Optical archival storage
Long-retention storage using optical media such as professional disc systems designed for infrequent reads and decades-scale retention claims.
Optical archival storage writes digital data to reflective discs read by laser—commonly write-once (WORM) recordable media for compliance and long retention. Formats include professional archival discs (e.g., Sony Optical Disc Archive / Archival Disc lineage) and consumer-derived recordable CD/DVD/BD used in niche archive workflows. Strengths are removable WORM semantics and mature readers; weaknesses are fragmented format ecosystems, lower capacity per volume than modern LTO, and vendor-specific library robotics. Longevity claims are media- and storage-condition-dependent—cite manufacturer accelerated-test literature, not generic “1000-year” marketing without the test basis. Plan migrations when drive generations sunset.
Relations
- related
- glass-storage, hot-warm-cold, tape