Securely storing data in a dispersed storage network

• US 9,747,160 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2015
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Resch, Jason K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Okeke, Izunna
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLMES, ANGELA R
• Application Number:
  US14/844,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20150378825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 726 30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0712 in a virtual computing platform, e.g. logically partitioned systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0787 Storage of error reports, e.g. persistent data storage, storage using memory protection
• 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 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 11/142 Reconfiguring to eliminate the error group management mechanisms in a peer-to-peer network H04L67/1044
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/611 Specific encoding aspects, e.g. encoding by means of decoding
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/616 Matrix operations, especially for generator matrices or check matrices, e.g. column or row permutations
• 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 9/0861 Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage

Abstract

A method includes monitoring write processing performance while storing a plurality of sets of encoded data slices in storage units. The method includes comparing the write processing performance with a desire write performance range. When the write processing performance compares unfavorably to the desire write performance range, the method includes establishing a data partition between the data segments of the data encoded using the first dispersed storage error encoding parameters and subsequent data segments of the data; determining second dispersed storage error encoding parameters based on the unfavorable comparison between the write processing performance and the desired write performance range; encoding the subsequent data segments of the data using the second dispersed storage error encoding parameters to produce a second plurality of sets of encoded data slices; and monitoring write processing performance while storing the second plurality of sets of encoded data slices in the storage units.

Claims

1. A method for execution by a computing device comprising:

storing a first plurality of sets of encoded data slices in storage units of a dispersed storage network (DSN) in accordance with first dispersed storage error encoding parameters, wherein the first plurality of sets of encoded data slices relate to a first portion of a data file;

monitoring processing of the writing the first plurality of sets of encoded data slices to produce first write processing performance information;

comparing the first write processing performance information with a desired write performance range; and

when the first write processing performance information compares unfavorably to the desired write performance range;

storing a second plurality of sets of encoded data slices in storage units of the DSN in accordance with second dispersed storage error encoding parameters, wherein the second dispersed storage error encoding parameters are different from the first dispersed storage error encoding parameters, and wherein the second plurality of sets of encoded data slices relate to a second portion of the data file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the first dispersed storage error encoding parameters include a first error coding number and a first decode threshold number and wherein the second dispersed storage error encoding parameters include a second error coding number and a second decode threshold number.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring processing of the writing the second plurality of sets of encoded data slices to produce second write processing performance information;

comparing the second write processing performance information with the desired write performance range; and

when the second write processing performance information compares unfavorably to the desired write performance range;

storing a third plurality of sets of encoded data slices in storage units of the DSN in accordance with third dispersed storage error encoding parameters, wherein the third dispersed storage error encoding parameters are different from the second dispersed storage error encoding parameters, and wherein the third plurality of sets of encoded data slices relate to a third portion of the data file.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

for the first data portion containing first data segments of the data file encoded using the first dispersed storage error encoding parameters;

assigning a first unique source name to the first data portion;

generating a first plurality of sets of DSN addresses for the first plurality of sets of encoded data slices based on the first unique source name;

identifying a first set of the storage units based on the first plurality of sets of DSN addresses, wherein a first storage unit of the first set of the storage units has an assigned address range in which a corresponding DSN address of the first plurality of sets of DSN addresses falls; and

sending the first plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the first set of the storage units in accordance with the first plurality of sets of DSN addresses.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

for the second data portion containing second data segments of the data file encoded using the second dispersed storage error encoding parameters;

assigning a second unique source name to the second data portion;

generating a second plurality of sets of DSN addresses for the second plurality of sets of encoded data slices based on the second unique source name;

identifying a second set of the storage units based on the second plurality of sets of DSN addresses, wherein a second storage unit of the second set of the storage units has an assigned address range in which a corresponding DSN address of the second plurality of sets of DSN addresses falls; and

sending the second plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the second set of the storage units in accordance with the second plurality of sets of DSN addresses.

6. A dispersed storage (DS) module comprises:

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

store a first plurality of sets of encoded data slices in storage units of a dispersed storage network (DSN) in accordance with first dispersed storage error encoding parameters, wherein the first plurality of sets of encoded data slices relate to a first portion of a data file; and

when a write processing performance information compares unfavorably to a desired write performance range;

store a second plurality of sets of encoded data slices in storage units of the DSN in accordance with second dispersed storage error encoding parameters, wherein the second dispersed storage error encoding parameters are different from the first dispersed storage error encoding parameters, and wherein the second plurality of sets of encoded data slices relate to a second portion of the data file; and

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

monitor processing of the writing the first plurality of sets of encoded data slices to produce first write processing performance information; and

compare the first write processing performance information with the desired write performance range.

7. The DS module of claim 6, wherein

the first dispersed storage error encoding parameters include a first error coding number and a first decode threshold number and wherein the second dispersed storage error encoding parameters include a second error coding number and a second decode threshold number.

8. The DS module of claim 6 further comprising:

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

monitor processing of the writing the second plurality of sets of encoded data slices to produce second write processing performance information;

compare the second write processing performance information with the desired write performance range; and

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

when the second write processing performance information compares unfavorably to the desired write performance range;

store a third plurality of sets of encoded data slices in storage units of the DSN in accordance with third dispersed storage error encoding parameters, wherein the third dispersed storage error encoding parameters are different from the second dispersed storage error encoding parameters, and wherein the third plurality of sets of encoded data slices relate to a third portion of the data file.

9. The DS module of claim 6 further comprising:

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

for the first data portion containing first data segments of the data file encoded using the first dispersed storage error encoding parameters;

assign a first unique source name to the first data portion;

generate a first plurality of sets of DSN addresses for the first plurality of sets of encoded data slices based on the first unique source name;

identify a first set of the storage units based on the first plurality of sets of DSN addresses, wherein a first storage unit of the first set of the storage units has an assigned address range in which a corresponding DSN address of the first plurality of sets of DSN addresses falls; and

send the first plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the first set of the storage units in accordance with the first plurality of sets of DSN addresses.

10. The DS module of claim 9 further comprises:

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

for the second data portion containing second data segments of the data file encoded using the second dispersed storage error encoding parameters;

assign a second unique source name to the second data portion;

generate a second plurality of sets of DSN addresses for the second plurality of sets of encoded data slices based on the second unique source name;

identify a second set of the storage units based on the second plurality of sets of DSN addresses, wherein a second storage unit of the second set of the storage units has an assigned address range in which a corresponding DSN address of the second plurality of sets of DSN addresses falls; and

send the second plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the second set of the storage units in accordance with the second plurality of sets of DSN addresses.