Synchronizing storage of data copies in a dispersed storage network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016188218-A1
Application number	US-201514927446-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 29, 2015
Priority date	Dec 31, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method begins with storage units receiving a request to transfer a copy of a set of encoded data slices from two or more source virtual storage vaults to a destination virtual storage vault. The method continues with each storage unit obtaining a slice transfer map and determining whether the storage unit supports one of the two or more source virtual storage vaults. For each supporting storage unit, the method continues with each supporting storage unit determining, based on the slice transfer map, a sub-set of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices that is stored within the one of the two or more source virtual storage vaults by the supporting storage unit. The method continues with the supporting storage unit sending the sub-set of encoded data slices to a corresponding storage unit that is supporting the destination virtual storage vault.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . In a dispersed storage network (DSN) that includes a plurality of storage units, wherein the plurality of storage units support a plurality of virtual storage vaults, wherein a first virtual storage vault of the plurality of virtual storage vaults is supported by a first set of storage units of the plurality of storage units, and wherein the first set of storage units is a sub-set of the plurality of storage units, a method comprises:
receiving, by at least some of the plurality of storage units, a request to transfer a copy of a set of encoded data slices from two or more source virtual storage vaults of the plurality of virtual storage vaults to a destination virtual storage vault of the plurality of virtual storage vaults, wherein a data segment of data is dispersed storage error encoded to produce the set of encoded data slices; obtaining, by each storage unit of the at least some of the plurality of storage units, a slice transfer map that, for the set of encoded data slices, identifies the two or more source virtual storage vaults; determining, by each storage unit of the at least some of the plurality of storage units, whether the each storage unit supports one of the two or more source virtual storage vaults; for each supporting storage unit that supports one of the two or more source virtual storage vaults, determining, by the each supporting storage unit and based on the slice transfer map, a sub-set of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices that is stored within the one of the two or more source virtual storage vaults by the each supporting storage unit; and sending, by the each supporting storage unit, the sub-set of encoded data slices to a corresponding storage unit of the plurality of storage units that is supporting the destination virtual storage vault.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprises:
receiving the request to transfer in response to a determination that the destination virtual storage vault failed a write request regarding the copy of the set of encoded data slices, wherein the write request is an instruction to write the copy of the set of encoded data slices to each of the two or more source virtual storage vaults and to the destination virtual storage vault.

3 . The method of claim 1 further comprises:
receiving the request to transfer as part of a write request to write the copy of the set of encoded data slices to each of the two or more source virtual storage vaults and to the destination virtual storage vault, wherein a first portion of the write request writes the respective sub-sets of encoded data slices to the storage units supporting the two or more source virtual storage vaults and a second portion to transfer the copy of the sets of encoded data slices to the storage units supporting the destination virtual storage vault.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining the slice transfer map comprises one or more of:
receiving the slice transfer map; retrieving the slice transfer map from memory; and generating the slice transfer map based on the request to transfer.

5 . The method of claim 1 further comprises:
changing, by each of the corresponding storage units of the plurality of storage units that is supporting the destination virtual storage vault, DSN addresses of the set of encoded data slices of the copy of the set of encoded data slices to reflect that the copy is stored in the destination virtual storage vault.

6 . The method of claim 5 further comprises:
updating a slice storage table to include the DSN addresses of the set of encoded data slices stored in the destination virtual storage vault.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least some of the plurality of storage units comprises:
the storage units associated with the two or more source virtual storage vaults; and the storage units associated with the destination virtual storage vault.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending the sub-set of encoded data slices comprises:
sending, by a first supporting storage unit, a first encoded data slice to a first corresponding storage unit of the plurality of storage units that is supporting the destination virtual storage vault; sending, by a second supporting storage unit, a second encoded data slice to a second corresponding storage unit of the plurality of storage units that is supporting the destination virtual storage vault; sending, by a third supporting storage unit, a third encoded data slice to a third corresponding storage unit of the plurality of storage units that is supporting the destination virtual storage vault; and sending, by a fourth supporting storage unit, a fourth encoded data slice to a fourth corresponding storage unit of the plurality of storage units that is supporting the destination virtual storage vault.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending the sub-set of encoded data slices comprises:
sending, by a first supporting storage unit, a first and a second encoded data slice to a first corresponding storage unit of the plurality of storage units that is supporting the destination virtual storage vault; and sending, by a second supporting storage unit, a third encoded data slice to a second corresponding storage unit of the plurality of storage units that is supporting the destination virtual storage vault.

10 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium of a dispersed storage network (DSN) that includes a plurality of storage units, wherein the plurality of storage units support a plurality of virtual storage vaults, wherein a first virtual storage vault of the plurality of virtual storage vaults is supported by a first set of storage units of the plurality of storage units, and wherein the first set of storage units is a sub-set of the plurality of storage units, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprises:
at least one memory section that stores operational instructions that, when executed by one or more processing modules of one or more computing devices of the DSN, causes the one or more computing devices to:
receive, by at least some of the plurality of storage units, a request to transfer a copy of a set of encoded data slices from two or more source virtual storage vaults of the plurality of virtual storage vaults to a destination virtual storage vault of the plurality of virtual storage vaults, wherein a data segment of data is dispersed storage error encoded to produce the set of encoded data slices;
obtain, by each storage unit of the at least some of the plurality of storage units, a slice transfer map that, for the set of encoded data slices, identifies the two or more source virtual storage vaults;
determine, by each storage unit of the at least some of the plurality of storage units, whether the each storage unit supports one of the two or more source virtual storage vaults;
for each supporting storage unit that supports one of the two or more source virtual storage vaults, determine, by the each supporting storage unit and based on the slice transfer map, a sub-set of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices that is stored within the one of the two or more source virtual storage vaults by the each supporting storage unit; and
send, by the each supporting storage unit, the sub-set of encoded data slices to a corresponding storage unit of the plurality of storage units that is supporting the destination virtual storage vault.

11 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 further comprises:
the at least one memory section stores further operational instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing modules, causes the one

Assignees

• Cleversafe Inc

Inventors

• Gray Adam Michael
• Dhuse Greg
• Baptist Andrew
• Khadiwala Ravi
• Leggette Wesley
• Horan Scott Michael
• Borich Franco Vincent
• Cilfone Bart
• Scholl Daniel

Classifications

• G06F3/067

  Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title

• G06F3/0638

  Organizing or formatting or addressing of data · CPC title

• G06F3/065 Primary

  Replication mechanisms · CPC title

• G06F3/0604

  Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management · CPC title

• H04L67/1097 Primary

  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 title