range to produce the encoded data slice integrity status response;

when the encoded data slice integrity status request includes a slice list digest request, generating the list of slice names associated with the requested DSN address range and generating a digest of the list of slice names to produce the encoded data slice integrity status response; and

when the encoded data slice integrity status request includes a slice integrity request;

generating at least one slice digest for at least one slice associated with the requested DSN address range;

for each slice digest of the at least one slice digest, comparing a retrieved slice digest to the slice digest to produce comparing results; and

generating the encoded data slice integrity status response to include the comparing results.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

obtaining the current authorized data integrity verification allocation period from a trusted source, wherein the current authorized data integrity verification allocation period is a currently active version of one of a plurality of authorized data integrity verification allocation scenarios.

5. A dispersed storage (DS) module comprises:

a first module, when operable within a computing device, causes the computing device to;

receive an encoded data slice integrity status request, wherein the encoded data slice integrity status request includes an identifier (ID) of a requesting entity and a requested dispersed storage network (DSN) address range;

determine whether the requesting entity is authorized to send the encoded data slice integrity status request in accordance with a current authorized data integrity verification allocation period; and

when the requesting entity is authorized to send the encoded data slice integrity status request, determine whether the requested DSN address range is in accordance with the current authorized data integrity verification allocation period;

a second module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to;

when the requested DSN address range is in accordance with the current authorized data integrity verification allocation period;

perform an encoded data slice integrity status evaluation operation in accordance with the encoded data slice integrity status request to produce an encoded data slice integrity status response; and

output the encoded data slice integrity status response to the requesting entity; and

a third module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to;

when either the requesting entity is not authorized or the requested DSN address range is not in accordance with the current authorized data integrity verification allocation period, indicate that the requesting entity may be compromised.

6. The DS module of claim 5 further comprises:

after performing the encoded data slice integrity status evaluation operation, the second module further functions to indicate that the encoded data slice integrity status evaluation operation was performed on the requested DSN address range in accordance with the current authorized data integrity verification allocation period such that a second request from the requesting entity while the current authorized data integrity verification allocation period is active would be determined to be unauthorized.

7. The DS module of claim 5, wherein the second module functions to perform the encoded data slice integrity status evaluation operation in accordance with the encoded data slice integrity status request by at least one of:

when the encoded data slice integrity status request includes a slice list request, generating a list of slice names associated with the requested DSN address range to produce the encoded data slice integrity status response;

when the encoded data slice integrity status request includes a slice list digest request, generating the list of slice names associated with the requested DSN address range and generating a digest of the list of slice names to produce the encoded data slice integrity status response; and

when the encoded data slice integrity status request includes a slice integrity request;

generating at least one slice digest for at least one slice associated with the requested DSN address range;

for each slice digest of the at least one slice digest, comparing a retrieved slice digest to the slice digest to produce comparing results; and

generating the encoded data slice integrity status response to include the comparing results.

8. The DS module of claim 5 further comprises:

the first module further functions to obtain the current authorized data integrity verification allocation period from a trusted source, wherein the current authorized data integrity verification allocation period is a currently active version of one of a plurality of authorized data integrity verification allocation scenarios.