Multi-Memory Data Object Storage with Dispersed Error Encoding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in efficiently storing and retrieving large amounts of data across distributed networks while ensuring data integrity and security.
Innovation Solution
A distributed computing system that utilizes dispersed storage and task processing networks (DSTN) to encode data into error-correcting slices, which are then stored across multiple geographically dispersed sites, allowing for secure, reliable, and scalable data storage and processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data is stored across multiple geographically dispersed sites using dispersed storage, then data availability and reliability are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data into multiple slices that are distributed across different storage devices and geographic locations. Each slice is independently stored, allowing the system to tolerate failures at individual sites while maintaining overall data availability. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by improving reliability through distribution while managing complexity through modular organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary encoding mechanism that transforms original data into dispersed slices before storage. This intermediary process abstracts the complexity of distributed storage management, allowing the system to achieve high reliability across multiple sites while the encoding/decoding layer handles the computational complexity centrally.
2Reliability
If error correction encoding is applied to data slices, then data integrity is improved, but processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies error correction encoding in advance during the data storage process, creating redundant information that enables future recovery without time loss. By performing the encoding action preliminarily, the system ensures data integrity is built-in from the start, and retrieval operations can proceed quickly using the pre-prepared encoded slices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the data representation parameters by transforming original data into encoded slices with specific redundancy properties. This parameter change enables the system to achieve high data integrity while optimizing processing time by tuning the encoding parameters to balance between correction capability and computational overhead.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple storage device types are supported in the distributed network, then system versatility is improved, but data management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal data slice format that can be stored across multiple types of storage devices (hard drives, solid-state drives, cloud storage, etc.). This universal format allows the system to support diverse storage technologies while maintaining consistent data management operations, resolving the contradiction between versatility and management complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent allows different storage devices in the distributed network to maintain their local characteristics and optimization parameters while adhering to the overall dispersed storage protocol. Each storage device can be optimized for its specific type (speed, capacity, durability) while the system-level encoding and addressing scheme unifies the management across all device types.
Data Source
AI summary
A processing system of a storage network operates by: selecting a queue memory type of a plurality of memory types to store a data object, based on a size parameter associated with the data object; storing the data object in a queue memory device having the queue memory type, when the queue memory type is selected; selecting a main memory type of a plurality of memory types to store the data object, when the queue memory type is not selected; and storing the data object in a main memory device having the main memory type, when the queue memory type is not selected; wherein the data object is dispersed error encoded and stored as a plurality of encoded data slices.