Backblaze Drive Stats for Q1 2026

What this post added

This post provides Q1 2026 drive statistics, including quarterly and lifetime Annualized Failure Rates (AFR) for various drive models. It details the methodology for drive selection and exclusion criteria. A significant portion of the post discusses an edge case involving two different mechanical issues affecting specific drive models, impacting writes and power cycling. The post highlights mitigation strategies, such as reducing power cycling frequency and using a 'no-upload' mode for affected Vaults, and emphasizes the role of active management in mitigating drive failure risks. It also notes the continued investment in higher capacity drives and their impressive AFR.