Patent attributes
A method for execution by a storage network begins by issuing a decode threshold number of read requests for a set of encoded data slices to a plurality of storage units of a set of storage units and continues by determining whether less than a decode threshold number of read requests has been received in a time window. The method continues by identifying one or more encoded data slices encoded data slices associated with read requests of the decode threshold number of read requests that have not been received and for an encoded data slice of the one or more encoded data slices, issuing a priority read request to a storage unit storing a copy of the encoded data slice. The method then continues by receiving a response from the storage unit storing the copy of the encoded data, where the storage unit storing the copy of the encoded data slice is adapted to delay one or more maintenance tasks in response to the priority read request.
