Patent ID: 8627177

Claim:
A method comprises: determining a retrieval threshold for retrieving encoded data slices from a dispersed storage network (DSN), wherein a set of encoded data slices represents data encoded using a dispersed storage error encoding function, wherein the set of encoded data slices includes a first group of encoded data slices and a second group of encoded data slices, wherein the set of encoded data slices includes a pillar width of encoded data slices and the pillar width is at least twice a decode threshold, wherein each of the first and second groups of encoded data slices includes at least a decode threshold of encoded data slices, and wherein the retrieval threshold is equal to or greater than the decode threshold; issuing data retrieval requests to the DSN for the first or the second group of encoded data slices; receiving encoded data slices of the first or the second group of encoded data slices to produce received encoded data slices; and when a number of received encoded data slices compares favorably to the retrieval threshold, decoding the received encoded data slices to recapture the data.