Healing failed erasure-coded write attempts in a distributed data storage system configured with fewer storage nodes than data plus parity fragments

A method for healing failed erasure-coded write attempts in a distributed data storage system that uses an erasure coding scheme, wherein a count of N erasure-coded fragments includes data fragments and parity fragments of a data block, the method comprising:

• by a first storage service node among a plurality of storage service nodes of the distributed data storage system, wherein the plurality of storage service nodes is fewer than the count of N, and
• wherein each storage service node comprises one or more hardware processors and a plurality of physical data storage resources:
• based on a failure to successfully store each of N erasure-coded fragments of a first data block within the distributed data storage system, causing at least two instances of the first data block, in unfragmented form, to be stored successfully within the distributed data storage system,
• wherein each of the at least two instances of the first data block is stored at a physical data storage resource, which is separate from other physical data storage resources that host others of the at least two instances of the first data block in unfragmented form;
• based on detecting that all of the plurality of storage service nodes are in service after the first data block was successfully written in unfragmented form:
• reading an instance of the first data block in unfragmented form,
• generating N erasure-coded fragments of the first data block by applying the erasure coding scheme,
• causing each of the N erasure-coded fragments to be stored at a physical data storage resource that is separate from other physical data storage resources hosting others of the N erasure-coded fragments of the first data block,
• receiving confirmations that each of the N erasure-coded fragments of the first data block was successfully stored,
• wherein only one instance of each of the N erasure-coded fragments of the first data block is stored in the distributed data storage system,
• wherein the N erasure-coded fragments of the first data block are distributed among the plurality of storage service nodes in the distributed data storage system.