US Patent 10545699 Dynamic retention policies and optional deletes

A method for execution by a computing device within a dispersed storage network (DSN). The method beings when data accesses occur for a data object of a storage container within the DSN. The method continues by updating, for at least some of the data accesses, an object value for the data object to produce an updated object value. The method continues by updating an object retention cost for the data object to produce an updated object retention cost. The method continues by updating a data object retention policy for the data object based on the updated object value and the updated object retentions costs. When one of the data accesses is a deletion event, the method continues by utilizing a current updated data object retention policy to determine a deletion-retention option for the data object. The method continues by executing the deletion-retention option on the data object.