Is SD a viable memory for data archiving?

[imported_Com80787]

Hi all,

I am attempting to find the best form of storage to use for archiving data for *at least* several years. Basically I am looking for something that is

1. Not high cost
2. Will preserve data integrity for years (zero corruption)
3. Can be written to once daily easily
4. Will store between 1-2gigs of data

Is secure digital flash memory a good choice for this? I've also been considering DVD+RW, but in order to be viable packet writing would have to be used and I wonder if that would be too flaky for frequent writes over a long time period and risk data being damaged?

Thanks for any opinions.

 

[Gagan]

flash drives.
aka USB Keys.

 

[imported_Phil]

External hard disk.

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: Com80787
1. Not high cost
2. Will preserve data integrity for years (zero corruption)
3. Can be written to once daily easily
4. Will store between 1-2gigs of data

Your question is badly defined. Are you trying to store 1-2gb each day (eg, after a month, you have 45gb total that needs to be stored for years), or are you trying to keep 1-2gb stored every day (eg, after a month, you have 1-2gb that needs to be stored for years)?

Another problem is that a guarantee of "zero corruption" isn't really possible on any medium I'm aware of, at least within your price range. What you really need to do is be able to recover from corruption, perhaps with a tool like par2.

So, if it's the first case (data is accumulating, not being overwritten), DVD-Rs are basically your cheapest option, but hard drives will _probably_ be more reliable. If it's the second (data is overwritten, not accumulated), a 4gb USB stick or SD card should be fine. If you're using Linux, consider using software RAID 5, too (although this has its own set of issues).

-Erwos

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: Com80787
Hi all,

I've also been considering DVD+RW, but in order to be viable packet writing would have to be used and I wonder if that would be too flaky for frequent writes over a long time period and risk data being damaged?

Not necessarily. Accumulate you data on a hard drive, and when you have a DVD full, write it all at once - no packets. You can then make copies and store them in different places. Then when they are all good - delete the material on hard drive and start on the next one.

SD is just another flash memory. The problem with them is low capacity and cost - and their small size makes them easy to lose or misplace.