Distributed Storage Network Concurrent Slice Encoding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional computer storage systems face challenges with data integrity and security due to the failure of memory devices, particularly those using physical movement technologies, which can lead to data loss and increased maintenance demands, and RAID systems suffer from efficiency and security issues as data grows.
Innovation Solution
A distributed storage network with error-coded data slices is implemented, where data is partitioned and encoded across multiple geographically diverse storage units, allowing for reliable and secure storage and retrieval, even in the event of device failures, using a combination of error correction and redundancy to ensure data integrity and security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple redundant disc drives are used to replicate data (RAID), then data reliability is improved, but storage efficiency deteriorates due to overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides data into multiple segments or slices and distributes them across different storage locations. This segmentation allows for efficient use of storage space while maintaining reliability through distributed redundancy, avoiding the overhead penalties of traditional RAID by storing only necessary redundant portions across the network.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional horizontal RAID arrays to a multi-dimensional distributed storage architecture across networked devices. Data is stored across spatial and network dimensions rather than just adding more drives to a single array, improving storage efficiency while maintaining reliability through geographic and network distribution.
2Reliability
If more disc drives are added to RAID array, then data redundancy is improved, but device complexity and maintenance demands worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The distributed storage system automatically manages data placement, redundancy, and recovery without requiring manual RAID configuration or maintenance. The system self-adjusts to device failures and performs automatic data reconstruction, eliminating the complexity of RAID controller management and reducing maintenance demands.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal distributed storage system that can operate across diverse device types and network configurations without requiring specialized RAID hardware or controllers. The same software layer manages storage across different device architectures, simplifying the system and reducing complexity.
3Reliability
If data is stored in distributed network locations, then security is improved, but access speed may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-positions data slices across multiple network locations and maintains ready-access copies in optimized locations. This preliminary distribution allows fast retrieval from pre-selected storage nodes while keeping data secured across the distributed network, balancing security and access speed.
Data Source
AI summary
For each original data segment, a distributed storage processing unit generates encoded slices designed to prevent the original data segment from being reconstructed using fewer than a threshold number of encoded slices. Multiple encoded slices are generated for each of two different data segments, and the slices associated with the first and second data segment are stored substantially concurrently in different storage sets employing different distributed storage units. Encoded slices for even and odd data segments can be stored in different storage sets, or longer sequences of data segments can be stored in alternating storage sets. Storage sets can also be determined by the vault generation of a particular data segment.