Cycling out dispersed storage processing units from access pools to perform expensive operations

A computing device of a dispersed storage network (DSN) comprises:

• memory to store operational instructions for implementing a process balancing module;
• an interface;
• and
• a processing module operable coupled to the memory and the interface, wherein, when the processing module executes the operational instructions, the operational instructions cause the processing module to:
• receive, via the interface, a suspension request from a dispersed storage (DS) processing unit of a plurality of DS processing units of the DSN, wherein the DS processing unit has determined that it has a DSN operation to perform that will adversely interfere with processing of DSN access requests;
• in response to sufficient processing resources of active DS processing units of the plurality of DS processing units being available for processing DSN access requests on behalf of the DS processing unit:
• grant the suspension request;
• and
• allocate DSN access requests of the DS processing unit to one of more of the active DS processing units.

A computer program product comprising one or more computer readable storage media having program instructions collectively stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions executable to:

• receive a suspension request from a dispersed storage (DS) processing unit of a plurality of DS processing units of a dispersed storage network (DSN), wherein the DS processing unit has determined that it has a DSN operation to perform that will adversely interfere with processing of DSN access requests;
• in response to sufficient processing resources of active DS processing units of the plurality of DS processing units being available for processing DSN access requests on behalf of the DS processing unit:
• grant the suspension request;
• and
• allocate DSN access requests of the DS processing unit to one or more of the active DS processing units.