Backblaze, a provider of cloud storage services, released a report on the disk durability in 2024. It was found that the failure rate of hard disks has slightly decreased, especially for old 8TB and 12TB disks that have reached the end of their lifespan. Currently, Backblaze is phasing out 4TB disks from their data centers and replacing them with larger 20TB disks.
The key metric for Backblaze is the annualized failure rate (AFR), which estimates the number of failed disks per year calculated from the quantity of failed disks and the number of days in operation. In 2024, the AFR stands at 1.57%, a decrease from 1.70% in 2023. Some models, like the Seagate 12TB, have a higher AFR of 11.38%, but Seagate overall has shown a positive trend and is the only brand with an improving trend.
This year’s report breaks down the AFR by brand and reveals that WDC has a lower failure rate compared to other brands, while HGST, previously known for its durability, has experienced a rise in failure rates, with two 12TB disk models – HUH721212ALN604 and HUH721212ALE604 – contributing significantly to the overall brand failure rate.
TLDR: Backblaze’s 2024 report shows a slight decrease in disk failure rates, with Seagate showing an overall improvement and WDC having the lowest failure rate among brands. HGST, once known for reliability, has seen a rise in failure rates due to specific 12TB disk models.
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