Processing data access requests in accordance with a storage unit memory pressure level

A storage unit of a dispersed storage network (DSN), the storage unit comprises:

• an interface;
• memory;
• and
• a processing module operably coupled to the memory and the interface, wherein the processing module is operable to:
• determine a storage unit memory pressure level based on a number of different versions of an encoded data slice of a set of encoded data slices currently stored in a proposal record of the encoded data slice and memory capacity of the storage unit, wherein the proposal record includes an ordered list of pending transactions for the encoded data slice and an ordered list of different versions of the encoded data slice;
• and
• when the storage unit memory pressure level indicates that the storage unit is storing more active contests than a threshold:
• in response to a data access request regarding the encoded data slice from a computing device of the DSN, determining whether the data access request includes an override message or a non-override message;
• when the data access request includes the non-override message:
• generating, by the storage unit, a storage unit memory pressure level message in accordance with the storage unit memory pressure level and a type of data access request;
• sending, by the storage unit, the storage unit memory pressure level message to the computing device;
• and
• processing, by the storage unit, the data access request in accordance with the storage unit memory pressure level message;
• and
• when the data access request includes the override message:
• processing, by the storage unit, the data access request.