Utilizing Metadata Storage Trees in a Vast Storage Network

A processing system of a storage system comprises:

• at least one processor;
• a memory that stores operational instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the processing system to:
• receive data for storage;
• encode the data via erasure coding to produce a plurality of data slices;
• determine metadata for a data slice of the plurality of data slices;
• determine metadata for the data slice;
• store the metadata in a metadata storage tree, wherein the metadata storage tree is stored via a first plurality of memory devices of a first memory type;
• and
• store the data slice in a slice storage location, indicated by the metadata, in a second plurality of memory devices of a second memory type, wherein the first memory type has a higher performance level than the second memory type based on a utilization approach.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprises:

• at least one memory section that stores operational instructions that, when executed by a processing system that includes a processor and a memory, causes the processing system to:
• receive data for storage;
• encode the data via erasure coding to produce a plurality of data slices;
• determine metadata for a data slice of the plurality of data slices;
• determine metadata for the data slice;
• store the metadata in a metadata storage tree, wherein the metadata storage tree is stored via a first plurality of memory devices of a first memory type;
• and
• store the data slice in a slice storage location, indicated by the metadata, in a second plurality of memory devices of a second memory type, wherein the first memory type has a higher performance level than the second memory type based on a utilization approach.