Encoded Data Slice Rebuild for Revision Recovery in Dispersed Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data storage systems face challenges with memory device failures, particularly in commercial-grade devices using physical movement technologies, leading to data loss and security issues, as well as inefficiencies in redundant array configurations like RAID, which increase maintenance demands and security risks with multiple copies of data.
Innovation Solution
A distributed storage network (DSN) system that employs error-coded data slices stored across multiple physically diverse locations, using a dispersed storage network to ensure data integrity and security through error correction and redundancy, allowing for reliable and secure data storage and retrieval even in the presence of individual device failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data is stored in multiple copies using RAID systems, then data reliability is improved, but device complexity and security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data into multiple data slices and disperses them across different storage locations. Instead of creating multiple complete copies (RAID approach), the data is divided into fragments that can be reconstructed from a threshold number of slices. This reduces the complexity of managing multiple full copies while maintaining reliability through distributed storage and error-correcting codes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses error-correcting codes to create redundant data representations of the original data. Rather than storing multiple identical physical copies, the system generates encoded versions of data slices that can be mathematically reconstructed. This provides reliability through redundancy while avoiding the complexity of managing multiple complete data copies.
2Quantity of substance
If memory devices use physical movement technologies, then storage capacity is improved, but data integrity and reliability deteriorate due to failure risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides data into multiple slices and stores them across different memory devices. This segmentation ensures that the failure of a single physical device does not result in data loss, as the remaining slices can be used to reconstruct the original data through error-correcting codes. This maintains data integrity while utilizing the storage capacity of multiple physical devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements error-correcting codes and redundancy mechanisms in advance to cushion against potential device failures. By encoding data with redundant information before storage, the system can recover from failures without data loss, thereby maintaining data integrity despite the use of physical movement technologies that are prone to failure.
3Reliability
If data is distributed across multiple locations, then security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data into encrypted slices and distributes them across multiple locations. Each slice alone is insufficient to reconstruct the original data, providing security through distribution. The segmentation approach allows security to be achieved without requiring complex centralized security management, as the distributed nature of the slices inherently protects against unauthorized access.
Data Source
AI summary
A method begins by a processing module identifying a set of encoded data slices that have been created in accordance with a dispersed storage error encoding function having a decode threshold equal to or less than half of a number encoded data slices in the set of encoded data slices. The method continues with the processing module identifying a first sub-set of encoded data slices having a non-current revision level and identifying a second sub-set of encoded data slices having a more-current revision level. When a number of encoded data slices of the second sub-set of encoded data slices is greater than or equal to the decode threshold and when a number of encoded data slices of the first sub-set of encoded data slices is less than the decode threshold, the method continues with the processing module facilitating rebuilding of the first sub-set of encoded data slices.