Auditing Data Retrieval in a Distributed Storage Network

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 read data object request for a data object stored as a plurality of encoded data slices in a set of storage units;
• determine metadata associated with the data object;
• determine location for each encoded data slice of the plurality of encoded data slices based on the metadata;
• collect a performance metric associated with the location determined for each encoded data slice;
• issue read slice requests to at least some storage units of the set of storage units to recover a read threshold number of encoded data slices;
• receive read slice responses from at least some of the storage units, wherein the read slice responses include received encoded data slices of the read threshold number of encoded data slices;
• collect a performance metric associated with receiving the read threshold number of encoded data slices;
• decode a decode threshold number of encoded data slices to reproduce the data object;
• generate audit information based on the performance metric associated with the location for at least some encoded data slices of the plurality of encoded data slices and the performance metric associated with receiving the read threshold number of encoded data slices;
• and
• send the audit information to a requesting entity.

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

• receiving a read data object request from a user device to reproduce a data object, wherein the data object is dispersed storage error encoded to produce a plurality of sets of encoded data slices that are stored in a storage network storage set and wherein at least a decode threshold number of encoded data slices are required from each set to recover the data object;
• selecting for each set of encoded data slices of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices, a read threshold number of encoded data slices for retrieval;
• issuing read slice requests to at least some storage units of the storage set to recover a read threshold number of encoded data slices;
• receiving read slice responses from at least some storage units in the storage set;
• selecting, for each received read slice response of a set of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices, a decode threshold number of encoded data slices;
• for each set of encoded data slices, decoding the decode threshold number of encoded data slices to reproduce the data object;
• and
• sending the data object and audit information to the user device, wherein the audit information includes, for each set of encoded data slices, identifiers of the read threshold number of encoded data slices, identifiers of received encoded data slices, and identifiers of the decode threshold number of encoded data slices.