1. A method comprises: disperse storage error encoding, by a processing module, a data segment of data to produce a set of encoded data slices: determining, by the processing module, a storage location for each encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices to be within one of a router of a routing storage layer and a storage unit of a distributed storage network (DSN) memory; generating, by the processing module, a DSN address for each encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices based on the determined storage location; sending, by the processing module, the set of encoded data slices and the corresponding set of DSN addresses to at least one entry point router of the routing storage layer; on an encoded data slice by encoded data slice basis: determining, by the at least one entry point router, whether an encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices is to be stored in the routing storage layer or in the DSN memory based on the DSN address of the encoded data slice; when the encoded data slice is to be stored in the routing storage layer: determining, by the at least one entry point router, whether the encoded data slice is to be locally stored or forwarded within the routing storage layer; when the encoded data slice is to be forwarded, forwarding, by the at least one entry point router, the encoded data slice to another router of the routing storage layer in accordance with a routing table; and when the encoded data slice is to be stored in the DSN memory: determining, by the at least one entry point router, a routing path within the routing storage layer based on the routing table; and sending, by the at least one entry point router, the encoded data slice to a first router of the routing path for routing to the DSN memory via the routing path.