Hierarchic storage policy for distributed object storage systems

A distributed object storage system comprising:

• a controller node having a memory and one or more processors configured to execute instructions stored on the memory, wherein the controller node is configured to perform operations comprising:
• receiving a request for spreading data of a data object, the request including:
• a spreading policy defining a number of data storage devices storing a portion of the data object that are allowed to fail;
• and
• a protection level defining a set of tolerable failure scenarios;
• determining a hierarchy rule corresponding to the spreading policy based on the protection level;
• and
• distributing the data of the data object in the distributed object storage system using the hierarchy rule and the spreading policy, such that the protection level applies to the data object and a previously-stored data object to ensure that data of the data object and data of the previously-stored data object is recovered responsive to a failure scenario of the set of tolerable failure scenarios occurring.

A distributed object storage system comprising:

• means for receiving a request for spreading data of a data object, the request including:
• a spreading policy defining a number of data storage devices storing a portion of the data object that are allowed to fail;
• and
• a protection level defining a set of tolerable failure scenarios;
• means for determining a hierarchy rule corresponding to the spreading policy based on the protection level;
• and
• means for distributing the data of the data object in a distributed object storage system using the hierarchy rule and the spreading policy, such that the protection level applies to the data object and a previously-stored data object to ensure that data of the data object and data of the previously-stored data object is recovered responsive to a failure scenario of the set of tolerable failure scenarios occurring.