Patent ID: 8185614

Claim:
A system comprising: a computer including: a network port adaptively coupled to a network; and a registry application; a database for storing a plurality of information records, wherein an information record of the plurality of information records includes: a vault identifier to identify a virtual dispersed data storage container; a list of associated slices servers, wherein the associated slice servers store a plurality of data slices within the virtual dispersed data storage container, wherein a data segment is encoded using an information dispersal algorithm to produce the plurality of data slices; and a list of one or more associated devices; wherein the computer: receives, via the network port, a message regarding the virtual dispersed data storage container from a requesting device; interprets the message to determine a requested operation; determines whether the information record of the plurality of information records corresponds to the requested operation; when the information record corresponds to the requested operation, determines whether the requested operation is valid; and when the requested operation is valid: performs the requested operation; and updates the information record corresponding to the requested operation.