Concatenating data objects for storage in a vast data storage network

A computer readable memory comprises:

• a memory section that stores operational instructions that, when executed by a computing device of a storage network (SN), causes the computing device to perform operations that include:
• identifying an independent data object of a plurality of independent data objects for retrieval from the SN, wherein the plurality of independent data objects is combined to produce a concatenated data object and wherein the concatenated data object is encoded in accordance with an erasure error encoding function to produce a set of encoded data blocks;
• identifying an encoded data block of the set of encoded data blocks corresponding to the independent data object based on a mapping of the plurality of independent data objects;
• sending a retrieval request to a storage unit regarding the encoded data block;
• and
• when the encoded data block is received, decoding the encoded data block in accordance with the erasure error encoding function and the mapping to reproduce the independent data object.

A computing device of a storage network (SN), the computing device comprises:

• an interface;
• a local memory;
• and
• a processing module operably coupled to the interface and the local memory, wherein the processing module functions to perform operations that include:
• identifying an independent data object of a plurality of independent data objects for retrieval from the SN, wherein the plurality of independent data objects is combined to produce a concatenated data object and wherein the concatenated data object is encoded in accordance with an erasure error encoding function to produce a set of encoded data blocks;
• identifying an encoded data block of the set of encoded data blocks corresponding to the independent data object based on a mapping of the plurality of independent data objects;
• sending a retrieval request to a storage unit regarding the encoded data block;
• and
• when the encoded data block is received, decoding the encoded data block in accordance with the erasure error encoding function and the mapping to reproduce the independent data object.