Microsoft explores storing data on glass

After years under development, Microsoft is inching closer to rolling out a technology that stores data onto glass plates the size of a drinks coaster as a way to make its data centers more sustainable.

Microsoft Research and Microsoft Azure, its cloud division, are partnering on Project Silica, which aims to transition to glass data storage from magnetic storage. Using glass could allow Microsoft to store data for potentially thousands of years, compared to traditional magnetic storage such as a hard disk or tape, which has a limited lifespan of anywhere between five to 10 years. That means the data has to be copied over to new storage and so on. Microsoft said this is not good for the planet, given the amount of data that is being produced daily.

Glass is much more sustainable since it lasts a lot longer. Each glass plate can hold several terabytes of data, enough space to store 1.75 million songs or 13 years worth of music. Once written, the data inside the glass is impossible to change. The glass plates can even withstand fire.

Azure owns many data centers for its cloud computing business and could benefit from data stored in glass. Data stored in glass require a fraction of the space now used for magnetic storage, the company said.

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