Storage Unit Validating Requests for a Storage Vault

Abstract

A system includes a plurality of storage units each including a network port operably coupled to the network, where one or more storage vaults is associated with the plurality of storage units and each storage vault of the one or more storage vaults represents a software-constructed grouping of storage units of the plurality of storage units, where the software-constructed grouping of storage units stores encoded data slices, where a data segment is encoded using an information dispersal algorithm to produce the encoded data slices, and where a storage unit: receives, via the network port, a request regarding the data segment stored in the software-constructed grouping of storage units, obtains, from a data structure pertaining to the software-constructed grouping of storage units, information regarding the request, determines whether the request is valid based on the information regarding the request, and when the request is valid, the storage unit executes the request.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a plurality of storage units each including a network port operably coupled to a network, wherein one or more storage vaults is associated with the plurality of storage units and each storage vault of the one or more storage vaults represents a software-constructed grouping of storage units of the plurality of storage units, wherein the software-constructed grouping of storage units stores encoded data slices, and wherein a data segment is encoded using an information dispersal algorithm to produce the encoded data slices, and wherein a storage unit of the software-constructed grouping of storage units:
 receives, via the network port, a request regarding the data segment stored in the software-constructed grouping of storage units; 
 obtains, from a data structure pertaining to the software-constructed grouping of storage units, information regarding the request; 
 determines whether the request is valid based on the information regarding the request; and 
 when the request is valid:
 executes the request. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data structure further includes:
 an indication of an encryption algorithm used to encrypt the data segment.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data structure further includes:
 an indication of a compression algorithm used to compress the data segment.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data structure further includes:
 an integrity check for the data segment.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data structure further includes:
 an integrity check for an encoded data slice of the encoded data slices.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data structure further includes:
 an encoded data slice count for a number of the encoded data slices.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data structure is stored by at least one storage unit of the software-constructed grouping of storage units. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a grid access manager including a network port operably coupled to the network, wherein the grid access manager generates the data structure pertaining to the software-constructed grouping of storage units, wherein the data structure includes an indication of the software-constructed grouping of storage units. 
 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a grid access manager including a network port operably coupled to the network, wherein the grid access manager generates the data structure pertaining to the software-constructed grouping of storage units, wherein the data structure includes the information dispersal algorithm. 
 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a grid access manager including a network port operably coupled to the network, wherein the grid access manager generates the data structure pertaining to the software-constructed grouping of storage units, wherein the data structure includes storage capacity information of the software-constructed grouping of storage units. 
 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a grid access manager including a network port operably coupled to the network, wherein the grid access manager generates the data structure pertaining to the software-constructed grouping of storage units, wherein the data structure includes information regarding one or more associated user accounts. 
 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the data structure is stored by the grid access manager.