Dispersed storage network resource allocation

1. A dispersed storage unit for use within a dispersed storage network, comprising:

an interface;

a physical memory; and

a processing module operable to:

receive registry information from the dispersed storage network via the interface;

extract from the registry information a slice name assignment indicating a range of slice names assigned to a vault associated with at least one user of the dispersed storage network, the slice names further corresponding to a plurality of potential data slices to be subsequently created and received, each of the potential data slices being sliced from a potential data segment of a potential data object, each slice name within the range of slice names indicating a pillar of the vault, the pillar corresponding to one data slice of each data segment of each data object written to the vault; and

allocating a portion of the physical memory to store the potential data slices based on the slice name assignment such that the dispersed storage unit stores no more than one pillar of the vault.

2. The dispersed storage unit of claim 1 , wherein each slice name within the range of slice names includes a slice index that is determined from an identifier of the vault and an identifier of the pillar.

3. The dispersed storage unit of claim 2 , wherein each slice name within the range of slice names further includes the identifier of the vault and an identifier of a vault generation.

4. The dispersed storage unit of claim 3 , wherein each slice name further includes data slice information for use in identifying the potential data slices.

5. The dispersed storage unit of claim 1 , wherein the processing module further maps an actual data slice having one of the slice names within the slice name assignment received via the interface to a physical memory address of the physical memory based on the slice name of the actual data slice.

6. The dispersed storage unit of claim 1 , wherein the processing module further receives, via the interface, updated registry information and compares the updated registry information to the registry information previously received to determine a slice name assignment update.

7. The dispersed storage unit of claim 6 , wherein the processing module determines that the updated registry information indicates that at least a portion of the range of slice names should be deleted.

8. The dispersed storage unit of claim 7 , wherein the processing module further determines whether stored data slices corresponding to deleted slice names within the at least a portion of slice names should be moved prior to deletion, and if so, transmits the stored data slices corresponding to the deleted slice names to another dispersed storage unit within the dispersed storage network prior to deleting the stored data slices.

9. The dispersed storage unit of claim 8 , wherein the processing module further stores the updated registry information as current registry information upon deletion of the stored data slices.

10. The dispersed storage unit of claim 6 , wherein the processing module determines that the updated registry information includes a new slice name assignment indicating a new range of slice names for the vault and allocates a new portion of the physical memory for the new range of slice names.

11. A method for configuring a dispersed storage unit within a dispersed storage network, comprising:

receiving registry information from the dispersed storage network;

extracting from the registry information a slice name assignment indicating a range of slice names assigned to a vault associated with at least one user of the dispersed storage network, the slice names further corresponding to a plurality of potential data slices to be subsequently created and received, each of the potential data slices being sliced from a potential data segment of a potential data object, each slice name within the range of slice names indicating a pillar of the vault, the pillar corresponding to one data slice of each data segment of each data object written to the vault; and

allocating a portion of physical memory to store the potential data slices based on the slice name assignment such that the dispersed storage unit stores no more than one pillar of the vault.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein each slice name within the range of slice names includes a slice index that is determined from an identifier of the vault and an identifier of the pillar.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein each slice name within the range of slice names further includes the identifier of the vault and an identifier of a vault generation.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein each slice name further includes data slice information for use in identifying the potential data slices.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving an actual data slice having one of the slice names within the slice name assignment;

mapping the actual data slice to a physical memory address of the physical memory based on the slice name of the actual data slice.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving updated registry information; and

comparing the updated registry information to the registry information previously received to determine a slice name assignment update.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

determining that the slice name assignment update indicates that at least a portion of the range of slice names should be deleted.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

determining whether stored data slices corresponding to deleted slice names within the at least a portion of slice names should be moved prior to deletion;

if so, transmitting the stored data slices corresponding to the deleted slice names to another dispersed storage unit within the dispersed storage network prior to deleting the stored data slices.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

storing the updated registry information as current registry information upon deletion of the stored data slices.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the processing module determines that the slice name assignment update includes a new slice name assignment indicating a new range of slice names for the vault; and

allocating a new portion of the physical memory for the new range of slice names.