Backblaze Drive Stats for Q3 2024

and does not reflect the opinions of Backblaze or its employees. Backblaze monitored over 290,000 hard disk drives and solid state drives in their cloud storage servers, analyzing failure rates and trends in Q3 2024.

, a cloud storage and backup company.

The annualized failure rates (AFRs) for Q3 2024 and the lifetime AFRs of the qualifying drive models were analyzed.
The lifetime AFR for the analyzed drive models decreased from 1.47% in Q2 to 1.31% in Q3.
The article provided statistics on the percentage of reactive and proactive failures for different drive models, data centers, and server types.

In Q3 2024, Backblaze monitored 292,647 hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs) in their cloud storage servers located in data centers around the world. After removing 4,100 boot drives from the analysis, consisting of 3,344 SSDs and 756 HDDs, they were left with 288,547 hard drives to review. The annualized failure rates (AFRs) for Q3 2024 and the lifetime AFRs of the qualifying drive models were analyzed.

The AFR for Q3 2024 increased from 1.71% in Q2 to 1.89%. The rise was mainly due to the aging 8TB drives, which had an AFR of 3.04% in Q3. The 4TB Seagate drives (model: ST4000DM000) were no longer included in the analysis as they had been migrated. The 20TB Toshiba drives (model: MG10ACA20TE) were added to the analysis after passing the qualification process. The 14TB Seagate drives (model: ST16000NM002J) had zero failures for the second quarter in a row.

There were no data drives with 10 or more years of service, but there were 39 drives that were nine years or older. These drives were all 4TB HGST drives (model: HMS5C4040ALE640) and most of them would be replaced soon due to the ongoing drive migration process.

The article also discussed the difference between reactive and proactive drive failures. Reactive failures occur when a drive crashes, refuses to boot or spin up, or won’t respond to system commands. Proactive failures are indicated by SMART stats, FSCK checks, or other indicators that suggest the drive is having difficulty and is likely to fail. The article provided statistics on the percentage of reactive and proactive failures for different drive models, data centers, and server types.

The lifetime AFR for the analyzed drive models decreased from 1.47% in Q2 to 1.31% in Q3. This decrease was attributed to the removal of the 4TB Seagate drives from the analysis, which had a higher failure rate. The article explained that the drive count criteria was necessary to keep the lifetime AFR table relevant and avoid including outdated drive models.

Overall, the article provided insights into the hard drive failure rates and trends observed by Backblaze in Q3 2024.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.