Computing core application access utilizing dispersed storage
View Patent ↗A computing core includes a processing module, main memory, and a memory controller. The memory controller receives a request to fetch an instruction from the processing module and determines whether the instruction is currently stored in the main memory. When the instruction is not currently stored in the main memory, the memory controller determines whether the instruction is stored in a distributed storage network (DSN) memory as one or more sets of encoded instruction slices; and, when it is, the memory controller addresses the DSN memory to retrieve the one or more sets of encoded instruction slices. When at least a threshold number of encoded instruction slices are retrieved for each of the one or more sets of encoded instruction slices, the one or more sets of encoded instruction slices are decoded using a dispersed storage error coding function to reconstruct the instruction, which is provided to the processing module.
1. A method for execution by a computing core, the method comprises:
receiving a request to fetch an instruction from a processing module of the computing core;
determining whether the instruction is currently stored in main memory of the computing core;
when the instruction is not currently stored in the main memory:
determining whether the instruction is stored in a distributed storage network (DSN) memory as one or more sets of encoded instruction slices;
when the instruction is stored in the DSN memory as the one or more sets of encoded instruction slices, determining whether the instruction is an operating system instruction or an application instruction;
when the instruction is the operating system instruction, addressing first DSN memory of the DSN memory to retrieve the one or more sets of encoded instruction;
when the instruction is the application instruction, addressing second memory of the DSN memory to retrieve the one or more sets of encoded instruction slices;
when at least a threshold number of encoded instruction slices are retrieved for each of the one or more sets of encoded instruction slices, decoding the one or more sets of encoded instruction slices using a dispersed storage error coding function to reconstruct the instruction; and
providing the instruction to the processing module.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instruction comprises one of:
an operating system instruction;
an application instruction;
a software driver instruction; and
an application programming interface (API) instruction.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing the instruction to the processing module further comprises:
storing the instruction in the main memory prior to the providing.
4. The method of claim 1 comprises, when the instruction is not currently stored in main memory:
identifying a group of instructions to retrieve, wherein the group of instructions includes the instruction;
determining whether the group of instructions is stored in the DSN memory in an error encoded format;
when the group of instructions is stored in the DSN memory in the error encoded format, addressing the DSN memory to retrieve a unique one or more sets of encoded instruction slices for each of the instructions in the group of instructions.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprises:
when the instruction is not currently stored in main memory and is stored in the DSN memory in a non-error encoded format, retrieving a non-error encoded version of the instruction from the DSN memory.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the DSN memory comprises at least one of:
non-core memory;
local area network (LAN) memory; and
wide area network (WAN) memory.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprises:
receiving a request from the processing unit to fetch configuration information, wherein the configuration information includes at least one of application configuration parameters regarding an application and user preferences regarding the application;
determining whether the configuration information is currently stored in main memory of the computing core;
when the configuration information is not currently stored in the main memory:
determining whether the configuration information is stored in the DSN memory as one or more sets of encoded configuration slices;
when the configuration information is stored in the DSN memory as the one or more sets of encoded configuration slices, addressing the DSN memory to retrieve the one or more sets of encoded configuration slices;
when at least a threshold number of encoded configuration slices are retrieved for each of the one or more sets of encoded configuration slices, decoding the one or more sets of encoded configuration slices using a dispersed storage error coding function to reconstruct the configuration information; and
providing the configuration information to the processing module.
8. In the method of claim 7 further comprises:
detecting a change in the configuration information;
when a change is detected in the configuration information, updating the configuration information to produce updated configuration information; and
facilitating storage of the updated configuration information in an error encoded format in the DSN memory.
9. A computing core comprises:
a processing module;
main memory; and
a memory controller operable to:
receive a request to fetch an instruction from the processing module;
determine whether the instruction is currently stored in the main memory;
when the instruction is not currently stored in the main memory:
determine whether the instruction is stored in a distributed storage network (DSN) memory as one or more sets of encoded instruction slices;
when the instruction is stored in the DSN memory as the one or more sets of encoded instruction slices, determine whether the instruction is an operating system instruction or an application instruction;
when the instruction is the operating system instruction, address first DSN memory of the DSN memory to retrieve the one or more sets of encoded instruction;
when the instruction is the application instruction, address second memory of the DSN memory to retrieve the one or more sets of encoded instruction slices;
when at least a threshold number of encoded instruction slices are retrieved for each of the one or more sets of encoded instruction slices, decode the one or more sets of encoded instruction slices using a dispersed storage error coding function to reconstruct the instruction; and
provide the instruction to the processing module.
10. The computing core of claim 9 , wherein the instruction comprises one of:
an operating system instruction;
an application instruction;
a software driver instruction; and
an application programming interface (API) instruction.
11. The computing core of claim 9 , wherein the memory controller is further operable to:
facilitate storing the instruction in the main memory prior to the providing the instruction to the processing module.
12. The computing core of claim 9 , wherein the memory controller is further operable to, when the instruction is not currently stored in main memory:
identify a group of instructions to retrieve, wherein the group of instructions includes the instruction;
determine whether the group of instructions is stored in the DSN memory in an error encoded format;
when the group of instructions is stored in the DSN memory in the error encoded format, address the DSN memory to retrieve a unique one or more sets of encoded instruction slices for each of the instructions in the group of instructions.
13. The computing core of claim 9 , wherein the memory controller is further operable to:
when the instruction is not currently stored in main memory and is stored in the DSN memory in a non-error encoded format, retrieve a non-error encoded version of the instruction from the DSN memory.
14. The computing core of claim 9 , wherein the DSN memory comprises at least one of:
non-core memory;
local area network (LAN) memory; and
wide area network (WAN) memory.
15. The computing core of claim 9 , wherein the memory controller is further operable to:
receive a request from the processing unit to fetch configuration information, wherein the configuration information includes at least one of application configuration parameters regarding an application and user preferences regarding the application;
determine whether the configuration information is currently stored in main memory of the computing core;
when the configuration information is not currently stored in the main memory:
determine whether the configuration information is stored in the DSN memory as one or more sets of encoded configuration slices;
when the configuration information is stored in the DSN memory as the one or more sets of encoded configuration slices, address the DSN memory to retrieve the one or more sets of encoded configuration slices;
when at least a threshold number of encoded configuration slices are retrieved for each of the one or more sets of encoded configuration slices, decode the one or more sets of encoded configuration slices using a dispersed storage error coding function to reconstruct the configuration information; and
provide the configuration information to the processing module.
16. The computing core of claim 15 , further comprises:
the processing module operable to:
detect a change in the configuration information;
when a change is detected in the configuration information, update the configuration information to produce updated configuration information; and
the memory controller operable to facilitate storage of the updated configuration information in an error encoded format in the DSN memory.