HDD
A Balancing Act: HDDs and SSDs in Modern Data Centers
It’s true that flash storage is getting faster and more affordable, but hard drives (HDDs) continue to play a major role in the enterprise. Nowhere is this more apparent than in today’s data centers where the amount of data created continues to grow exponentially, fueled further by the AI Data Cycle. While consumers tend to […]
July 25, 2024 • 6 min read Data
Neil Robertson: Finding the Right Mix for Innovation
Neil Robertson is always on the lookout for the next big thing. As vice president of physical science research at Western Digital, Robertson is responsible for uncovering breakthrough technologies and bringing innovative ideas to fruition. Robertson manages teams of chemical, electrical, materials science, physics, and mechanical engineers who together investigate potential future data storage technologies. […]
June 25, 2024 • 6 min read People
Charting a More Inclusive Natural World
Wading into uncharted territory requires the tenacity to not only take that first step but to also self-advocate. Marine biologist Dr. Ruth Gates, evolutionary biologist Dr. Joan Roughgarden, and geologist Dr. Clyde Wahrhaftig are three LGBTQ+ scientists we’re celebrating this Pride Month who did just that, encouraging further research and representation in the natural sciences. […]
June 13, 2024 • 5 min read People
Inside CERN’s Exabyte Data Center
Image of LHC tunnel during LS2n by Brice, M. courtesy of CERN Tucked beneath the countryside on the outskirts of Geneva lies the world’s largest and most powerful particle-smashing machine: the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Run by the European Organization for Nuclear Research, the LHC probes the universe’s origins by recreating the conditions that existed just […]
April 30, 2024 • 7 min read Technology
What is the 3-2-1 Backup Strategy?
As World Backup Day approaches, this is the perfect time to reinforce the importance of data protection and equip yourself with simple, straightforward strategies. One of the most prevalent approaches to safeguarding data is the 3-2-1 backup strategy—a foundation in helping protect your irreplaceable data. This is the 3-2-1 backup strategy, explained. What is the […]
March 26, 2024 • 3 min read Data
Maria Kala: Community and Mentorship
Since her childhood in Kenya, Maria Kala has always been fiddling with hardware. Born the third of four sisters, Kala became the de facto IT support in the home, which is how she made her way into the field of engineering. “Growing up, I was always consulted when the VCR broke or when we needed […]
March 19, 2024 • 5 min read People
A Green Start: The Data Center’s Role in Climate Change
Just as factories fueled the growth of the Industrial Revolution, the data center is at the core of the Information Age. Entertainment, public services, and private communications are all stored or mediated by it, and as more users join virtual spaces, the demand for fast and reliable digital services grows. But, data centers come with […]
February 27, 2024 • 6 min read Data
What’s Your Create: Jacob Simon
Jacob Simon settles down for this interview amid a flurry of notifications. He lowers the volume but does not silence them. Clients, partners, and activists from all over the world want his insight, and he’ll oblige as soon as he can. It’s rare that Simon is anchored in place for even an hour. Between his […]
January 30, 2024 • 6 min read People
Have Data Centers Reached the SMR HDD Tipping Point?
Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR) hard drives (HDDs) have quietly existed for nearly a decade. Yet, as with many innovations, their journey to widespread acceptance has been gradual. SMR HDDs have seemingly only tiptoed into the data center. Now, something has changed. Western Digital CEO, David Goeckeler, recently shared that the company’s 26 terabyte (TB) UltraSMR […]
November 21, 2023 • 9 min read Technology
Explained: HDD Areal Density
Have you ever wondered how hard drives manage to store vast amounts of data in such a small space? In part, this is made possible by areal density—the driving factor in HDD capacity. This is areal density, explained. What is areal density? Areal density is the amount of data that can be stored per square […]
October 10, 2023 • 3 min read Technology