Failsafe directory file system in a dispersed storage network

1. A file directory system comprises:

memory for storing:

a directory file including:

one or more directory entries;

one or more corresponding addresses for the one or more directory entries;

a directory address for the directory file; and

one or more processing devices configured to function as a directory address failsafe mechanism operable to:

dispersed storage error encode the directory address to produce a plurality of encoded components of the directory address; and

transmit the plurality of encoded components of the directory address to a plurality of agent modules.

2. The file directory system of claim 1 , wherein the directory entry comprises at least one of:

a directory path name; and

a file name.

3. The file directory system of claim 1 further comprises:

the directory address including a dispersed storage network (DSN) address; and

each of the one or more corresponding addresses including a DSN directory entry address.

4. The file directory system of claim 1 further comprises:

the directory file constituting a root directory file; and

the directory address constituting a root directory address.

5. The file directory system of claim 4 further comprises:

an intermediate directory file including:

one or more intermediate directory entries;

one or more corresponding intermediate directory entry addresses for the one or more intermediate directory entries;

an intermediate directory address for the intermediate directory file; and

an intermediate directory address failsafe mechanism operable to:

dispersed storage error encode the intermediate directory address to produce a plurality of encoded components of the intermediate directory address; and

transmit the plurality of encoded components of the intermediate directory address to a plurality of intermediate directory agent modules.

6. The file directory system of claim 1 further comprises:

a file-level directory file including:

one or more file-level directory entries;

one or more corresponding file-level directory entry addresses for the one or more file-level directory entries;

a file-level directory address for the file-level directory file; and

a file-level directory address failsafe mechanism operable to:

dispersed storage error encode the file-level directory address to produce a plurality of encoded components of the file-level directory address; and

transmit the plurality of encoded components of the file-level directory address to a plurality of file-level directory agent modules.

7. The file directory system of claim 1 , wherein the directory file further comprises:

one or more redundant directory entries; and

one or more corresponding redundant directory entry addresses for the one or more redundant directory entries.

8. The file directory system of claim 1 further comprises:

an intermediate directory file corresponding to one of the one or more directory entries, wherein

the intermediate directory file includes:

one or more intermediate directory entries;

one or more corresponding intermediate directory entry addresses for the one or more intermediate directory entries;

an intermediate directory address for the intermediate directory file, wherein the corresponding address of the one of the one or more directory entries constitutes the intermediate directory address; and

the directory address failsafe mechanism operable to:

dispersed storage error encode the intermediate directory address to produce a plurality of encoded components of the intermediate directory address; and

transmit the plurality of encoded components of the intermediate directory address to a plurality of agent modules.

9. The file directory system of claim 1 further comprises:

a decoding module operable to:

retrieve a threshold number of the encoded components of the directory address from at least some of the plurality of agent modules; and

reconstruct the directory address from the threshold number of encoded components.

10. A method for accessing a file system, the method comprises:

receiving a file access request;

identifying a directory file path based on the file access request;

determining that a directory address of a directory file of the directory file path is not available;

when the directory address is not available, determining whether to reconstruct the directory address or to use a redundant directory file path; and

when reconstructing the directory address:

retrieving encoded components of the directory address from a plurality of agent modules; and

when at least a threshold number of the encoded components of the directory address have been received, reconstructing the directory address from the at least a threshold number of the encoded components of the directory address.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprises:

when using the redundant directory file path, determining one or more directory addresses for one or more redundant directory files in the redundant directory file path; and

accessing a file via the one or more directory addresses of the redundant directory file path.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the directory address comprises:

a dispersed storage network (DSN) directory address.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the directory file comprises at least one of:

a root directory file;

an intermediate directory file; and

a file-level directory file.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the identifying the directory file path when the file access request is a write data request comprises:

determining whether the directory file path exists;

when the directory file path does not exist, creating the directory file path;

determining whether to create a redundant directory file path; and

when it is determined to create the redundant directory file path, creating the redundant directory file path.

15. A computer device comprises:

an interface;

a processing module operable to:

receive, via the interface, a file access request;

identify a directory file path based on the file access request;

determine that a directory address of a directory file of the directory file path is not available;

when the directory address is not available, determine whether to reconstruct the directory address or to use a redundant directory file path; and

when reconstructing the directory address:

retrieve, via the interface, encoded components of the directory address from a plurality of agent modules; and

when at least a threshold number of the encoded components of the directory address have been received, reconstruct the directory address from the at least a threshold number of the encoded components of the directory address.

16. The computer of claim 15 , wherein the processing module for the functions to:

when using the redundant directory file path, determine one or more directory addresses for one or more redundant directory files in the redundant directory file path; and

access, via the interface, a file via the one or more directory addresses of the redundant directory file path.

17. The computer of claim 15 , wherein the directory address comprises:

a dispersed storage network (DSN) directory address.

18. The computer of claim 15 , wherein the directory file comprises at least one of:

a root directory file;

an intermediate directory file; and

a file-level directory file.

19. The computer of claim 15 , wherein the processing module functions to identify the directory file path when the file access request is a write data request by:

determining whether the directory file path exists;

when the directory file path does not exist, creating the directory file path;

determining whether to create a redundant directory file path; and

when it is determined to create the redundant directory file path, creating the redundant directory file path.