A computing device includes an interface configured to interface and communicate with a dispersed storage network (DSN), a memory that stores operational instructions, and a processing module operably coupled to the interface and memory such that the processing module, when operable within the computing device based on the operational instructions, is configured to perform various operations. A computing device identifies data slices (EDSs) of pillar width (associated with data object) to be stored within a pillar width number of a plurality of storage units (SUs). The computing device the identifies head SUs among the pillar width number of the SUs such that, based on a ring arrangement, each set of EDSs is distributedly stored among the ring arrangement of the pillar width number of the SUs starting with its respective head EDS at a respective head SU and ending with a last tail EDS at a respective last tail SU.