Modifying a dispersed storage network memory data access response plan

Abstract

A method includes temporarily modifying a response action plan based on data access performance data of storage units. The response action plan includes, for a particular type of data access request, a preferred set of the storage units to perform the particular type of data access request. The temporarily modified response action plan includes, for the particular type of data access request, an alternate preferred set of storage units to perform the particular type of data access request. The method further includes receiving the particular type of data access request from a requesting computing device. The method further includes, when the response action plan is active, processing the particular type of data access request by the preferred set of the storage units and, when the temporarily modified response action plan is active, processing the particular type of data access request by the alternate preferred set of the storage units.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for execution by a processing module within a dispersed storage network (DSN) memory, the method comprises:
 temporarily modifying a response action plan based on data access performance data of storage units within the DSN memory, wherein the response action plan includes, for a particular type of data access request regarding data stored in or to be stored in the DSN memory, a preferred set of the storage units to perform the particular type of data access request, wherein a temporarily modified response action plan includes, for the particular type of data access request, an alternate preferred set of storage units to perform the particular type of data access request, and wherein either the response action plan or the temporarily modified response action plan is active;   receiving the particular type of data access request from a requesting computing device;   when the response action plan is active, processing the particular type of data access request by the preferred set of the storage units; and   when the temporarily modified response action plan is active, processing the particular type of data access request by the alternate preferred set of the storage units.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprises:
 obtaining, on a periodic or random basis, the data access performance data for each of the storage units, wherein the data access performance data includes one or more of throughput level, latency level, memory availability, and processing resource availability, and wherein, over time, the data access performance data of at least some of the storage units varies. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the particular type of data access request comprises one or more of:
 a read request for a first data partition of a first encoded data file;   a read request for a second data partition of the first encoded data file;   a write request for the first data partition of a second encoded data file; and   a write request for the second data partition of the second encoded data file.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprises:
 temporarily modifying a second response action plan based on the data access performance data, wherein the second response action plan includes, for a second particular type of data access request regarding second data stored in or to be stored in the DSN memory, a second preferred set of the storage units to perform the second particular type of data access request, wherein a second temporarily modified response action plan includes, for the second particular type of data access request, a second alternate preferred set of storage units to perform the second particular type of data access request, and wherein either the second response action plan or the second temporarily modified response action plan is active; 
 receiving the second particular type of data access request from a second requesting computing device; 
 when the second response action plan is active, processing the second particular type of data access request by the second preferred set of the storage units; and 
 when the second temporarily modified response action plan is active, processing the second particular type of data access request by the second alternate preferred set of the storage units. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the storage units comprise:
 a pool of storage nodes, wherein each storage node of the pool of storage nodes includes a processing module, a network interface, and memory, and wherein the pool of storage nodes stores a multitude of encoded data files, wherein the data stored in or to be stored in the DSN memory corresponds to an encoded data file of the multitude of encoded data files.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processing the particular type of data access by the alternate preferred set of the storage units comprises one of:
 storing, by a storage unit of the alternate preferred set of the storage units, one or more encoded data slices of the data stored in or to be stored in the DSN memory when the particular type of data access request is a write request; and   sending, by the storage unit, the one or more encoded data slices to a requesting entity when the particular type of data access request is a read request.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processing the particular type of data access request by the alternate preferred set of the storage units comprises:
 forwarding, by a storage unit of the alternate preferred set of the storage units, a corresponding portion of the particular type of data access request to another storage unit.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processing the particular type of data access request by the alternate preferred set of the storage units comprises:
 forwarding, by a storage unit of the alternate preferred set of the storage units, one or more encoded data slices of the data stored in or to be stored in the DSN memory to another storage unit.   
     
     
         9 . A computer readable memory comprises:
 a first memory device that stores operational instructions that, when executed by a computing device or a storage unit with a dispersed storage network (DSN) memory, causes the computing device or the storage unit to:
 temporarily modify a response action plan based on data access performance data of storage units within the DSN memory, wherein the response action plan includes, for a particular type of data access request regarding data stored in or to be stored in the DSN memory, a preferred set of the storage units to perform the particular type of data access request, wherein a temporarily modified response action plan includes, for the particular type of data access request, an alternate preferred set of storage units to perform the particular type of data access request, and wherein either the response action plan or the temporarily modified response action plan is active; 
   a second memory device that stores operational instructions that, when executed by the computing device, causes the computing device to:
 receive the particular type of data access request from a requesting computing device; and 
   a third memory device that stores operational instructions that, when executed by the computing device and by the storage units of the DSN memory, causes the computing device and the storage units to:
 when the response action plan is active, process the particular type of data access request by the preferred set of the storage units; and 
 when the temporarily modified response action plan is active, process the particular type of data access request by the alternate preferred set of the storage units. 
   
     
     
         10 . The computer readable memory of  claim 9 , wherein the first memory device further stores operational instructions that, when executed by the computing device or the storage unit, causes the computing device or the storage unit to:
 obtain, on a periodic or random basis, the data access performance data for each of the storage units, wherein the data access performance data includes one or more of throughput level, latency level, memory availability, and processing resource availability, and wherein, over time, the data access performance data of at least some of the storage units varies.   
     
     
         11 . The computer readable memory of  claim 9 , wherein the particular type of data access request comprises one or more of:
 a read request for a first data partition of a first encoded data file;   a read request for a second data partition of the first encoded data file;   a write request for the first data partition of a second encoded data file; and   a write request for the second data partition of the second encoded data file.   
     
     
         12 . The computer readable memory of  claim 9  further comprises:
 the first memory device further stores operational instructions that, when executed by the computing device or the storage unit, causes the computing device or the storage unit to:
 temporarily modify a second response action plan based on the data access performance data, wherein the second response action plan includes, for a second particular type of data access request regarding second data stored in or to be stored in the DSN memory, a second preferred set of the storage units to perform the second particular type of data access request, wherein a second temporarily modified response action plan includes, for the second particular type of data access request, a second alternate preferred set of storage units to perform the second particular type of data access request, and wherein either the second response action plan or the second temporarily modified response action plan is active; 
 
 the second memory device further stores operational instructions that, when executed by the computing device, causes the computing device to:
 receive the second particular type of data access request from a second requesting computing device; and 
 
 the third memory device that stores operational instructions that, when executed by the computing device and by the storage units of the DSN memory, causes the computing device and the storage units to:
 when the second response action plan is active, process the second particular type of data access request by the second preferred set of the storage units; and 
 when the second temporarily modified response action plan is active, process the second particular type of data access request by the second alternate preferred set of the storage units. 
 
 
     
     
         13 . The computer readable memory of  claim 9 , wherein the storage units comprise:
 a pool of storage nodes, wherein each storage node of the pool of storage nodes includes a processing module, a network interface, and memory, and wherein the pool of storage nodes stores a multitude of encoded data files, wherein the data stored in or to be stored in the DSN memory corresponds to an encoded data file of the multitude of encoded data files.   
     
     
         14 . The computer readable memory of  claim 9 , wherein the processing the particular type of data access request by the alternate preferred set of the storage units comprises one of:
 storing, by a storage unit of the alternate preferred set of the storage units, one or more encoded data slices of the data stored in or to be stored in the DSN memory when the particular type of data access request is a write request; and   sending, by the storage unit, the one or more encoded data slices to a requesting entity when the particular type of data access request is a read request.   
     
     
         15 . The computer readable memory of  claim 9 , wherein the processing the particular type of data access request by the alternate preferred set of the storage units comprises:
 forwarding, by a storage unit of the alternate preferred set of the storage units, a corresponding portion of the particular type of data access request to another storage unit.   
     
     
         16 . The computer readable memory of  claim 9 , wherein the processing the particular type of data access request by the alternate preferred set of the storage units comprises:
 forwarding, by a storage unit of the alternate preferred set of the storage units, one or more encoded data slices of the data stored in or to be stored in the DSN memory to another storage unit.