Patent ID: 8381025

Claim:
A method for execution by a dispersed storage (DS) unit comprises: when the DS unit has at least one of DS unit operational data and DS unit operating system algorithm to store: encoding at least a portion of the at least one of DS unit operational data and DS unit operating system algorithm in accordance with an error coding dispersal storage function to produce a plurality of data slices; and storing at least some of the plurality of data slices in memory devices of the DS unit in accordance with the error coding dispersal storage function; and when the DS unit has an encoded slice of content data to store: selecting one of the memory devices of the DS unit for storing the encoded slice based on metadata associated with the encoded slice to produce a selected memory device; and storing the encoded slice in the selected memory device, wherein the selecting the one of the memory devices of the DS unit includes: retrieving data slices of the DS unit operational data from the memory devices to produce retrieved data slices; reconstructing vault information from the retrieved data slices in accordance with the error coding dispersal storage function; and selecting the one of the memory devices based on the vault information.