Mechanism for persisting messages in a storage system

A storage cluster, comprising:

• a plurality of storage nodes within a single chassis;
• each of the plurality of storage nodes having nonvolatile solid-state memory for storage of user data;
• each of the plurality of storage nodes having at least one authority, each authority configured to determine which type of erasure coding scheme is applied to a portion of user data owned by the authority, independent of further authorities of the plurality of storage nodes;
• the plurality of storage nodes configured to distribute the user data and redundant copies of metadata regarding a message throughout the plurality of storage nodes via an internal communications interconnect of the single chassis, the redundant copies of the metadata regarding the message stored in at least a subset of the plurality of storage nodes, the plurality of storage nodes are able to access the user data, via erasure coding, with a failure of two of the plurality of storage nodes;
• and
• the plurality of storage nodes configured to determine what action to carry to completion, based on the redundant copies of the metadata, and further based on a source authority of one of the plurality of storage nodes receiving the message, recording the message metadata regarding the message redundantly throughout the plurality of storage nodes and then delivering the message to a destination authority of a further one of the plurality of storage nodes responsive to achieving a level of redundancy for the redundant copies of the metadata regarding the message, whereupon the destination authority acts upon the message.

A method for persisting messages in a plurality of storage nodes having nonvolatile solid-state memory, comprising:

• distributing user data throughout the plurality of storage nodes through erasure coding, wherein the plurality of storage nodes are housed within a single chassis that couples the plurality of storage nodes as a storage cluster, and wherein the user data is accessible, via the erasure coding, in the plurality of storage nodes in event of two of the plurality of storage nodes being unreachable;
• receiving a message at a source authority of one of the plurality of storage nodes;
• storing metadata relating to the message in the one of the plurality of storage nodes;
• distributing redundant copies of the metadata relating to the message from the source authority to others of the plurality of storage nodes;
• determining whether a level of redundancy for distributed redundant copies of the metadata regarding the message has been achieved;
• and
• determining an action, including the source authority delivering the message to a destination authority of a further one of the plurality of storage nodes and having the destination authority act upon the message, based on the redundant copies of the metadata responsive to achieving the level of redundancy, wherein a processor performs at least one method operation.