Proxying read requests when performance or availability failure is anticipated

A computer readable memory device comprises:

• a first memory section that stores operational instructions that, when executed by a read threshold number of storage units of a set of storage units of a dispersed storage network (DSN), causes the read threshold number of storage units to:
• receive a read threshold number of read requests regarding a read threshold number of encoded data slices of a set of encoded data slices, wherein a data segment of a data object is dispersed storage error encoded into the set of encoded data slices, wherein the set of encoded data slices is stored in the set of storage units, and wherein the read threshold number is less than a total number of encoded data slices in the set of encoded data slices and is equal to or greater than a decode threshold number;
• a second memory section that stores operational instructions that, when executed by each storage unit of the read threshold number of storage units, causes each storage unit of the read threshold number of storage units to:
• determine whether the storage unit is capable of processing a respective read request of the read threshold number of read requests;
• a third memory section that stores operational instructions that, when executed by a particular storage unit of the read threshold number of storage units, causes the particular storage unit to:
• send a proxy read request to another storage unit of the set of storage units that is not in the read threshold number of storage units when the particular storage unit is not capable of processing the respective read request;
• a fourth memory section that stores operational instructions that, when executed by the other storage unit, causes the other storage unit to:
• determine whether the other storage unit is capable of processing the proxy read request;
• and
• when the other storage unit is capable of processing the proxy read request, process the proxy read request.