Erasure Code Prioritization

Example apparatus and methods selectively generate and store erasure codes differently based on priorities associated with the erasure codes or based on conditions in a data storage system (DSS) that protects messages using erasure codes. Producing a systematic erasure code (EC) may be prioritized over producing a non-systematic EC. Producing an EC associated with correcting X erasures may be prioritized over producing an EC associated with correcting Y erasures, X and Y being numbers, X<Y. The priorities may depend on conditions in the DSS including an erasure code A/B policy, numbers of errors experienced by the DSS, types of errors experienced by the DSS, frequency of errors, an amount of power required to store or retrieve an EC in the DSS, or a network bandwidth required to store or retrieve an EC in the DSS. The priorities may be user configurable or self-adapting.