Video Surveillance Hard Drive Failure Statistics 2018

By IPVM Team, Published Nov 02, 2018, 07:05am EDT

Hard drive failures can be significant service problems but how common of an issue are they in video surveillance? How long do drives last when constantly being written to?

150+ integrators answered this:

Video Surveillance Recording: How many years until a hard drive fails? What reasons for drive failure do you see most often?

In this report, we share our findings from surveying integrators, providing new data on hard drive failure statistics in video surveillance, and what factors integrators say most often causes drive failures.

5 ***** ** ******

****** **** ** *********** responded **** ****** **** at * ***** ** longer, **% ** ***** indicated ****** ******* ****** 5 *****, *** ** many ** ** *****. Just *% ********* ******** of ***** * *****.

*** ****** ********* *** why *** ****** ****** were **** ** ************* problems, ***** ****** ******, and ******** ********** ***** wear **** *** **** of *** **** *****.

***** *********** *** ******* for ******* **** ****** identical ** ******* ****** ********* **** 2016:

Heat *** ************* ****** ***** ********

*** **** ****** ******* mentioned *** ***** ******** was **** ** ************* factors **** **** ** heat *******. *******, **** of *** ****-******* ******** claimed * **** ***** life ** * ***** or ****, ***** ** beyond *** * ** the *-**** ******** ** many *************, *** ***** also ** ********** ** normal **** *** ****:

  • "* ***** ** **. We ** *** **** a ***** ****** ** drives ****, *** **** seem ** ** ** locations **** **** **** temperature ******* ** ***** issues"
  • "* ******** ** **** last *+ *****. *** most ****** ***** ** find **** ****** ****-****** is ** *** ******** doesn't **** ****** *********** to *** ******** ** cleaning ** ** ******* the ***** *********"
  • "* ***** ** ** the ***** ****** **** you ***** ******** ***** full **** ***** ***********. Some ****** ***** ******* up *** *** ** two ****** *** **** and **** ***********. **** is *** ******* *****, if ******* *********** **** above **-** *** **** an **** ** ** hold **** ****** *** failures *** ******. ** like ** **** *** servers ** **** *********** below ** ********** *** have ********** ****** ***** life ****."
  • "***** ****** **** ******* after * ** * years. *** **** ****** is ******* *********** *** missing *******. ** **** systems ** *********** ************ running *** **** **** 5 ***** ******* *******."
  • "******* * *****. ****** in ********* ***** **** degrade ******** *** **** their ****** *********** - e.g. ****. ****** ***** be ********** **** *** tear."
  • "*-* *****. **** ****** have **** *** ** overheating. **** *** **** the ** *******."
  • "* ***** ** **. Most ******* ***** ** dusty *** *** ************."
  • "*-*+ *****. **** *** dust *** *** **** common *******."
  • "* ***** *** ** environment (**** *** ****)"
  • "* ** *** ****** properly. *+ ** ******** maintained."
  • "*+ ***** ******** *** to **** ** ***** environment."
  • "*-* ***. *** ** operator *** *** ************ environment."
  • "* *****. **** ** bad *** *** *****."
  • "**** ***** **** ** higher *** ******* ** about *.* *****, ***** ~4. **** *** ******** error (**** ***) *** not ****."
  • "* - * **** is *** ******. ******** are ********* *** ** poor ******** ** *********, lack ** *********** *** heat."

** ******* ******* ***** *** Surveillance *****, ** ****** ********* ventilation *** ******* **********.

Normal **** ********

******* ****** ******** *** general **** *** **** on *** ****** ***** many ***** ** ******** data *******, ***** ****** 5+ ***** ** **** without *******:

  • "******** **** *-* *****. Mostly **** *** ******** running ****** **** ** fail **** ****."
  • "* *****+ ** *******, and ******* ***** ** be ************ ****** *** just **** *** ****."
  • "******* ****** **** **** very ****. ** * rule ** ***** ***** 5 *****, *** *** really ******* **** **** in * ***** *********/********* environment *** ***********."
  • "********* ** *** **** drives ***** ******* ** the * **** **** on ******* * ***** say. ******* *** ** bad ******* ***** ** impossible ** *** **** data ** ****** ***** written."
  • "*** *** ****** **** sticking ** * ***** when *** *** ** 24/7. ***** * *** shutdowns *** ******** *** hard **** ***** ** fail. *** ***** ** purple ***** * **** in * ****** ** still ******* ***** ****, so * ***** ***** 10 ***** ****** ** normal ** ******* *** hard ****."
  • "**** ***** ***** ** fail ***** * *****. Or ***** * ***** we ***** **** ******, looks **** *** **** drive ** ***** ** crash. ****** **** * believe ** ******** ****"
  • "* ** * ***** seems ** ** *** time, ******** ** **** many **** ****** **** go **** ****. ***** errors ** *** ******* indicator ** *******, *** we ** **** ****** that **** ****."
  • "*** ****, * *****, old ***."
  • "*-* *****. ***** ******** load"
  • "** **** *********** **** after *-* ***** ** have ** ****** **** with ****** ******."
  • "********* * **** ***** will **** ***** ********* use ***** ************* * years."
  • "*-* ***** **** ********** and **********."
  • "* ** ** ***** judging ** *** *****, id *** *** ********"
  • "*** ***** *+ ***** before ** *** ******* but ** **** ***** they **** ****** ** days ** ****. ***** is ** ****** ****** for ******* ****** *** drive *** ******* *** of ****. "

Power ****** ******* ***** ********

*********** ******** ******** ******* to ***** ****** **** also ******, **** ********* increased ***** **** **** servers *** ******* *** of ******* ****** ***/** UPS:

  • "** ******* * ***** the ***** ******** ** drives **** **** **** 5 ***** **** ****** and **** **** * years **** **** ******* in **********. **'* **/** if *** ***** ***** when *** **** ***** a ***** ***."
  • "* ***** *** *-* years. **** ***** *** caused ** **** ******* such ** ******."
  • "*+ ***. ***** **** have *** **** ************ (intentional ** ***) **** tended ** **** ****** failure ***** **** ***** who ***** *** ****** off"
  • "******* ** * *****. Improper ********, ** *** and ****** **** *****-*** and ********."
  • "* ***** ***** ******* - ******* ******* ******* backup **** ***** *** blocks / ******* ** mfg ******"
  • "* ***** *** *** is * *** *****. Don't *** * ***** UPS. **** *** ****** are ** ***** ***, minor ***** ************ *** cause *********** **** ***** issues."
  • "*-* *****, *****. *** main ******, ***** ******."
  • "* ***** ** *****. Usually ******** ****** *** to ***** *******."

*** ********** ****** ** proper ******* ****** *********, see *** ******* ****** ***** *** Surveillance *****.

Servers ******** ****** **** ****** ****

**** **** *% ** responses ***** **** ********** updates *** ****** *********** cycles ********* **** ***** prior ** **** ***** failure. * *** *********** also ********* ************ *********** of ******:

  • "** ******* *******/******* *** entire ****** ****** ****** fail. ******* ** *** failures ****** *** **** due ** ************* ******"
  • "* **** **** **** drives **** **** **** than ** *****, *** generally ** *** ********** refreshes **** ******* ******** every *-* *****."
  • "*-* ***** ***** ** be ****** ******* ** good ******. *-* ***** on ***** ******. ** recommend *********** ** *-* years ** ******** ********"
  • "****** *** ***** ** totally ****** ** ********** I ********* *********** ** 75 ******* ** *** rated ***. **** ***** be * ***** ** 3 ***** "

** ** ******* ********

******* *** ** ********* from ***** *********** ******** that **** **** ** or ****** ***** ***** failures ***** **** ****** their ***** *** ********:

  • "********* ** **** **** been **** *** * years, *** ** **** not *** * ****** drive **** ** *** of *** ******* ** have ********* (*** ** our ****** **** **** high *** ** ****** though ** **** ** not **********). * ** anticipate ****** ******** ** fail ****, *** ** this ***** **** *** had **** ******. "
  • "* **** *** *** a ****** ***** ***** i ******* ** ********. 6 *****"
  • "* **** **** *** one ******* ** * years *** ** *** a *********** **"
  • "*'* *** ****** **** failure **** *** ****** drives ***** * ******* installing **** ******** *** range **** ***"
  • "* ***** ** ********, no *** ******** ***. "
  • "** **** **** *** HD ******* **** **** on * ******* ********* 5 ***** *** ** another *******. ** *** a ******** ***** **** for ***** *********. ***** than ****, ** ******** so ***."

Comments (10)

Undisclosed Integrator #1

11/02/18 11:32am

I don't think we should be relying on people's opinions for this topic. Instead read the Backblaze blog with real data and analysis which they record and post quarterly.

Latest post https://www.backblaze.com/blog/2018-hard-drive-failure-rates/

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Sean Patton

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #1 | 11/02/18 01:34pm

Thanks for the feedback #1, however, those stats are from a data center application, while we are surveying integrators specifically in video surveillance which is much more applicable to IPVM. Also as a data center, they mention they are also upgrading constantly as drive sizes increase:

As noted, at the end of Q3 that we had 584 fewer drives, but over 40 petabytes more storage space. We replaced 3TB, 4TB, and even a handful of 6TB drives with 3,600 new 12TB drives using the very same data center infrastructure

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Shannon Davis

In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #1 | 11/02/18 02:21pm

Backblaze has great facts in their story but that is what I will call a utopia for hard drives. Hard drives in a data center aren't real word security system conditions. Unfortunately NVR's can't always be in a data center environment. Not as many recorders are being installed under the dusty, dirty pop infested front security desks as were in days past. These days NVR's get installed in much better conditions but often it is just a closet converted to a data room/lan.

 I will agree the statistics are really good they provide and worth noting. For instance they replaced 3TB drives with 12TB drives. Cost wise this makes sense. In a data center environment the equipment they use is much easier to install the larger drives. Either the raid controllers in the system can adapt to the larger drives or updating the firmware so larger drives can be installed. This isn't always the case with NVR's out in the field. 

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Undisclosed #2

IPVMU Certified | 11/02/18 04:14pm

[2018] percentages...were nearly identical to the IPVM survey responses from 2016...

 

2018 has 36% less drive failures in the first two years, which seems significant.

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Undisclosed #3

11/02/18 04:25pm

We can drink at work, no one really has to set any boundaries and to my knowledge hasn't been a problem. You'll see the occasional group in the afternoon indulging, or someone enjoying a beer at the end of a long day. We have a beer fridge and many people have a bottle of liquor on their desk. Someone usually makes a liquor store run before company meetings. 

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Undisclosed End User #4

In reply to Undisclosed #3 | 11/02/18 04:35pm

to my knowledge hasn't been a problem

Except for the occasional post in the wrong thread ;)

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Undisclosed #3

In reply to Undisclosed End User #4 | 11/05/18 04:38pm

Don't drink and use multiple browser windows.

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Jamie Bienenfeld

In reply to Undisclosed #3 | 11/04/18 11:54am

I think it should be noted for the record (because a couple people have asked) that this was not posted by any York Employees.

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Undisclosed #2

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Jamie Bienenfeld | 11/04/18 08:17pm

...this was not posted by any York Employees.

I admit the first thing I thought after reading U3’s confession, was naturally “This must be a York employee”.

Thanks for clearing that up!

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Undisclosed Manufacturer #5

11/05/18 05:35pm

HDD failure is an interesting topic. 

There are some factors that come into play for any HDD:

The quality of the chassis

Workload

Handling of the HDD at installation (you would be shocked to see how clumsy some very large companies are on this.

The environment including, humidity, temp, and even pollution.

I would not rely on Backblaze for this on surveillance class HDDs.

 

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