# US 2017/0285993 A1 · Apportioning storage units amongst storage sites in a dispersed storage network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0285993 A1 - Document ID: US20170285993A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/240,591 - Filed: 2016-08-18 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-29 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Jason K. Resch - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170285993A1 ## CPC - G06F 11/1076: {Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems} - G06F 3/0604: {Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management} - G06F 3/061: {Improving I/O performance} - G06F 3/0619: {in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors} - G06F 3/0631: {by allocating resources to storage systems} - G06F 3/0635: {by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration} - G06F 3/064: {Management of blocks} - G06F 3/0644: {Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools} - G06F 3/0647: {Migration mechanisms} - G06F 3/0653: {Monitoring storage devices or systems} - G06F 3/0659: {Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling} - G06F 3/067: {Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]} - G06F 11/1092: {Rebuilding, e.g. when physically replacing a failing disk} - G06F 11/1662: {the resynchronized component or unit being a persistent storage device (re-synchronization of failed mirror storage G06F11/2082; rebuild or reconstruction of parity RAID storage G06F11/1008)} - G06F 11/3034: {where the computing system component is a storage system, e.g. DASD based or network based (digital input from or digital output to record carriers G06F3/06; digital recording or reproducing G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097)} - G06F 11/3051: {Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs (verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247)} - G06F 11/3684: {for test design, e.g. generating new test cases} - G06F 11/3688: {for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites} - G06F 11/3692: {for test results analysis} - H03M 13/1515: {Reed-Solomon codes} - H03M 13/616: {Matrix operations, especially for generator matrices or check matrices, e.g. column or row permutations} - H04L 67/1097: for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] - G06F 2201/805: Real-time - G06F 2201/82: Solving problems relating to consistency - H03M 13/373: {with erasure correction and erasure determination, e.g. for packet loss recovery or setting of erasures for the decoding of Reed-Solomon codes} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H03M: CODING; DECODING; CODE CONVERSION IN GENERAL (using fluidic means F15C4/00; optical analogue/digital converters G02F7/00; coding, decoding or code conversion, specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. G01D, G01R, G06F, G06T, G09G, G10L, G11B, G11C, H04B, H04L, H04M, H04N; ciphering or deciphering for cryptography or other purposes involving the need for secrecy G09C) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method of apportioning storage units in a dispersed storage network (DSN) includes generating storage unit apportioning data indicating a mapping of a plurality of desired numbers of storage units to a plurality of storage sites based on site reliability data. The mapping includes a first desired number of storage units corresponding to a first one of the plurality of storage sites that is greater than a second desired number of storage units corresponding to a second one of the plurality of storage sites in response to the site reliability data indicating that a first reliability score corresponding to the first one of the plurality of storage sites is more favorable than a second reliability score corresponding to the second one of the plurality of storage sites. A plurality of storage units are allocated to the plurality of storage sites based on the storage unit apportioning data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of apportioning storage units in a dispersed storage network (DSN), the method comprising: generating storage unit apportioning data indicating a mapping of a plurality of desired numbers of storage units to a plurality of storage sites based on site reliability data, wherein the mapping includes a first desired number of storage units corresponding to a first one of the plurality of storage sites that is greater than a second desired number of storage units corresponding to a second one of the plurality of storage sites in response to the site reliability data indicating that a first reliability score corresponding to the first one of the plurality of storage sites is more favorable than a second reliability score corresponding to the second one of the plurality of storage sites; and allocating a plurality of storage units to the plurality of storage sites based on the storage unit apportioning data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of desired numbers of storage units of the mapping are proportional to a corresponding plurality of reliability scores of the plurality of storage sites indicated by the site reliability data, wherein the corresponding plurality of reliability scores includes the first reliability score and the second reliability score. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the storage unit apportioning data further indicates a storage unit total that is based on at least one of: a write threshold or a read threshold, and wherein the sum of the plurality of desired numbers of storage units is equal to the storage unit total. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the site reliability data is based on a plurality of reliability readings originating from each of the plurality of storage sites. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of storage sites are located in a plurality of different physical locations, and wherein the site reliability data is based on geographical data associated with each of the plurality of different physical locations. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the site reliability data based on site history data indicating past performance metrics for the plurality of storage sites. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the site history data includes past outages of each of the plurality of storage sites. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the storage unit apportioning data includes optimal performance data, wherein the first desired number of storage units is set to a first optimal value and the second desired number of storage units is set to a second optimal value in response to the optimal performance data indicating that selecting the first optimal value and the second optimal value maximizes at least one of: read availability, write availability, rebuilding cost, or access performance. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the site reliability data indicates a plurality of reliability scores corresponding to the plurality of storage sites, and wherein the storage unit apportioning data indicates the same desired number of storage units for each of the plurality of storage sites in response to the plurality of reliability scores having the same value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: generating reassignment data in response to a change in the site reliability data, wherein the reassignment data indicates a new mapping of a new plurality of desired numbers of storage units to the plurality of storage sites based on the change in the site reliability data; and reallocating the plurality of storage units to the plurality of storage sites based on the reassignment data. ### Claim 11 A dispersed storage network (DSN) comprises: a plurality of storage sites; and a plurality of storage units, apportioned amongst the plurality of storage sites, wherein the plurality of storage units are apportioned by: generating storage unit apportioning data indicating a mapping of a plurality of desired numbers of storage units to a plurality of storage sites based on site reliability data, wherein the mapping includes a first desired number of storage units corresponding to a first one of the plurality of storage sites that is greater than a second desired number of storage units corresponding to a second one of the plurality of storage sites in response to the site reliability data indicating that a first reliability score corresponding to the first one of the plurality of storage sites is more favorable than a second reliability score corresponding to the second one of the plurality of storage sites; and allocating a plurality of storage units to the plurality of storage sites based on the storage unit apportioning data. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The DSN of claim 11, wherein the plurality of desired numbers of storage units of the mapping are proportional to a corresponding plurality of reliability scores of the plurality of storage sites indicated by the site reliability data, wherein the corresponding plurality of reliability scores includes the first reliability score and the second reliability score. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The DSN of claim 11, wherein generating the storage unit apportioning data further indicates a storage unit total that is based on at least one of: a write threshold or a read threshold, and wherein the sum of the plurality of desired numbers is equal to the storage unit total. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The DSN of claim 11, wherein the site reliability data is based on a plurality of reliability readings originating from each of the plurality of storage sites. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The DSN of claim 11, wherein the plurality of storage sites are located in a plurality of different physical locations, and wherein the site reliability data is based on geographical data associated with each of the plurality of different physical locations. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The DSN of claim 11, wherein apportioning the plurality of storage units further includes generating the site reliability data based on site history data indicating past performance metrics for the plurality of storage sites. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The DSN of claim 16, wherein the site history data includes past outages of each of the plurality of storage sites. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The DSN of claim 11, wherein the storage unit apportioning data includes optimal performance data, wherein the first desired number of storage units is set to a first optimal value and the second desired number of storage units is set to a second optimal value in response to the optimal performance data indicating that selecting the first optimal value and the second optimal value maximizes at least one of: read availability, write availability, rebuilding cost, or access performance. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The DSN of claim 11, wherein the site reliability data indicates a plurality of reliability scores corresponding to the plurality of storage sites, and wherein the storage unit apportioning data indicates the same desired number of storage units for each of the plurality of storage sites in response to the plurality of reliability scores having the same value. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The DSN of claim 11, wherein apportioning the plurality of storage units further includes: generating reassignment data in response to a change in the site reliability data, wherein the reassignment data indicates a new mapping of a new plurality of desired numbers of storage units to the plurality of storage sites based on the change in the site reliability data; and reallocating the plurality of storage units to the plurality of storage sites based on the reassignment data.