Long term data storage

[ScubaSteve_74]

I’m looking for opinions on the best archival (long term) data storage methods. The best option I’ve found, so far, looks like M-disks. 

[WhitetailAni]

Tapes maybe?

I don't know how how expensive and space-efficient tape storage would be though.

[Radium_Angel]

18 minutes ago, ScubaSteve_74 said:

I’m looking for opinions on the best archival (long term) data storage methods. The best option I’ve found, so far, looks like M-disks. 

Define long term and size of data.

WORM drives, archival blu-rays, tape drives all come to mind

[mariushm]

Tapes and mechanical drives in separate locations and multiple copies.

Price per GB is hard to beat.

You can get 8 TB for around $120 now, so around $120/7400 = $0.016  per GB.. even if you buy 3 drives and make 3 copies and keep drives in separate locations, it's still cheaper than m-disc. 

M-Disc sees to be around $4 for 25 GB (~60$ for a 15 pack single layer)  or $0.16 ... i see packs of 5  x 100 GB discs for 62$ or around 12 cents per GB, and you're not sure how well they're gonna last, and you'll need to stock optical drives and controlled environment for the discs etc.

 

[Radium_Angel]

7 minutes ago, mariushm said:

Tapes and mechanical drives in separate locations and multiple copies.

Price per GB is hard to beat.

You can get 8 TB for around $120 now, so around $120/7400 = $0.016  per GB.. even if you buy 3 drives and make 3 copies and keep drives in separate locations, it's still cheaper than m-disc. 

M-Disc sees to be around $4 for 25 GB (~60$ for a 15 pack single layer)  or $0.16 ... i see packs of 5  x 100 GB discs for 62$ or around 12 cents per GB, and you're not sure how well they're gonna last, and you'll need to stock optical drives and controlled environment for the discs etc.

 

Funny and pointless trivia. I was asked to retrieve data at my work for a VIP. She handed me a box of floppy disks (about 30), that had been stored in a damp basement...

 

..for 27 years.

 

She remarked that on one of those disks was "critical" data she needed.

All but one of those disks was perfectly readable.

 

Media is more robust than we give it credit for.

I had (same job place) a 20 year old hard drive still in production. Not an outlier either. 

 

[ScubaSteve_74]

1 hour ago, Radium_Angel said:

Define long term and size of data.

WORM drives, archival blu-rays, tape drives all come to mind

2TB and 25+ years

[Radium_Angel]

3 minutes ago, ScubaSteve_74 said:

2TB and 25+ years

as @mariushm said, mechanical drives are hard to beat on a cost per megabyte. 

Two other questions for you

(a) how critical is the data

and

(b) how much as you willing to pay?