A computing device includes processing circuitry configured to determine whether to modify the dispersed error encoding parameters of a set of encoded data slices (EDSs) stored in a distributed storage network to produce a set of modified EDSs, wherein a data object is segmented into a plurality of data segments and in response to a determination to modify the dispersed error encoding parameters of the set of EDSs, identify a plurality of storage units to store the modified EDSs and determine modified dispersed error encoding parameters for the modified EDSs. The computing device is further configured to assign each storage unit of the plurality of storage units to execute one or more storage modification tasks associated with producing the modified EDSs; and transmit one or more EDS of the set of EDSs to each storage unit of the plurality of storage units for modification and storage.