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[old doc] How to store a lot of data

Author(s): Mati Roy | Branched: 2019-03-05 | Updated: 2019-11-08 | Contributions: open to everyone

Video storage space⁠

⁠

Goal

Preserve a lot of digital content for the long term future.

Check how to be robust and secure.

Offline

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8 TB 200 CAD⁠

⁠

Tape? 6 TB 30 CAD

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16840999158⁠

⁠

Delkin DDBD-R/10 SPIN 6X 200 Year 6x Blu-ray Disc, 10 Pack

⁠

https://www.amazon.ca/Delkin-DDBD-R-10-SPIN-6X/dp/B0081KGAGY⁠

⁠

CDN$ 91.82

Online

Google Photo

⁠

https://photos.google.com/⁠

⁠

Pro:

Unlimited (until june 2021)

Free

Analyzed

Con:

Google can see it

Other

⁠

https://www.mediafire.com/⁠

⁠

free(?):

https://depositfiles.com/en/⁠

⁠

5$/month (to backup up computer and connected drives):

https://www.backblaze.com/backup-pricing.html⁠

⁠

Backup

Used by Alton:

https://www.syncovery.com/overview/⁠

⁠

Other resources

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID⁠

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-DISC⁠

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Long term

Ars spoke Tuesday with Dr. Ant Rowstron, a principal researcher at Microsoft Research in Cambridge, UK, about an innovative cold storage project called Silica. Silica aims to replace both tape and optical

archival discs⁠

as the media of choice for large-scale, (very) long duration cold storage. Microsoft Research is partnering with film giant Warner Bros., which is directly interested in reducing costs and increasing reliability in its own cold storage programs.

more on

⁠

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/11/microsofts-project-silica-offers-robust-thousand-year-storage/⁠

⁠

I find the topic highly interesting. It’s also directly relevant to cryonics, as the digital data about the patient’s mind could play the key role in the future reanimation.

As far as I know, there are currently 4 types of highly durable data storage available to end-users:

Linear Tape-Open:

Claimed longevity: 30 years, Cost per TB: ~$50. Minimal price to buy the hardware etc: ~$300.

M-DISC:

1000 years. ~$130 / TB, Min: ~$100

Nanofiche:

>1000 years, ~$10 000 / TB (?), min: $50 000.

Paper books on demand:

>1000 years under some conditions, > ~$1 000 000 / TB, min: $50

I know a German cryonicist who is also experimenting with granite as a data storage medium. A massive slab of granite could easily outlive all of the aforementioned types of media. But, to achieve a reasonable storage capacity, one need to find a way to utilize the entire volume of the stone, not only its surface.

Microsoft’s Project Silica offers robust thousand-year storage

⁠

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/11/microsofts-project-silica-offers-robust-thousand-year-storage/⁠

⁠

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