Using Metadata Servers in a Distributed Storage System

A method for execution by one or more processing modules of one or more computing devices of a storage network, the method comprises:

• transmitting, to a storage network entity, a metadata access request for metadata associated with a data object, wherein the data object is dispersed error encoded in accordance with dispersed storage error encoding parameters to produce a set of encoded data slices, wherein the set of encoded data slices are distributedly stored among a plurality of storage units, wherein a decode threshold number of encoded data slices are needed to recover the data object, and wherein the metadata access request is adapted to initiate a metadata lookup for the data object;
• receiving, from the network entity, a file path and a storage location for accessing one or more encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices;
• and
• transmitting, based on the file path and the storage location, an access request for an encoded data slice of the one or more encoded data slices.

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:
• receive a request for a data object, from a requestor wherein the data object is dispersed error encoded in accordance with dispersed storage error encoding parameters to produce a set of encoded data slices, wherein the set of encoded data slices are distributedly stored among a plurality of storage units, wherein a decode threshold number of encoded data slices are needed to recover the data object;
• accessing one or more metadata stores to locate metadata addressing information associated with the data object;
• determining, based on the metadata addressing information, a location and a directory path for the set of encoded data slices;
• and
• transmitting the location and a directory path for the set of encoded data slices to the requestor.