A method begins by a processing module generating a payload section of a dispersed storage network (DSN) frame regarding a read request operation by generating one or more slice name fields of the payload section to include one or more slice names corresponding to one or more encoded data slices and generating a transaction number field of the payload section to include a transaction number corresponding to the read request operation. The method continues with the processing module generating a protocol header of the DSN frame by generating a payload length field of the protocol header to include a payload length that represents a length of the payload section and generating remaining fields of the protocol header.