We all want our data to be safe, and in Japan the so-called E-book preservation law It mandates that certain types of tax-related data must be stored electronically for 100 years. But so far, most writable Blu-ray discs, a popular standard for cold storage, aren’t designed to last that long.
To help customers comply with long-term retention requirements, Pioneer recently released the industry’s first Blu-ray optical disc drive (ODD) and BD-R discs with the “DM for Archive” badge. computer watch.
Industry uses several types of media to store digital data. The most common are NAND flash, hard drives, tapes, and optical disks, all of which are used. May deteriorate over timeNAND memory can lose its charge, which can cause hard drive mechanics to fail and deplete the media’s magnetic charge. Tape may deteriorate Losing its magnetic charge, the foils used in optical discs can collapse over time. When properly stored (away from heat, moisture and UV light) tapes can last 30-50 years.
According to the Canadian Preservation Society, which publishes papers on media longevity, BD-R discs expected to continue (opens in new tab) 5 to 20 years, depending on the material. BD-RE, an erasable Blu-ray, is estimated to last 20 to 50 years, while DVD-R and CD-R have much less data capacity and can be used for 50 to 100 years.
To ensure that government agencies comply with the 100-year requirement, the Japanese government developed the JIS X6257 quality standard for optical discs and the recording methods used to write them. Meanwhile, the Japan Document and Information Management Association (JIIMA) has defined a set of authentication methods for optical media that conforms to the JIS X6257 standard.
A disc that is recorded in the X6257 compliant format and has passed the JIIMA test that complies with international standards. ISO/IEC 16963:2017 Standard for Accelerated Aging Test Methods – Marked as Archive DM.
Archive Pioneer’s DM on ODD and BD-R
pioneer BDR-WX01DM The Blu-ray recorder is the industry’s first optical disc drive that meets the JIS X6257 requirements for disc quality and recording methods, and displays the archive mark DM. The drive also uses a highly reliable motor, a highly durable mechanical system, and a dust-proof structure, so it is slightly more reliable than an inexpensive PC optical disc drive.
The drive connects to your host PC using a USB 3.0 Type-A interface. Its maximum write speed is 12x for BD-R, 16x for DVD-R and 40x for CD-R media. ODD is also compatible with M-Disc media, which uses glassy carbon for the oxidation-inert data layer, which is promised to last 1,000 years.
The biggest selling point is that data can be recorded in a method that conforms to X6257, and the included DM Archiver app can not only write data using certified technology, but also encrypt files and check recording quality.
Pioneer, on the other hand, IPS-BD11J03P DM on BD-R with an archive badge that promises quality sufficient to store over 100 years of data when recorded using X6257 compliant methods. The disc itself is like any other Blu-ray disc. Additionally, it uses a metal nitride film for the data layer and is compatible with all devices that can read Blu-ray.
not so cheap
Storing data for a century isn’t cheap. The Pioneer BDR-WX01DM is priced at ¥59,800 (about $400 without VAT), but his 3-pack of 25GB is IPS-BD11J03P The retail price of the BD-R is 2,340 yen ($15.75 before tax).
Bearing in mind that both ODD and media are generally intended to be used by government agencies and other parties interested in long-term data retention, the price will scare them. No. Moreover, even DM for Archive discs need to be stored in a special environment to ensure safety, which incurs additional costs. Long-term storage facilities are recommended to be located in fireproof, earthquake-resistant buildings, but discs should be stored at 10°C to 25°C and 40% to 60% humidity (but not 60% humidity). need to do it. may be harmful to tape, etc.).
A 100-year-old BD-R is a huge achievement, but who will continue to manufacture optical disc drives that will last for the next 100 years or more? And are there still PCs that can connect to them? Anyway, 100 years for DM on archive BD-R and 1,000 years for M discs is impressive, but the best way to preserve data for personal use is to back it up regularly to multiple sources. That’s it.
