Microsoft develops glass storage that preserves data for 10,000 years

Microsoft's glass storage holds data for millennia

Microsoft has developed a glass-based data storage system that can preserve information for at least 10,000 years. The research, published in Nature on February 18th, demonstrates a potential solution for the growing problem of long-term digital archiving.

Current storage media like magnetic tapes and hard drives degrade in about a decade. This makes them unsuitable for preserving critical data across centuries. Microsoft's Project Silica aims to create a near-permanent archival format.

How the glass storage works

Researchers used a high-energy laser to etch deformations into a 3D chunk of borosilicate glass. This is the same type of glass used in laboratory equipment and ovenware. A standard microscope can then read the encoded data back.

The process is far more complex than accessing a file on a conventional hard drive. However, the payoff is extraordinary data resilience. The information is physically embedded within the glass structure itself.

Extraordinary capacity and durability

A single glass platter measuring 12 centimeters wide and 2 millimeters thick can store 4.8 terabytes of data. That's equivalent to roughly two million printed books.

The system's durability is its most significant feature. Tests indicate the data would survive for 10,000 years at a scorching 290°C. At room temperature, it could potentially last for hundreds of thousands of years.

"This impressive glass-based alternative could in principle, act as near-permanent archival storage for backup of critical data," says Mark Bathe, a biological engineer at MIT who was not involved in the research.

The challenge of modern data preservation

The digital age has created an explosion of data that needs to be preserved, from cultural records to scientific datasets. Existing technologies require constant migration to new media every few years to prevent loss, a costly and risky process.

Project Silica, led by computer scientist Richard Black at Microsoft Research in Cambridge, UK, seeks to create a "write once, read forever" medium. This would eliminate the need for periodic data transfers.

The project's key advantages include:

• Extreme longevity, far surpassing any commercial storage medium.
• High data density in a small, stable physical format.
• Resistance to environmental damage from heat, moisture, and electromagnetic pulses.

Glass joins DNA in the future of archiving

Microsoft's glass storage is part of a broader exploration into novel archival media. Another promising avenue is synthetic DNA, which can store vast amounts of information in a microscopic space for millennia.

While DNA storage offers even higher theoretical density, reading and writing the data currently requires complex biochemical processes. Glass storage, by comparison, relies on more established optical and laser technologies.

Both approaches are in the research phase and are not yet commercially viable. The immediate goal for Project Silica is to continue refining the technology and drive down costs for eventual real-world deployment in data centers and archives.