Wouldn't most storage types, including regular hdds and optical media fail this test though? I am not talking about complete data loss, but some data would be corrupted after such time.
Magnetic media (hard drives, tape) will essentially retain data indefinitely unless exposed to magnetic fields that are strong enough or until the Curie point is reached, both of which are unlikely scenarios for long-term storage. Even in cases of fire that destroys the external components of an HDD, if the platters didn't get hot enough the data is still there:
Flash-based memory is different - unlike magnetic media which can be thought to be bistable, flash is inherently unstable (monostable); the erased state of a cell is lower energy so the electrons stored in a programmed one are "under pressure", and due to tunneling effects, slowly leak out over time.
The consequence of this is that magnetic media will continue to store information long after it's obsolete; I'm almost willing to bet that the data on a modern HDD will still be there on the platters in 100+ years, even if the rest of the drive becomes inoperable. Ditto for optical media such as pressed CDs - in that case the bits are manifested physically, and unless the medium is degraded to the point where the bits are no longer distinguishable, the data stays (theoretically, even a CD whose reflective layer has degraded is still readable via SEM or other physical means, since the data is physically pressed into it.) On the other hand, flash will slowly and irreversibly erase itself over long periods of time, as each cell returns to its non-programmed stable state.
Decent quality hard disks and DLTs will probably be fine. I've had DLTs survive 100oC for over an hour inside a fire safe in a fire and some old Seagate Cheetah 10K U160 SCSI disks in an external SCSI case with a dead fan running at 80oC for a month quite happily. The latter was actually running and operational which is remarkable.
Some optical media will fail. It doesn't even have to be kept at 75oC from experience.
Flash will almost certainly fail (leakage increases with temperature). I've had dead CF cards, USB sticks, SD cards, the lot and corruption after only a couple of years stored in ideal conditions. Then there's the old Sun PROM crapfest to consider as well...
These are all anecdotes, but there is data out there to support this as well.
gambiting|11 years ago
userbinator|11 years ago
http://istcolloq.gsfc.nasa.gov/fall2008/presentations/peders...
Flash-based memory is different - unlike magnetic media which can be thought to be bistable, flash is inherently unstable (monostable); the erased state of a cell is lower energy so the electrons stored in a programmed one are "under pressure", and due to tunneling effects, slowly leak out over time.
The consequence of this is that magnetic media will continue to store information long after it's obsolete; I'm almost willing to bet that the data on a modern HDD will still be there on the platters in 100+ years, even if the rest of the drive becomes inoperable. Ditto for optical media such as pressed CDs - in that case the bits are manifested physically, and unless the medium is degraded to the point where the bits are no longer distinguishable, the data stays (theoretically, even a CD whose reflective layer has degraded is still readable via SEM or other physical means, since the data is physically pressed into it.) On the other hand, flash will slowly and irreversibly erase itself over long periods of time, as each cell returns to its non-programmed stable state.
allegory|11 years ago
Some optical media will fail. It doesn't even have to be kept at 75oC from experience.
Flash will almost certainly fail (leakage increases with temperature). I've had dead CF cards, USB sticks, SD cards, the lot and corruption after only a couple of years stored in ideal conditions. Then there's the old Sun PROM crapfest to consider as well...
These are all anecdotes, but there is data out there to support this as well.