Determining an error encoding function ratio based on path performance

1. A method comprises:

determining, by a computing device of a storage network, a pillar width to decode threshold ratio of a dispersed storage error encoding function based on routing path performance information of a set of routing paths with respect to a set of storage units of the storage network;

dispersed storage error encoding, by the computing device, a data object in accordance with the pillar width to decode threshold ratio to produce a plurality of sets of encoded data slices; and

sending, by the computing device, the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the set of storage units via the set of routing paths for storage therein.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the routing path performance information comprises:

a number of encoded data slices of each of one or more sets of encoded data slices sent to the set of storage units during a time period;

a number of encoded data slices of each of the one or more sets of encoded data slices successfully stored by the set of storage units during the time period; and

an error rate associated with the set of storage units based on the number of encoded data slices sent and the number of encoded data slices successfully stored.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the error rate associated with the set of storage units comprises:

for each of the one or more sets of encoded data slices sent to the set of storage units during the time period:

subtracting, by the computing device, the number of encoded data slices successfully stored from the number of encoded data slices sent during the time period to determine one or more error amounts;

dividing, by the computing device, the one or more error amounts by the number of encoded data slices sent during the time period to produce one or more encoded data slice set error rates; and

averaging, by the computing device, the one or more encoded data slice set error rates to produce the error rate.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprises:

comparing, by the computing device, the error rate to first and second error rate thresholds;

when the error rate compares favorably to the first error rate threshold:

adjusting, by the computing device, the pillar width to decode threshold ratio by decreasing a pillar width number and maintaining a decode threshold number; and

when the error rate compares unfavorably to the second error rate threshold:

adjusting, by the computing device, the pillar width to decode threshold ratio by increasing the pillar width number and maintaining the decode threshold number.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprises:

comparing, by the computing device, the error rate to first and second error rate thresholds;

when the error rate compares favorably to the first error rate threshold:

adjusting, by the computing device, the pillar width to decode threshold ratio by increasing a decode threshold number and maintaining a pillar width number; and

when the error rate compares unfavorably to the second error rate threshold:

adjusting, by the computing device, the pillar width to decode threshold ratio by increasing the pillar width number and increasing the decode threshold number.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

obtaining the routing path performance information for the set of routing paths.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

determining, based on the routing path performance information, to take a defective storage unit offline.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

determining, based on the routing path performance information, to modify the set of routing paths.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the modifying the set of routing paths comprises removing a routing path from the set of routing paths to produce an updated set of routing paths.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the modifying the set of routing paths comprises adding a new routing path to the set of routing paths to produce an updated set of routing paths.

11. A computing device of a storage network, the computing device comprises:

an interface;

memory; and

a processing module operably coupled to the memory and the interface, wherein the processing module is operable to:

determine a pillar width to decode threshold ratio of a dispersed storage error encoding function based on routing path performance information of a set of routing paths with respect to a set of storage units of the storage network;

dispersed storage error encode a data object in accordance with the pillar width to decode threshold ratio to produce a plurality of sets of encoded data slices; and

send, via the interface, the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the set of storage units via the set of routing paths for storage therein.

12. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the routing path performance information comprises:

a number of encoded data slices of each of one or more sets of encoded data slices sent to the set of storage units during a time period;

a number of encoded data slices of each of the one or more sets of encoded data slices successfully stored by the set of storage units during the time period; and

an error rate associated with the set of storage units based on the number of encoded data slices sent and the number of encoded data slices successfully stored.

13. The computing device of claim 12 , wherein the processing module is operable to determine the error rate associated with the set of storage units by:

for each of the one or more sets of encoded data slices sent to the set of storage units during the time period:

subtracting, by the computing device, the number of encoded data slices successfully stored from the number of encoded data slices sent during the time period to determine one or more error amounts;

dividing, by the computing device, the one or more error amounts by the number of encoded data slices sent during the time period to produce one or more encoded data slice set error rates; and

averaging, by the computing device, the one or more encoded data slice set error rates to produce the error rate.

14. The computing device of claim 12 , wherein the processing module is further operable to:

compare the error rate to first and second error rate thresholds;

when the error rate compares favorably to the first error rate threshold:

adjust the pillar width to decode threshold ratio by decreasing a pillar width number and maintaining a decode threshold number; and

when the error rate compares unfavorably to the second error rate threshold:

adjust the pillar width to decode threshold ratio by increasing the pillar width number and maintaining the decode threshold number.

15. The computing device of claim 12 , wherein the processing module is further operable to:

compare the error rate to first and second error rate thresholds;

when the error rate compares favorably to the first error rate threshold:

adjust the pillar width to decode threshold ratio by increasing a decode threshold number and maintaining a pillar width number; and

when the error rate compares unfavorably to the second error rate threshold:

adjust the pillar width to decode threshold ratio by increasing the pillar width number and increasing the decode threshold number.

16. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the processing module is further operable to:

obtain the routing path performance information for the set of routing paths.

17. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the processing module is further operable to:

determine, based on the routing path performance information, to take a defective storage unit offline.

18. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the processing module is further operable to:

determine, based on the routing path performance information, to modify the set of routing paths.

19. The computing device of claim 18 , wherein the processing module is operable to modify the set of routing paths by removing a routing path from the set of routing paths to produce an updated set of routing paths.

20. The computing device of claim 18 , wherein the processing module is operable to modify the set of routing paths by adding a new routing path to the set of routing paths to produce an updated set of routing paths.