Reprioritizing pending dispersed storage network requests

1. A method for execution by computing device within a dispersed storage network (DSN), the method comprising:

monitoring processing status of a plurality of pending DSN access requests, wherein a pending DSN access request of the plurality of pending DSN access requests includes a set of access requests regarding a set of encoded data slices, wherein the set of access requests is sent to dispersed storage (DS) units of the DSN, wherein less than a desired number of the DS units have favorably responded to the set of access requests, wherein a data segment of data is dispersed storage error encoded to produce the set of encoded data slices, wherein the desired number of DS units corresponds to a decode threshold number of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices, and wherein the decode threshold number of encoded data slices are required to recover a data segment;

interpreting the processing status of the plurality of pending DSN access requests to detect a processing anomaly of one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests;

reprioritizing further processing of at least one of:

the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests having the processing anomaly; or

another one or more of the plurality of pending DSN access requests; and

sending notice of the reprioritized further processing to one or more of the DS units.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring the processing status comprises one or more of:

determining a number of favorable replies received from the DS units regarding the pending DSN access request;

determining a rate of receiving favorable replies from the DS units regarding the pending DSN access request;

determining a priority of the pending DSN access request;

determining a request type of the pending DSN access request;

determining that at least a threshold number of favorable replies from the DS units regarding the pending DSN access request have been received; or

determining a duration of the pending DSN access request.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interpreting the processing status comprises at least one of:

indicating the processing anomaly when a desired number of favorable replies from the DS units regarding the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests has not been received;

indicating the processing anomaly when a desired rate of receiving favorable replies from the DS units regarding the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests is not achieved;

indicating the processing anomaly when the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests has been pending for longer than a desired duration; or

indicating the processing anomaly when a threshold number of favorable replies from the DS units regarding the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests have been received.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing anomaly comprises one of:

processing of the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests is exceeding a first desired processing level; and

the processing of the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests is below a second desired processing level.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reprioritizing the further processing comprises:

decreasing priority of the other one or more of the plurality of pending DSN access requests when the processing of the other one or more of the plurality of pending DSN access requests is above a first desired processing level; and

increasing priority of the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests having the processing anomaly, when the processing anomaly is indicative of processing of the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests being below a second desired processing level.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reprioritizing the further processing comprises:

increasing priority of the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests having the processing anomaly.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reprioritizing the further processing comprises:

decreasing priority of the other one or more of the plurality of pending DSN access requests.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending the notice of the reprioritized further processing comprises:

identifying the one or more of the DS units as units of the DS units that have not provided a reply to the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests or to the other one or more of the plurality of pending DSN access requests.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pending DSN access request comprises one or more of:

a read request;

a request of a three-phase write commit process;

a status request;

a delete request; or

an update request.

10. A dispersed storage (DS) module comprising:

a first processing module, when operable within a computing device, causes the computing device to:

monitor processing status of a plurality of pending dispersed storage network (DSN) access requests, wherein a pending DSN access request of the plurality of pending DSN access requests includes a set of access requests regarding a set of encoded data slices, wherein the set of access requests is sent to dispersed storage (DS) units of the DSN, wherein less than a desired number of the DS units have favorably responded to the set of access requests, wherein a data segment of data is dispersed storage error encoded to produce the set of encoded data slices, wherein the desired number of DS units corresponds to a decode threshold number of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices, and wherein the decode threshold number of encoded data slices are required to recover a data segment;

a second processing module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to:

interpret the processing status of the plurality of pending DSN access requests to detect a processing anomaly of one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests;

a third processing module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to:

reprioritize further processing of at least one of:

the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests having the processing anomaly; or

another one or more of the plurality of pending DSN access requests; and

a fourth processing module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to:

send notice of the reprioritized further processing to one or more of the DS units.

11. The DS module of claim 10 , wherein the first processing module functions to monitor the processing status by one or more of:

determining a number of favorable replies received from the DS units regarding the pending DSN access request;

determining a rate of receiving favorable replies from the DS units regarding the pending DSN access request;

determining a priority of the pending DSN access request;

determining a request type of the pending DSN access request;

determining that at least a threshold number of favorable replies from the DS units regarding the pending DSN access request have been received; or

determining a duration of the pending DSN access request.

12. The DS module of claim 10 , wherein the second processing module functions to interpret the processing status by at least one of:

indicating the processing anomaly when a desired number of favorable replies from the DS units regarding the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests has not been received;

indicating the processing anomaly when a desired rate of receiving favorable replies from the DS units regarding the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests is not achieved;

indicating the processing anomaly when the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests has been pending for longer than a desired duration; or

indicating the processing anomaly when a threshold number of favorable replies from the DS units regarding the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests have been received.

13. The DS module of claim 10 , wherein the processing anomaly comprises one of:

processing of the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests is exceeding a first desired processing level; and

the processing of the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests is below a second desired processing level.

14. The DS module of claim 10 , wherein the third processing module functions to reprioritize the further processing by:

decreasing priority of the other one or more of the plurality of pending DSN access requests when the processing of the other one or more of the plurality of pending DSN access requests is above a first desired processing level; and

increasing priority of the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests having the processing anomaly, when the processing anomaly is indicative of processing of the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests being below a second desired processing level.

15. The DS module of claim 10 , wherein the third processing module functions to reprioritize the further processing by:

increasing priority of the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests having the processing anomaly.

16. The DS module of claim 10 , wherein the third processing module functions to reprioritize the further processing by:

decreasing priority of the other one or more of the plurality of pending DSN access requests.

17. The DS module of claim 10 , wherein the fourth processing module functions to send the notice of the reprioritized further processing by:

identifying the one or more of the DS units as units of the DS units that have not provided a reply to the one of the plurality of pending DSN access requests or to the other one or more of the plurality of pending DSN access requests.

18. The DS module of claim 10 , wherein the pending DSN access request comprises one or more of:

a read request;

a request of a three-phase write commit process;

a status request;

a delete request; or

an update request.