Microsoft project could store files in glass units for 10,000 years

Microsoft Research announced that it is working on Project Silica, a new type of data storage made from glass disk. Its potential suggests that it would be possible to preserve close to 3,500 movies or 1.75 million songs for more than 10,000 years..

Responsible for testing is the Redmond company’s Research and Development department. According to the company, the technology uses three-dimensional pixels called voxels to store data. Microsoft states: “Project Silica’s plate-sized glass slabs will store data for thousands of years, creating sustainable storage for the world“.

For comparison purposes, a standard HD usually lasts about five years, depending on how and how often it is used. The SSD is expected to last just over 22 years.

Glass disk storage is still a long way off

On the other hand, the company states that the Silica Project still needs a three- or four-stage development phase before it can be used commercially. The purpose of the product is to store data for many years until it is needed. It is worth noting that once the information is recorded, the data inside the glass cannot be changed..

The process was explained by Microsoft as follows:

“Data is stored on glass in a four-step process: writing with an ultra-fast femtosecond laser, reading with a computer-controlled microscope, decoding, and finally storing in a library. The library is passive and there is no electricity in any of the storage units. The complexity is a system that charges when idle in the laboratory, waking up when data is needed.” lies in the robots that climb the shelves, pick up the glass and return it to the reader.”

In practice, the Silica Project will serve to create permanent archives consisting of thousands of content such as music, movies, games and images.. For example, Elire Group works closely with Windows owner researchers for the “Global Music Vault” in Norway. The focus will therefore be to “create a permanent archive that is not only resistant to electromagnetic pulses and extreme temperatures, but also environmentally friendly.”