Metadata Based Listing in a Distributed Storage System

A computing device of a group of computing devices of a storage network, the computing device comprises:

• an interface;
• a local memory;
• and
• a processing module operably coupled to the interface and the local memory, wherein the processing module functions to:
• identify a subset of encoded data slices stored in a set of storage units, wherein the identifying is based on a data retrieval time requirement;
• interpreting registry data to determine a listing type corresponding to the subset of encoded data slices, wherein the listing type indicates to a storage unit of the set of storage units to put one or more of the subset of encoded data slices into a separate bin for listing;
• generate listing slice identifiers for the subset of encoded data slices based on the listing type;
• send the listing slice identifiers to the set of storage units;
• update, for the storage unit, storage of at least some of the subset of encoded data slices associated with the storage unit based on the listing type;
• issue, for the storage unit, slice access information to a requesting entity in response to one or more slice access requests based on the listing type for at least some of the subset of encoded data slices;
• and
• wherein the requesting entity receives the slice access information from at least some of the set of storage units.

A system comprises:

• an interface;
• a local memory;
• and
• a processing module operably coupled to the interface and the local memory, wherein the processing module functions to:
• identify a subset of encoded data slices stored in a set of storage units, wherein the identify a subset is based on a data retrieval time requirement;
• interpret registry data to determine a listing type corresponding to the subset of encoded data slices, wherein the listing type indicates to a storage unit of the set of storage units to put one or more of the subset of encoded data slices into a separate bin for listing;
• generate listing slice identifiers for the subset of encoded data slices based on the listing type;
• send the listing slice identifiers to the set of storage units;
• update, for the storage unit, listing of at least some of the subset of encoded data slices associated with the storage unit based on the listing type;
• issue, for the storage unit, slice access information to a requesting entity in response to one or more slice access requests based on the listing type for at least some of the subset of encoded data slices;
• and
• wherein the requesting entity receives the slice access information from at least some of the set of storage units.