Storage Network with Time-Based Storage Access

A processing system of a storage network comprises:

• at least one memory that stores operational instructions;
• and
• at least one processor that, in response to executing the operational instructions, performs operations that include:
• receiving, by a storage unit of the storage network, an access request from a user device of a first group of user devices, the storage unit having an access policy that designates, for the first group of user devices, a first read time window for reading data from the storage unit and a first write time window for writing data to the storage unit;
• determining, by the storage unit, whether the access request is received within the first read time window when the access request is a read request or whether the access request is received within the first write time window when the access request is a write request;
• when the access request is the read request and is received within the first read time window, generating, by the storage unit, a read response that includes one or more requested encoded data slices;
• and
• when the access request is the write request and is received within the first write time window, processing, by the storage unit, the write request to store one or more new encoded data slices.