Patent ID: 8612831

Claim:
A method comprises: forward error correction (FEC) encoding data to produce FEC encoded data; dividing the FEC encoded data into a set of FEC encoded words; generating integrity information based on the data; generating a word name for an FEC encoded word of the set of FEC encoded words; affiliating an address of allocated address space of a dispersed storage memory with the word name; storing the integrity information, the word name, and the address; and creating a write command to store the FEC encoded word at the address in the dispersed storage memory, wherein the dispersed storage memory comprises at least one of: a local memory of a device executing the method; a memory of a storage service provider; and a network coupled memory unit; determining whether to store the FEC encoded word in the local memory, the memory of the storage service provider, or the network coupled memory unit; when storing the FEC encoded word in the local memory: determining available local memory addresses of the allocated address space of the local memory; and selecting one of the available local memory addresses as the address; when storing the FEC encoded word in the memory of the storage service provider: determining available service provider memory addresses of the allocated address space of the memory of the storage service provider; and selecting one of the available service provider memory addresses as the address; and when storing the FEC encoded word in the network coupled memory unit: determining available network memory addresses of the allocated address space of the network coupled memory unit; and selecting one of the available network memory addresses as the address.