Storage unit (SU) operative to service urgent read requests

A storage unit (SU) comprising:

• an interface configured to interface and communicate with a dispersed or distributed storage network (DSN);
• memory that stores operational instructions including a memory device configured to store at least one encoded data slice (EDS) of a set of encoded data slices (EDSs);
• and
• processing circuitry operably coupled to the interface and to the memory, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to execute the operational instructions to:
• receive, via the interface and from a computing device, at least one urgent read slice request that is issued from the computing device based on:
• status of a set of memory devices of one or more sets of storage units (SUs) that distributedly store the set of EDSs within the DSN indicating that one or more memory devices thereof that are failing based on at least one criterion, wherein the one or more sets of SUs includes the SU that stores at least one of the EDSs of the set of EDSs, wherein a data object is segmented into a plurality of data segments, wherein a data segment of the plurality of data segments is dispersed error encoded in accordance with dispersed error encoding parameters to produce the set of EDSs;
• and
• a number of available EDSs of the set of EDSs among the set of memory devices of the one or more sets of SUs comparing unfavorably to a data segment rebuild threshold level;
• recover at least one additional available EDS of the set of EDSs from the memory device of the SU;
• and
• transmit, via the interface, the at least one additional available EDS of the set of EDSs to the computing device to facilitate temporary storage of the at least one additional available EDS of the set of EDSs within the DSN.