Backblaze Drive Stats for Q1 2024

and summarizes their findings on hard drive failure rates and average age of failure by model and size in Q1 2024. Backblaze monitored over 280,000 hard drives and SSDs in their cloud storage servers worldwide in Q1 2024, with an AFR of 1.41%, a decrease from previous quarters due to the replacement of older 4TB drives, and identified top-performing drive models in various size categories.

The AFR for Q1 2024 decreased from the previous quarter and year, indicating improved performance of the drives.
Three drive models had zero failures in Q1 2024, with lifetime AFRs of less than 1%, showing the reliability of these drives.
The Drive Stats dataset is available for free download, allowing for transparency and further analysis by users.

In Q1 2024, Backblaze monitored 283,851 hard drives and SSDs in their cloud storage servers located in data centers worldwide. After removing 4,279 boot drives from the analysis, they were left with 279,572 hard drives to examine. The annualized failure rates (AFRs) for these drives were reviewed, along with the average age of drive failure by model and size.

The AFR for Q1 2024 was 1.41%, which is a decrease from Q4 2023 (1.53%) and Q1 2023 (1.54%). The decrease can be attributed to the replacement of older 4TB drives, as the AFR for the 4TB drive cohort decreased from 2.33% in Q2 2023 to 1.36% in Q1 2024.

Three drive models had zero failures in Q1 2024: the 16TB Seagate, 8TB Seagate, and 6TB Seagate. These drives have lifetime AFRs of less than 1%, but the confidence interval for the 8TB and 16TB models is still too high. The 6TB Seagate drives continue to perform well with zero failures and an average age of nine years.

The 4TB Toshiba drives were not included in the Q1 2024 Drive Stats tables as they were being replaced with newer drives.

The remaining drives were divided into primary and secondary groups. The primary group consisted of drive models with at least 100 drives in operation and over 10,000 drive days during the quarter. The secondary group contained the remaining drives that did not meet these criteria.

The average age of drive failure was analyzed for both retired and active drive models. The average age of failure for retired drive models was 2 years and 7 months, while the average age of failure for active drive models was 2 years and 11 months. This suggests that once the active drive models are retired, the average age of failure for the retired drive models will increase.

The quarterly AFR for Q1 2024 was 1.41% for all drive manufacturers. The overall AFR peaked in Q3 2023 and has been decreasing, primarily due to the retirement of older 4TB drives.

For the lifetime review, drive models were required to have 500 or more drives and over 100,000 accumulated drive days. The confidence interval for most drive models was 0.5% or less, indicating good performance. The best performers in the 12TB, 14TB, and 16TB categories were identified.

Backblaze has been recording and analyzing hard drive statistics for eleven years. The Drive Stats dataset is available for free download, but users must cite Backblaze as the source and accept responsibility for their use of the data.

This article is based on public information provided by Backblaze

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Background Information

About Backblaze: Backblaze is a data storage company that offers online backup and cloud storage solutions for individuals and businesses. Founded in 2007, Backblaze simplifies data protection with an emphasis on affordability and user-friendly solutions. Their services provide reliable options for safeguarding and storing critical data, making them a trusted choice for those seeking secure and accessible storage solutions.

About Seagate: Seagate Technology, founded in 1978, is a leading data storage solutions provider that specializes in hard drives and storage solutions for consumers, businesses, and data centers. With a reputation for reliability and innovation, Seagate's products address diverse storage needs, from individual data storage to large-scale enterprise environments. The company has played a crucial role in shaping the data storage landscape and continues to be at the forefront of technological advancements.

About Toshiba: Toshiba is a technology leader, has a rich history of innovation in the realm of computers. From sleek laptops to powerful workstations, Toshiba's computing solutions combine performance and design to cater to diverse needs. Over the years, Toshiba has demonstrated its dedication to delivering computing solutions that align with the evolving demands of both consumers and professionals. Through innovation and a customer-centric approach, Toshiba continues to leave a mark in the computer industry, fostering a legacy of quality and excellence.

Technology Explained

AFR: The Annualized Failure Rate (AFR) is a measure used to estimate the likelihood of failure of a piece of hardware, such as hard drives, over a year. It's often expressed as a percentage. AFR is commonly used in the context of data storage devices, particularly hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs), to provide an indication of how reliable these devices are expected to be. For example, if a hard drive has an AFR of 2%, it means that, statistically, around 2 out of every 100 drives of that model are expected to fail within a year under normal operating conditions.