Wireless sending a set of encoded data slices

• US 9,798,616 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2012
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Grube, Gary W., Markison, Timothy W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shiu, Ho
• Application Number:
  US13/647,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20130110962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/00 Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring error detection, correction or monitoring in information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer G11B20/18; monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing G11B27/36; in static stores G11C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/10 Adding special bits or symbols to the coded information, e.g. parity check, casting out 9's or 11's
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1012 using codes or arrangements adapted for a specific type of error G06F11/1048 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 11/1092 Rebuilding, e.g. when physically replacing a failing disk
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/1028 Distributed, i.e. distributed RAID systems with parity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• 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 1/0057 Block codes H04L1/0061, H04L1/0064 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0092 Error control systems characterised by the topology of the transmission link
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• 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: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic

Abstract

A method begins by a dispersed storage (DS) processing module selecting a subset of a set of encoded data slices, wherein the subset of encoded data slices includes less than a decode threshold number of encoded data slices. When a receiving entity is affiliated with a first wireless communication resource, the method continues with the DS processing module outputting the subset of encoded data slices via the first wireless communication resource to the receiving entity, wherein the first wireless communication resource has a first wireless geographic coverage area. When the receiving entity is affiliated with a second wireless communication resource and is located outside of the first wireless geographic coverage area, the method continues with the DS processing module outputting one or more encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices via the second wireless communication resource to the receiving entity.

Claims

1. A method to communicate a set of encoded data slices to a receiving entity, wherein a data segment is encoded utilizing a dispersed storage error coding function to produce the set of encoded data slices, the method comprises:

selecting a subset of encoded data slices from the set of encoded data slices, wherein the subset of encoded data slices is selected to include less than a decode threshold number of encoded data slices required to decode and reconstruct the data segment based on the dispersed storage error coding function;

when the receiving entity is affiliated with a first wireless communication resource, outputting the subset of encoded data slices via the first wireless communication resource to the receiving entity, wherein the first wireless communication resource has a first wireless geographic coverage area; and

when the receiving entity is affiliated with a second wireless communication resource and is located outside of the first wireless geographic coverage area, outputting one or more other encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices that is not included within the subset of encoded data slices via the second wireless communication resource to the receiving entity, wherein the second wireless communication resource has a second wireless geographic coverage area;

when at least the decode threshold number of encoded data slices have been output to the receiving entity including the subset of encoded data slices via the first wireless communication resource and the one or more other encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices via the second wireless communication resource, the receiving entity generating a reconstructed data segment using the at least the decode threshold number of encoded data slices based on the dispersed storage error coding function; and

when fewer than the at least the decode threshold number of encoded data slices have been output to the receiving entity including the subset of encoded data slices via the first wireless communication resource and the one or more other encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices via the second wireless communication resource, and when the receiving entity is affiliated with a third wireless communication resource and is located outside of the first wireless geographic coverage area and the second wireless geographic coverage area, outputting at least one other encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices that is not included within the subset of encoded data slices and the one or more other encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices via the third wireless communication resource to the receiving entity.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

the subset of encoded data slices and the one or more other encoded data slices equating to at least the decode threshold number of encoded data slices.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

when the receiving entity is affiliated with the third wireless communication resource and is located outside of the first wireless geographic coverage area and the second wireless geographic coverage area, outputting another one or more other encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices that is not included within the subset of encoded data slices or the one or more other encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices via the third wireless communication resource to the receiving entity, wherein the subset of encoded data slices, the one or more other encoded data slices, and the another one or more other encoded data slices equates to at least the decode threshold number of encoded data slices.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

the first wireless communication resource including one or more channels in a first cell site of a communication system; and

the second wireless communication resource including one or more channels in a second cell site of the communication system.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

the first wireless communication resource including one or more channels in a cell site of a first communication system; and

the second wireless communication resource including one or more channels in a cell site of a second communication system, wherein at least a portion of the cell site of the second communication system does not overlap with the cell site of the first communication system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting the subset of encoded data slices comprises:

determining a subset number of encoded data slices for the subset of encoded data slices based on one or more of an availability level of the first wireless communication resource, a communication performance level of the first wireless communication resource, and one or more dispersal parameters of the dispersed storage error coding function; and

selecting the subset of encoded data slices based on one or more of the subset number of encoded data slices, an encoding matrix of the dispersed storage error coding function, and content of the set of encoded data slices.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

determining that the receiving entity is affiliated with the first wireless communication resource based on at least one of receiving an affiliation message, initiating an affiliation query and receiving a favorable response, and predicting a favorable geographic proximity between the receiving entity and the first wireless communication resource.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

determining that the receiving entity is affiliated with the second wireless communication resource based on at least one of receiving an affiliation message, initiating an affiliation query and receiving a favorable response, and predicting a favorable geographic proximity between the receiving entity and the second wireless communication resource.

9. A dispersed storage (DS) device comprises:

memory that stores operational instructions; and

a processor operably coupled to the memory and configured to execute the operational instructions;

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

select a subset of encoded data slices, from a set of encoded data slices, to communicate to a receiving entity, wherein a data segment is encoded utilizing a dispersed storage error coding function to produce the set of encoded data slices and wherein the subset of encoded data slices is selected to include less than a decode threshold number of encoded data slices required to decode and reconstruct the data segment based on the dispersed storage error coding function;

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

when the receiving entity is affiliated with a first wireless communication resource, output the subset of encoded data slices via the first wireless communication resource to the receiving entity, wherein the first wireless communication resource has a first wireless geographic coverage area;

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

when the receiving entity is affiliated with a second wireless communication resource and is located outside of the first wireless geographic coverage area, output one or more other encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices that is not included within the subset of encoded data slices via the second wireless communication resource to the receiving entity, wherein the second wireless communication resource has a second wireless geographic coverage area; and

a fourth module, when operable within the DS device, causes the DS device to;

when at least the decode threshold number of encoded data slices have been output to the receiving entity including the subset of encoded data slices via the first wireless communication resource and the one or more other encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices via the second wireless communication resource, facilitate the receiving entity to generate a reconstructed data segment using the at least the decode threshold number of encoded data slices based on the dispersed storage error coding function; and

when fewer than the at least the decode threshold number of encoded data slices have been output to the receiving entity including the subset of encoded data slices via the first wireless communication resource and the one or more other encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices via the second wireless communication resource, and when the receiving entity is affiliated with a third wireless communication resource and is located outside of the first wireless geographic coverage area and the second wireless geographic coverage area, output at least one other encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices that is not included within the subset of encoded data slices and the one or more other encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices via the third wireless communication resource to the receiving entity.

10. The DS device of claim 9 further comprises:

the subset of encoded data slices and the one or more other encoded data slices equating to at least the decode threshold number of encoded data slices.

11. The DS device of claim 9 further comprises:

when the receiving entity is affiliated with the third wireless communication resource and is located outside of the first wireless geographic coverage area and the second wireless geographic coverage area, the third module further functions to output another one or more other encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices that is not included within the subset of encoded data slices or the one or more other encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices via the third wireless communication resource to the receiving entity, wherein the subset of encoded data slices, the one or more other encoded data slices, and the another one or more other encoded data slices equates to at least the decode threshold number of encoded data slices.

12. The DS device of claim 9 further comprises:

the first wireless communication resource including one or more channels in a first cell site of a communication system; and

the second wireless communication resource including one or more channels in a second cell site of the communication system.

13. The DS device of claim 9 further comprises:

the first wireless communication resource including one or more channels in a cell site of a first communication system; and

the second wireless communication resource including one or more channels in a cell site of a second communication system, wherein at least a portion of the cell site of the second communication system does not overlap with the cell site of the first communication system.

14. The DS device of claim 9, wherein the first module functions to select the subset of encoded data slices by:

determining a subset number of encoded data slices for the subset of encoded data slices based on one or more of an availability level of the first wireless communication resource, a communication performance level of the first wireless communication resource, and one or more dispersal parameters of the dispersed storage error coding function; and

selecting the subset of encoded data slices based on one or more of the subset number of encoded data slices, an encoding matrix of the dispersed storage error coding function, and content of the set of encoded data slices.

15. The DS device of claim 9 further comprises:

the second module functions to determine that the receiving entity is affiliated with the first wireless communication resource based on at least one of receiving an affiliation message, initiating an affiliation query and receiving a favorable response, and predicting a favorable geographic proximity between the receiving entity and the first wireless communication resource.

16. The DS device of claim 9 further comprises:

the third module functions to determine that the receiving entity is affiliated with the second wireless communication resource based on at least one of receiving an affiliation message, initiating an affiliation query and receiving a favorable response, and predicting a favorable geographic proximity between the receiving entity and the second wireless communication resource.