A tech startup, Cerabyte, has made waves in the data storage industry by revealing their plans for a new storage medium. If the medium pans out, it promises new options for long term storage.
Cerabyte’s new process represents a prospective new physical data storage medium. Using femtosecond lasers, data is etched into the ceramic in nanoscale holes. Each 9 cm² chip can store up to 1 GB of information per side, written at a rate of two million bits per laser pulse.
This alternative, if it pans out, can serve as a long-term cheap alternative to more traditional physical data storage options like hard drives, disks or tapes. Their demonstrations have shown that the ceramic is far more resistant to physical damage and degradation, making it an attractive option for some.
Physical or digital storage – which is right and why?
Physical storage and digital storage has been one of the biggest questions for organizations designing their backups and archives from the ground up. Both options present advantages and drawbacks, depending on the desired use case.
Advantages of digital storage:
- Distributed storage – if you’re on the Cloud, your data is not typically physically stored in a single place and is more resistant to certain issues (disasters, power outages and so on)
- Built in file sharing – no need for a separate file sharing service built in
- Constant access – Online storage remains accessible
Advantages of physical storage:
- Does not need constant internet access – your storage is onsite and can still be accessed even if connection fails
- More secure and private – onsite storage is less prone to security failures, having fewer points of failure to exploit
Besides this, individual solutions will have different price points and individual pros and cons unique to their particular setup.
Whichever choice a company decides to select, more options for long-term storage is a positive for the market as a whole and will help cover more unique cases throughout the industry. We will continue to watch Cerabyte with interest as their development continues.
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