UTILIZING MULTIPLE DATA STRUCTURES FOR SLICE STORAGE

1 . A method for execution by one or more processing modules of one or more computing devices of a dispersed storage network (DSN), the method comprises:

receiving a slice access request that includes a slice name;

obtaining one or more revision numbers for the slice access request;

for each combination of revision number and the slice name, performing a deterministic function on the combination to produce a slice location table index value;

accessing a slice location table utilizing the slice location table index value to obtain a slice location;

accessing a slice utilizing the slice location;

generating a slice access response based on the accessing of the slice; and

sending the slice access response to a requesting entity.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the slice location includes one or more of:

a memory device identifier; and

a location identifier within the memory device.

3 . The method of claim 1 further comprises the obtaining including searching a slice name tree and receiving the revision numbers.

4 . The method of claim 1 further comprises the obtaining including selecting an estimated revision number.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the slice location table includes one or more of:

associated information;

slice name;

revision number;

slice length of the revision;

an integrity value of the revision.

6 . The method of claim 1 further comprises:

when the request includes writing a slice, creating a new entry in a slice name tree.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the new entry includes one or more of:

slice name;

revision number;

slice integrity value;

slice length; and

pointers to adjacent entries.

8 . The method of claim 1 further comprises the request including access to a list of the slice name ranges.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the list of the slice name ranges includes accessing a slice name tree within a slice name range to gather revision number and any associated information.

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein the slice access response includes, for each slice name:

slice;

revision;

slice length; and

revision count.

11 . A dispersed storage network (DSN) comprising one or more processing modules configured to:

receive a slice access request that includes a slice name;

obtain a revision number for the slice access request;

for each combination of revision number and the slice name, perform a deterministic function on the combination to produce a slice location table index value;

access a slice location table utilizing the slice location table index value to obtain a slice location;

access a slice utilizing the slice location;

generate a slice access response based on the accessing of the slice; and

send the slice access response to a requesting entity.

12 . The DSN of claim 11 , further comprising a slice name tree and the obtaining comprises searching the slice name tree and receiving the revision number.

13 . The DSN of claim 11 further comprises:

when the request includes reading a slice, the obtaining revision number includes selecting an estimated revision number.

14 . The DSN of claim 11 , wherein the slice location table includes one or more of:

associated information;

slice name;

revision number;

slice length of the revision;

an integrity value of the revision.

15 . The DSN of claim 11 further comprises:

when the request includes writing a slice, creating a new entry in a slice name tree.

16 . The DSN of claim 15 , wherein the new entry includes one or more of:

slice name;

revision number;

slice integrity value;

slice length; and

pointers to adjacent entries.

17 . The DSN of claim 11 further comprises the request including access to a list of the slice name ranges.

18 . The DSN of claim 17 wherein the list of the slice name ranges includes accessing a slice name tree within a slice name range to gather the revision numbers and any associated information.

19 . The DSN of claim 11 wherein the slice access response includes, for each slice name:

slice;

revision;

slice length; and

revision count.

20 . A method for execution by one or more processing modules of one or more computing devices of a dispersed storage network (DSN), the method comprises:

receiving a slice range access request that includes a range of slice names;

obtaining a revision number for each slice in the slice range access request;

for each combination of the revision number and the slice name obtained, performing a deterministic function on the combination to produce slice location table index values;

accessing a slice location table utilizing the slice location table index values to obtain slice locations;

accessing the slices utilizing the slice locations;

generating a slice access response based on the accessing of the slices; and

sending the slice access response to a requesting entity.

21 . The method of claim 20 further comprises the obtaining including accessing a slice name tree within a slice name range to gather the revision number and any associated information.

22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the slice access response includes:

slice;

revision;

slice length; and

revision count.

23 . A method for execution by one or more processing modules of one or more computing devices of a dispersed storage network (DSN), the method comprises:

receiving a read slice access request that includes a slice name;

for each combination of an estimated revision number and the slice name, performing a deterministic function on the combination to produce a slice location table index value;

accessing a slice location table utilizing the slice location table index value to obtain a slice location;

accessing a slice utilizing the slice location;

generating a slice access response based on the accessing of the slice; and

sending the slice access response to a requesting entity.

24 . The method of claim 23 wherein the slice access response includes, for each slice name:

slice;

revision;

slice length; and

revision count.

25 . A method for execution by one or more processing modules of one or more computing devices of a dispersed storage network (DSN), the method comprises:

receiving a read slice access request that includes a slice name;

searching a slice name tree and receiving a slice name revision number;

for each combination of an estimated revision number and the slice name, performing a deterministic function on the combination to produce a slice location table index value;

accessing a slice location table utilizing the slice location table index value to obtain a slice location;

accessing a slice utilizing the slice location;

generating a slice access response based on the accessing of the slice; and

sending the slice access response to a requesting entity.

26 . The method of claim 25 wherein the slice access response includes, for each slice name:

slice;

revision;

slice length; and

revision count.

27 . The method of claim 25 further comprises the searching a slice name tree and receiving slice name revision numbers including receiving one or more of:

slice integrity value;

slice length; and

pointers to adjacent entries.

28 . A method for execution by one or more processing modules of one or more computing devices of a dispersed storage network (DSN), the method comprises:

receiving a write slice access request that includes a slice name, slice and revision number;

for each combination of the revision number and the slice name, performing a deterministic function on the combination to produce a slice location table index value;

accessing a slice location table utilizing the slice location table index value to obtain a slice location;

writing the slice to the slice location within DSN memory;

creating a new entry in a slice name tree including at least slice name and revision number;

sending a slice access response to a requesting entity.

29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the new entry further includes one or more of:

slice integrity value;

slice length; and

pointers to adjacent entries.