Microsoft's glass storage can preserve data for 10,000 years

Microsoft's glass storage can last 10,000 years

Microsoft has successfully developed a long-term data storage system using quartz glass, a project developed by its Project Silica research team. The system writes data with a femtosecond laser and reads it back using a computer-controlled microscope. This proof-of-concept demonstrates a method to preserve crucial information, like cultural or scientific archives, for potentially 10,000 years.

The technology addresses a growing crisis in digital preservation. Current storage media, like magnetic tapes or hard drives, degrade and become obsolete within decades, forcing costly and risky data migrations. Microsoft's glass slides require no energy to maintain the data once written and are resilient to environmental damage.

"The real challenge isn't just storing the data, but storing it in a way that remains readable far into the future," said Ant Rowstron, a deputy lab director at Microsoft Research Cambridge. The team's goal is to create a storage system that outlasts the organizations that create it.

How the glass storage system works

The process begins by encoding data into a series of three-dimensional pixels, or voxels, inside a palm-sized piece of fused quartz glass. An ultrafast laser creates tiny physical deformations at different angles and depths within the glass to represent the data. To retrieve the information, a microscope shines polarized light through the glass.

A machine learning algorithm then decodes the patterns of light, reconstructing the original digital files. The entire system is automated, from writing to reading, removing the need for manual handling of fragile media. The glass itself is incredibly durable.

• It is waterproof and immune to electromagnetic pulses.
• It can be baked in an oven, scoured with steel wool, or submerged without data loss.
• Each glass platter can currently hold about 1.75 million songs in a 2mm thick piece.

The path from research to a real archive

This breakthrough is the result of a multi-year collaboration between Microsoft Research and Microsoft Azure. The project recently passed a major milestone by successfully writing and retrieving the Warner Bros. film Superman (1978) from a glass slide. This practical test moves the technology beyond pure research.

The system is being designed for write-once, read-many scenarios ideal for archival storage. Think national archives, major film studios, or scientific databases that need permanent, immutable records. The Azure team is now focused on building a fully functional prototype that can be integrated into a data center.

"We are learning how to make this a viable product," said Mark Russinovich, Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft Azure. The current focus is on increasing storage density, improving write speeds, and reducing costs to make the system economically practical for large-scale use.

A solution for the coming data tsunami

The development arrives as the world faces an unprecedented data explosion. With the rise of AI, high-resolution media, and pervasive sensors, the amount of data needing long-term preservation is skyrocketing. Traditional methods are becoming unsustainable both economically and technically.

Glass storage offers a potential off-ramp. Its longevity means data wouldn't need to be copied every few years, saving energy and reducing risk. The passive nature of the storage also means vast "cold" archives could be stored without consuming power for maintenance.

While not intended for personal computers or active databases, this technology could safeguard humanity's most valuable digital assets. The goal is a library where data is etched in stone—or rather, glass—for the next civilization to find.