A method, computer program product, and computing system for receiving a request to reconfigure a data array that currently includes N data drives and P parity drives to include N data drives and P+1 parity drives; confirming the availability of the P+1 parity drive; and distributing a plurality of new parity portions across the N data drives and P+1 parity drives.

A method for more efficiently utilizing storage space in a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method implements a RAID from multiple storage drives. The RAID utilizes data striping with distributed parity values to provide desired data protection/redundancy. The distributed parity values are placed on selected storage drives of the RAID in accordance with a designated parity rotation. The method further adaptively alters the parity rotation of the RAID to provide an increased concentration of parity values in certain storage drives of the RAID compared to other storage drives of the RAID. This parity rotation may be adapted based on residual storage capacity in each storage drive, consumed space in each storage drive, or the like. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

A method for more efficiently utilizing storage space in a set of storage drives is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method implements, in a set of storage drives, a first RAID utilizing data striping with distributed parity values. The method further implements, in a subset of the set of storage drives, a second RAID using residual storage space in storage drives belonging to the subset. Storage drives belonging to the subset may have a storage capacity that is larger than storage drives not belonging to the subset. In certain embodiments, the method adaptively alters a parity rotation of the first RAID to provide an increased concentration of parity values in certain storage drives of the first RAID compared to other storage drives of the first RAID. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

A storage system includes a plurality of storage media and a method of managing volumes of the storage system is applied thereto. The method includes receiving a volume management request and correlation information between the volumes, and allocating storage spaces of the storage media to the volumes based on the correlation information between the volumes. The correlation information indicates information of the volumes in which the allocated storage media are physically isolated from each other.

Exemplary embodiments provide a way to manage data recovery in a distributed system having multiple data store nodes. A storage system comprises: a first node including a first processor; and a plurality of second nodes coupled to the first node, each of the plurality of second nodes including a second processor and one or more second storage devices. The first processor is configured to control to store data and replication of the data in the second storage devices of two or more second nodes. If at least one of the second nodes has failed and a storage capacity of the plurality of second nodes is below a given threshold, one of the second nodes is configured to receive a first data, which is replication of data stored in a failed second node, from another of the second nodes, and create parity data based on the received first data.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods, devices and computer program products for managing a redundant array of independent disks (RAID). The method comprises: in response to a number of a plurality of disks occupied by the RAID exceeding a first threshold, determining a first number of disk pairs to be disassociated among the plurality of disks, the first number of disk pairs at least comprising a first disk and a second disk associated with each other, and a first extent in the first disk and a second extent in the second disk being included in a same RAID extent of the RAID. The method further comprises determining a third disk for migrating at least one of the first extent and the second extent among the plurality of disks. Besides, the method further comprises migrating the at least one extent to the third disk to disassociate the first disk and the second disk so that a second number of disk pairs associated with each other among the plurality of disks is below a second threshold.

A method begins by a first device generating a self-validating message by creating a master key, using the master key to create a message encryption key, encrypting a message using the message encryption key to produce an encrypted message, encrypting the master key using a public key of a second device to produce an encrypted master key, and including a message authentication code of the first device in the self-validating message. The method continues by the second device receiving and decoding the self-validating message by verifying the message authentication code of the first device, and when the message authentication code of the first device is verified, decrypting the encrypted master key using a private key of the second device to recover the master key, using the master key to create the message encryption key, and decrypting the encrypted message using the message encryption key to recover the message.

A method for execution by a dispersed storage and task (DST) execution unit includes identifying a plurality of pending operations. A resource availability level to support execution of at least one of the plurality of pending operations is determined, and a required resource level to execute the at least one of the plurality of pending operations is determined. A balance factor between at least two types of the plurality of pending operations is determined based on the resource availability level and the required resource level. Determination of required timing of the execution of the at least one of the plurality of pending operations is coordinated with at least one other DST execution unit. An operation execution schedule is updated based on the required resource levels, the resource availability level, the balance factor, and the required timing of the execution.

A method begins by a processing module of a dispersed storage network (DSN) retrieving a decode threshold number of encoded data slices of a set of encoded data slices from a first grouping of storage units of the DSN. The method continues with the processing module determining a first status level indication of the retrieved decode threshold number of encoded data slices and sending check status request messages to a second grouping of storage units of the DSN. The method continues with the processing module receiving check status response messages and processing the check response messages to produce a second status level indication. When the second status level indication is substantially equal to the first status level indication, the method continues with the processing module indicating that the decode threshold number of encoded data slices is of a common status level as other encoded data slices of encoded data slices.

A method includes identifying a data object for retrieval. The data object is encoded in accordance with first encoded parameters and stored as a plurality of sets of encoded data slices in a set of storage units. The method further includes determining whether an access metric regarding the data object exceeds an access threshold. When the access metric is equal to or exceeds the access threshold, the data object is further encoded in accordance with second encoding parameters and stored as a second plurality of sets of encoded data slices in a second set of storage units. The method further includes issuing retrieval requests to the second set of storage units regarding the second plurality of encoded data slices in accordance with a read threshold of the second encoding parameters. The method further includes recovering the data object from the second plurality of encoded data slices.