Feb 01, 2023 12:00:00

Backblaze's ``Statistical Data by Manufacturer/Model 2022 Edition'', which statistically summarizes fragile models from over 230,000 HDD operation results, is released

Backblaze , which operates more than 230,000 HDDs as of December 31, 2022, has released statistical data `` Statistical data by manufacturer and model 2022 edition '' that shows which model HDDs are prone to failure.

Backblaze Drive Stats for 2022
https://www.backblaze.com/blog/backblaze-drive-stats-for-2022/

The number of HDDs operated by Backblaze in 2022 was 235,608, of which 4,299 were used as boot drives and 231,309 were used as data drives. Of the 231,309 units used as data drives, 388 units used for testing purposes and data for models with less than 60 units in operation were excluded, and Backblaze compiled statistical data summarizing HDD failure rates. It is open to the public.

Below is a table summarizing the failure rate of HDDs operated by Backblaze throughout the year from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022. The total number of HDDs surveyed was 230,921 units, and the overall average of the `` annual failure rate (AFR) '', which is the total number of failed HDDs divided by the number of years the HDD was used, was `` 1.37%. ”. There are 29 types of HDD models operated by Backblaze in total, and only Seagate's 8 TB ' ST8000NM000A ' had a failure rate of 0%. However, it should be noted that only 79 units of ST8000NM000A were in operation, and the number of drive days was 22,839 days, which was shorter than others.

On the other hand, Seagate's 6 TB HDD '

ST6000DX000 ' has an average usage period of 92.5 months, and it seems to be the oldest model among the HDDs used by Backblaze. The ST6000DX000 had an AFR of just 0.11% in 2021, rising to 0.68% in 2022. Backblaze praises the 2022 AFR, which is also a respectable number, but ``even better considering that the model has been in operation for nearly eight years.''

Toshiba's 4TB HDD ' MD04ABA400V ' had an average usage period of 91.3 months, with an AFR of 2.04% in 2021 and an AFR of 3.13% in 2022.

The five new models that will be put into operation in 2022 are 'HUH728080ALE604', ' ST8000NM000A ', ' ST16000NM002J ', ' MG08ACA16TA ' and ' WUH721816ALE6L4 '.

The table below compares the AFR of each model in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

Since AFR is rising year by year, Backblaze compares the AFR of HDDs of 10 TB or less and HDDs of 12 TB or more, considering the possibility that the drive size affects the failure rate. However, the results show only a slight increase in AFR in both groups in 2022, and drive size does not appear to have a significant effect on the increase in AFR.

The table below summarizes the drive size, average usage period, and AFR. Excluding drives with relatively few operating days (6 TB and 10 TB) from the left table, the result is as shown in the right table. Looking at the table on the right, you can clearly see that the longer the drive is used, the higher the AFR increases. ' said Backblaze.

Below is a summary of the AFR of each drive throughout the period from April 20, 2013 to December 31, 2022 when Backblaze started collecting statistical data. The AFR for the whole period has decreased from 1.40% in 2021 to 1.39%.