Backblaze came up with comprehensive statistics
In addition to the quarterly figures, we also obtained a much broader data set.
To interpret what is seen, it is important to know that certain models do not appear in the aggregation because these types were used in such small numbers (less than 45) that no meaningful conclusions can be drawn from them - in most cases this is the main reason. Backblaze thus tries to prevent distortions in the statistics, but at the same time notes that in some cases the information still needs to be considered on an individual basis. This group includes cases where few pieces of a certain type were available, or their operating time may not be really relevant.
In the first quarter, 98 drives were monitored - these were only used for data storage. The average failure rate was 188%, which is better than in the previous quarter (1,2%).
The statistics shown in the image below have been collected over many years. We only know the exact time approximately because the different models were installed at different times. Here, too, the error rate is quite reassuring: 1,84%, which was somewhat better than at the end of 2017.
Finally, here are some interesting things:
- SMART data is up to 26 GB in size.
- We can use Backblaze statistics for our own research. To do this, of course, look on the official site.
- 5 new SMART attributes have been added for SSDs. Yes, Backblaze has experimentally deployed 10 Samsung 850 EVO drives to boot.
- The first helium HDD was the 8 TB HGST in the second quarter of 2015.
Source: Backblaze
