BackBlaze article on HDD failure rates.

 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Special Forums Hardware BackBlaze article on HDD failure rates.
# 1  
Old 08-03-2016
BackBlaze article on HDD failure rates.

Very interesting.

One for the pros here...

Hard Drive Failure Rates: The Results from 68,813 Hard Drives
These 2 Users Gave Thanks to wisecracker For This Post:
# 2  
Old 08-03-2016
Wow!!! I'm a bit stunned by this.

I've always regarded Western Digital (WDC) as one of the best brands but perhaps they are now about the worst. However, the best performing (in terms of failures) here is HGST which is wholly owned by Western Digital!!! Eh???

What the heck goes on?
# 3  
Old 08-03-2016
I've noticed that these are consumer-class drives, not server-class. I can't remember the last time WD was considered a reliable brand? Back when drives came with defect lists, perhaps. Cheap and cheerful has been WD's strategy, and while it's worked for them, it's also given them a black mark. You can get better from WD if you're willing to pay -- but who would? Given that, I'm not surprised WD bought Hitachi. They needed better drives and a better name, and HGST -- Hitachi -- has been excellent for a long time. Though they have their dark times too, remember the IBM Deathstar? (I'd almost forgotten they were responsible for that...)

That said -- drive reliability went down steadily once capacities exploded into the dozens then hundreds and thousands of gigabytes. The drive industry chopped their warranties from 3 to 1 years long ago to reflect this, they're inevitably more sensitive devices. The number of spare sectors a modern hard drive keeps -- the percentage of sectors which can die and not be considered a fault -- is disturbing.
# 4  
Old 08-23-2016
Quote:
Originally Posted by Corona688
I can't remember the last time WD was considered a reliable brand?
Beginning of the nineties, when the Caviar was way ahead of the competition. That was, before they sold their SCSI chips to Future Domain (which was later bought by Adaptec) sometimes mid-nineties.

bakunin
Login or Register to Ask a Question

Previous Thread | Next Thread

7 More Discussions You Might Find Interesting

1. AIX

IBM AIX Internal HDD vs SAN HDD and Oracle

Hi Folks, I am facing an issue with the performance. P4 with 1 processor and 16 GB RAM and SAN HDD = Oracle report takes 25 minutes P5 with 2 processors and 16 GB RAM internall HDD with LPAR = Oracle Report takes 1 hour 15 minutes ( please note I have assigned all the max processors and... (7 Replies)
Discussion started by: filosophizer
7 Replies

2. UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

boot up failure unix sco after power failure

hi power went out. next day unix sco wont boot up error code 303. any help appreciated as we are clueless. (11 Replies)
Discussion started by: fredthayer
11 Replies

3. Cybersecurity

Virus/Malware Uptake Rates

Hi. I'm trying to get information about the rates at which viruses and malware infect computers. Let's say that Mr. Dastardly Developer discovers an exploitable flaw, writes a virus to take advantage of it, and releases the virus. Assuming that a large-scale attack method is chosen (Facebook,... (2 Replies)
Discussion started by: treesloth
2 Replies

4. What is on Your Mind?

Where to find higher consulting rates?

Have any IT consultants here been on a project where you knew the bill rate was really high but you only got a tiny piece of it (like paid $60/hr and billed out around $200)? Does anyone know of a company that pays consultants well - like 70-80% or more of what they're getting? (5 Replies)
Discussion started by: apierce
5 Replies

5. AIX

Scan Rates

Dear Gurus, Can any one advice about the normal limits for the Page scanning rates on the AIX platforms, i am having enormous values for the scan rate along the hour it may reache 3000 pages/sec. Regards, Negm (2 Replies)
Discussion started by: Negm
2 Replies

6. UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Old HDD copy to new HDD ? im lost...

Over the last few months the HDD spins louder and louder, so I fiqured its time to replace the HDD. Its been running 24/7/365 since 98 :eek:. yes i said since 98 :D I have an IBM system 43P Model 240. 233 MHz. running AIX Version 4. The current HDD is an IBM DGHS COMP IEC -950 FRU PN#... (5 Replies)
Discussion started by: Chevy89rocks
5 Replies

7. Advertise with Us

Special Discount Rates for Job Posting In Effect

The UNIX and Linux Job Board is a service provided by the The UNIX and Linux Forums to help employers connect with UNIX and Linux professionals. All proceeds from this service go towards supporting the forums. Please PM Neo or email with any questions about this service. Promotion A: $99 ... (0 Replies)
Discussion started by: Neo
0 Replies
Login or Register to Ask a Question