Fulfilling Read Requests in a Storage Network via Read Access Priority

A storage network comprises:

• a network interface;
• at least one memory;
• one or more processing modules operably coupled to the network interface, wherein the one or more processing modules are configured by executable instructions stored in the at least one memory to perform operations that include:
• issuing a decode threshold number of read requests to storage units of a storage network, the decode threshold number of read requests indicating a decode threshold number of encoded data slices generated via a dispersed error encoding of a data object;
• in response to receiving less than a decode threshold number of the encoded data slices within a first timeframe, issuing at least one additional read request for at least one encoded data slice that was not received within the first timeframe to at least one storage unit storing the at least one encoded data slice, wherein the at least one additional read request includes a priority instruction;
• receiving the at least one encoded data slice from the at least one storage unit storing the at least one encoded data slice;
• and
• in response to receiving the at least one encoded data slice, decoding the decode threshold number of encoded data slices to regenerate the data object.