Metadata access in a dispersed storage network

A method comprises:

• determining a set of data slice names corresponding to a data segment previously stored in a dispersed storage network (DSN) memory as a set of encoded data slices;
• determining a set of metadata slice names based on the set of data slice names, wherein the metadata slice names correspond to metadata previously stored in the DSN memory as a set of encoded metadata slices;
• retrieving at least a decode threshold number of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices from the DSN memory to produce received encoded data slices utilizing the set of data slice names, wherein the DSN memory retrieves an encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices based on a corresponding one of the set of data slice names using a first level of memory allocation;
• retrieving at least a decode threshold number of encoded metadata slices of the set of encoded metadata slices from the DSN memory to produce received encoded metadata slices utilizing the set of metadata slice names, wherein the DSN memory retrieves an encoded metadata slice of the set of encoded metadata slices based on a corresponding one of the set of metadata slice names using a second level of memory allocation, and wherein the second level of memory allocation is smaller than the first level of memory allocation;
• dispersed storage error decoding the received encoded data slices to reproduce the data segment;
• and
• dispersed storage error decoding the received encoded metadata slices to reproduce the metadata.

A computer comprises:

• an interface;
• a non-transitory memory that stores operational instructions;
• and
• at least one processing device that executes the operational instructions, which cause the at least one processing device to:
• dispersed storage error encode a data segment to produce a set of encoded data slices;
• dispersed storage error encode metadata associated with the data segment to produce a set of encoded metadata slices;
• create a set of data slice names for the set of encoded data slices;
• create a set of metadata slice names based on the set of data slice names;
• send, via the interface, the set of encoded data slices and the set of data slice names to a dispersed storage network (DSN) memory, wherein the DSN memory stores an encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices based on a corresponding one of the set of data slice names using a first level of memory allocation;
• and
• send, via the interface, the set of encoded metadata slices and the set of metadata slice names to the DSN memory, wherein the DSN memory stores an encoded metadata slice of the set of encoded metadata slices based on a corresponding one of the set of metadata slice names using a second level of memory allocation, and wherein the second level of memory allocation is smaller than the first level of memory allocation.