Patent ID: 8707105

Claim:
A method for execution by a computer, the method comprises: determining a memory usability indication for a set of memory devices, wherein the set of memory devices stores data as first dispersed storage error coded data using first dispersed storage error coding parameters, wherein the memory usability indication indicates a level of usable memory as function of memory failures and memory age; comparing the memory usability indication to a memory usability level threshold; and when the memory usability indication compares unfavorably to the memory usability level threshold: adding one or more memory devices to the set of memory devices to produce an updated set of memory devices; and storing the data as second dispersed storage error coded data using second dispersed storage error coding parameters in the updated set of memory devices, wherein the second dispersed storage error coding parameters has a higher ratio of pillar width to decode threshold than the first dispersed storage error coding parameters such that, as the set memory devices continue to experience soft failures, the data is still recoverable.