Encoding Broadcast Data in a Vast Storage Network

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

• detecting a memory error associated with a memory device of a storage unit of a set of storage units that is storing a set of encoded data slices, wherein the storage unit services encoded data slice access messages from a processing unit of the storage network, wherein the detecting occurs while attempting to access one or more of:
• a read threshold number (R) of encoded data slices to be read from one or more of the storage units for decoding of a data segment of data, a decode threshold number (D) of encoded data slices needed to reconstruct the data segment, or a write threshold number (W) indicating a number of encoded data slices that must be accurately stored in the set of storage units before the data segment is deemed to have been properly stored;
• identifying an error descriptor code based on the detected memory error,
• determining to perform an action based on the error descriptor code;
• and
• executing the action to produce an action result.