UTILIZING CONCENTRIC STORAGE POOLS IN A DISPERSED STORAGE NETWORK

1 . A method for execution by a dispersed storage and task (DST) client module that includes a processor, the method comprises:

receiving data for storage;

storing the data as a plurality of sets of encoded data slices in an affiliated local storage pool of storage units;

storing the data as another plurality of sets of encoded data slices in an affiliated next level storage pool of storage in response to receiving no modification for the data within a time period;

receiving a data retrieval request indicating the data from a requesting entity;

determining whether the data is available from the affiliated local storage pool;

retrieving the data from the affiliated next level storage pool in response to determining that the data is not available from the affiliated local storage pool;

storing the data in the affiliated local storage pool; and

sending the data to the requesting entity.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

dispersed storage error encoding a data segment of the data to produce a set of encoded data slices of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices;

retrieving the set of encoded data slices from the affiliated next level storage pool; and

dispersed storage error decoding the set of encoded data slices to reproduce the data segment of the data to be sent to the requesting entity.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising facilitating deletion of the data from a storage pool in response to determining to delete the data from the storage pool determining to delete the data from the storage pool.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the affiliated next level storage pool includes a plurality of local storage pools that includes the affiliated local storage pool.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein another one of the plurality of local storage pools utilizes at least one of the storage units of the affiliated local storage pool.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a high level storage pool includes a plurality of mid-level storage pools that includes the affiliated next level storage pool.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the data is stored as a second other plurality of sets of encoded data slices in the high level storage pool in response to receiving no modification for the data within a second time period that is longer than the time period.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the affiliated local storage pool is associated with active storage requiring a target slice performance level that includes a lowest access latency performance level and an average reliability level, wherein the high level storage pool is associated with inactive storage requiring a target slice performance level that includes allowing a highest access latency performance level and mandating a highest reliability level, and wherein the affiliated next level storage pool is associated with near line storage requiring a target slice performance level including an average access latency performance level and an average reliability level.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the target slice storage performance level includes a security level, and wherein the data is further stored as the other plurality of sets of encoded data slices in the affiliated next level storage pool based on the security level of the data.

10 . A processing system of a dispersed storage (DS) client module comprises:

at least one processor;

a memory that stores operational instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor cause the processing system to:

receive data for storage;

store the data as a plurality of sets of encoded data slices in an affiliated local storage pool of storage units;

store the data as another plurality of sets of encoded data slices in an affiliated next level storage pool of storage units in response to receiving no modification for the data within a time period;

receive a data retrieval request indicating the data from a requesting entity;

determine whether the data is available from the affiliated local storage pool;

retrieve the data from the affiliated next level storage pool in response to determining that the data is not available from the affiliated local storage pool;

store the data in the affiliated local storage pool; and

send the data to the requesting entity.

11 . The processing system of claim 10 , wherein operational instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the processing system to:

dispersed storage error encode a data segment of the data to produce a set of encoded data slices of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices;

retrieve the set of encoded data slices from the affiliated next level storage pool; and

dispersed storage error decode the set of encoded data slices to reproduce the data segment of the data to be sent to the requesting entity.

12 . The processing system of claim 10 , wherein operational instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the processing system to facilitate deletion of the data from a storage pool in response to determining to delete the data from the storage pool determining to delete the data from the storage pool.

13 . The processing system of claim 10 , wherein the affiliated next level storage pool includes a plurality of local storage pools that includes the affiliated local storage pool.

14 . The processing system of claim 13 , wherein another one of the plurality of local storage pools utilizes at least one of the storage units of the affiliated local storage pool.

15 . The processing system of claim 10 , wherein a high level storage pool includes a plurality of mid-level storage pools that includes the affiliated next level storage pool.

16 . The processing system of claim 15 , wherein the data is stored as a second other plurality of sets of encoded data slices in the high level storage pool in response to receiving no modification for the data within a second time period that is longer than the time period.

17 . The processing system of claim 15 , wherein the affiliated local storage pool is associated with active storage requiring a target slice performance level that includes a lowest access latency performance level and an average reliability level, wherein the high level storage pool is associated with inactive storage requiring a target slice performance level that includes allowing a highest access latency performance level and mandating a highest reliability level, and wherein the affiliated next level storage pool is associated with near line storage requiring a target slice performance level including an average access latency performance level and an average reliability level.

18 . The processing system of claim 17 , wherein the target slice storage performance level includes a security level, and wherein the data is further stored as the other plurality of sets of encoded data slices in the affiliated next level storage pool based on a security level of the data.

19 . A computer readable storage medium comprises:

at least one memory section that stores operational instructions that, when executed by a processing system of a dispersed storage network (DSN) that includes a processor and a memory, causes the processing system to:

receive data for storage;

store the data as a plurality of sets of encoded data slices in an affiliated local storage pool of storage units;

store the data as another plurality of sets of encoded data slices in an affiliated next level storage pool of storage units in response to receiving no modification for the data within a time period;

receive a data retrieval request indicating the data from a requesting entity;

determine whether the data is available from the affiliated local storage pool;

retrieve the data from the affiliated next level storage pool in response to determining that the data is not available from the affiliated local storage pool;

store the data in the affiliated local storage pool; and

send the data to the requesting entity.

20 . The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the operational instructions, when executed by the processing system, further cause the processing system to facilitate deletion of the data from a storage pool in response to determining to delete the data from the storage pool determining to delete the data from the storage pool.