Slice-embedded object metadata

A computer program product for object data storage, the computer program product comprising:

• one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, the program instructions comprising:
• program instructions to receive a data object for storage within a set of dispersed storage units, wherein the data object comprises object data and associated object metadata;
• program instructions to replicate the object metadata of the received data object to create more than one copy of the associated object metadata;
• program instructions to encode the received data object to produce a plurality of data slices, wherein program instructions to encode comprises program instructions for dispersed storage error encoding;
• program instructions to append a copy of the associated object metadata to each data slice within the plurality of data slices;
• and
• program instructions to transmit the plurality of data slices to the set of dispersed storage units.

A computer system for object data storage, the computer system comprising:

• one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the program instructions comprising:
• program instructions to receive a data object for storage within a set of dispersed storage units, wherein the data object comprises object data and associated object metadata;
• program instructions to replicate the object metadata of the received data object to create more than one copy of the associated object metadata;
• program instructions to encode the received data object to produce a plurality of data slices, wherein program instructions to encode comprises program instructions for dispersed storage error encoding;
• program instructions to append a copy of the associated object metadata to each data slice within the plurality of data slices;
• and
• program instructions to transmit the plurality of data slices to the set of dispersed storage units.